rates - Makello Blog

Map showing the service areas for Community Choice Aggregration Service Providers as of February 2022

Community Choice is coming to electric customers of San Diego County but what is Community Choice and what does it mean for you as a customer?

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is a locally run not-for-profit organization that was enabled by the California Legislature in 2002 AB117. The first CCA in San Diego County began operation in June 2018 and Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) continues to grow.

Get a FREE Energy Analysis today!

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) does not generate electricity. Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) enables communities to pool ( i.e. aggregate) their electric load and purchase clean energy on the open market at competitive rates as well as develop local programs that benefit the community. The existing Investor-Owned Utility (IOU) continues to deliver power and maintain the grid.

The goals and benefits of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) are:

Accountability, transparency, local control and consumer choice
Assist communities with reaching their climate and economic goals
Promote transition to a cleaner energy supply
Reinvest revenues in the community instead of distributing to shareholders
Allow communities to develop renewable energy projects
Act as a tool for establishing local energy resources and programs

Since Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) works with local Investor Owned Utilities (IOU), customers are billed through their local Investor Owned Utility (IOU). Utility Customers are automatically enrolled in the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) per State Mandate but can opt out of the program by contacting your local CCA. Terms and conditions may apply to opting out of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA).

You still call your local Investor Owned Utility such as SDGE, SolCal Edison, or PG&E, if you have questions about your account or issues with your utility service such as downed power lines or power outages.

There are some programs offered through the Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) that are impacted by the switch to Community Choice Aggregation (CCA).

For SDGE customers, the following programs are not offered to Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) participants:

EcoChoice
EcoShare
Reduce Your Use Rewards (ended for all SDGE customers on 2-31-2018)
Direct Access

SDGE customers enrolled in any of these programs who choose to stay enrolled in Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) will be removed from the above listed SDGE programs.

Ethical Energy Efficiency Report

Makello’s Ethical Energy Savings Report is the result of a detailed trade-off study of discount utility rates, Community Choice Aggregation options, grants, rebates, tax credits, and equipment options, to determine the fastest payback and highest return on investment, to meet your home, business and vehicle energy needs.

SDGE customers receiving California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA), and Medical Baseline discount within their San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) energy delivery charges will continue to receive the discount after switching to Community Choice Aggregation (CCA).

SDGE Customers on Net Energy Metering (NEM) rates will still have Net Energy Metering (NEM) if offered through the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) provider. If you are grandfathered on a NEM pricing, you will see no change in your grandfathered rates if NEM is offered through your CCA.

Please check with your local Investor Owner Utility to find out if your program enrollment or billing will be impacted by the switch to Community Choice Aggregation (CCA).

*Service territory of the now defunct Solana Clean Energy Alliance active between June 2018- May 2021*

The first CCA in San Diego County was the Solana Energy Alliance which began operation in June 2018 and merged with Clean Energy Alliance in May 2021.

The Clean Energy Alliance CCA is currently servicing Solana Beach, Carlsbad, San Marcos, Escondido, and Del Mar. Service began in May 2021 for customers in Solana Beach, Carlsbad, and Del Mar. Service roll out began in December 2021 for Escondido and San Marcos. Please visit the Clean energy Alliance for more information regarding rates and other information for this CCA. https://thecleanenergyalliance.org/ The Clean Energy Alliance currently has all the information in pdf documents and does not have an online comparison tool.

*Map showing the Clean Energy Alliance service territory as of February 2022*

The Clean Energy Alliance offers rates based on 50% clean energy production, 75% clean energy production or 100% clean energy production as well as Net Energy Metering (NEM) for customers with renewable energy production systems.

The Net Energy Metering (NEM) program from Clean Energy Alliance is similar to the current program offered by SDGE. The energy usage and excess production are tracked and at the end of the 12 month relevant period, the account is trued up. If there is a net charge due, the customer will be billed. If the customer had a net excess generation, they are eligible to receive Net Surplus Compensation which is set as of February 2022 at $0.06 per kilowatt-hour for Net Excess Generation.

SDGE customers enrolled in Net Energy Metering (NEM) will automatically be enrolled in the Clean Energy Alliance Net Energy Metering (NEM) Rate. Customers who install a solar, wind or other self-generation system after switching to services provided by Clean Energy Alliance can sign up for Net Energy Metering (NEM) with SDGE and be automatically enrolled in the Clean Energy Alliance Personal Impact Net Energy Metering (NEM) rate.

Map showing San Diego Community Power service territory.

The largest CCA in San Diego County is San Diego Community Power. This organization covers the majority of the County. The organization is initially offering two rates tiers, PowerOn and Power100 as well as Net Energy Metering (NEM).

The City of Encinitas has opted for automatic enrollment of residents in Power100 rate and Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Chula Vista, and San Diego will be enrolled in the standard PowerOn rate. The Net Energy Metering (NEM) program is similar to the current SDGE program except San Diego Community Power bills monthly instead of issuing a potentially large bill at the annual true up. If you prefer to true up annually, you may contact San Diego Community Power and sign up for that option.

San Diego Community Power has an incentive for customers that have energy generation systems producing an excess of electricity as measured in annual net kilowatt-hours at the end of their 12 month relevant period. Those customers will be compensated at the Net Surplus Compensation rate which is based on SDGE’s True Up Monthly rate plus a $0.0075/kWh adder. More information on SDGEs excess generation compensation may be found here https://www.sdge.com/residential/savings-center/solar-power-renewable-energy/net-energy-metering/billing-information/excess-generation

San Diego Community Power has a tool to help customers in their service territory estimate their bill with the different rates. The button for the Bill Comparison Calculator for residential and commercial rates is located at the bottom of the page. Please click this link to access the tool. https://sdcommunitypower.org/your-choice/compare-service-plans/

Since the service territory is so large with such a large number of customers, San Diego Community Power service has been rolled out in steps. The dates are as listed in the chart below.

San Diego Community Power Service Territory Eligibility Dates

Location	Residential Eligibility Date	Commercial Eligibility Date	Municipal Eligibility Date
Unincorporated Areas of San Diego County	2023	2023	2023
City of San Diego	May 2022	June 2021	May 2021
Chula Vista	May 2022	June 2021	May 2021
Encinitas	April 2022	June 2021	May 2021
Imperial Beach	February 2022	June 2021	May 2021
La Mesa	March 2022	June 2021	May 2021
National City	2023	2023	2023

For those who prefer a picture, here is a map showing the Cities with residential roll out in 2022 for San Diego Community Power and the dates noted in the legend.

San Diego Community Power Service Territory with Eligibility Dates for residential customers enrolling in 2022

Here is a map showing the communities that are scheduled to be eligible for service from San Diego Community Power some time in 2023. Stay tuned for more information on service roll out as it becomes available.

Map showing San Diego Community Power service territory for customers with a 2023 enrollment date.

Makello is an authorized distributor for Green Energy EPC CA Lic #978836

Reference:

https://cal-cca.org/powered/https://

www.sdge.com/customer-choice/community-choice-aggregation/active-ccas

https://thecleanenergyalliance.org/

https://sdcommunitypower.org/

https://bill-compare.communityenergysolutions.com/ui-https://sdcommunitypower.org/v2/home/4/1/1

There are a lot of variables surrounding the use of a solar power system, and you may have wondered if solar is a better option for your home. While a lot of talk has circulated in regards to the supposed benefits and value of solar, as well as overall function, there is good news for anyone residing within the San Diego, California area – we have calculated the variables of solar power for you.

Get a FREE Energy Analysis

Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.

Cost savings of energy efficiency can pay for backup power. — Would you buy 25 years of solar power based on your Last Year Use, knowing that lower cost energy efficiency solutions to replace the inefficient water pumps, A/C, incandescent lighting and 10 year old appliances can cut the system size in half? The up front cost savings of energy efficiency can pay for emergency backup power.

The power source of your entire household is one of the most important considerations of home ownership. And, rather than hanging you out to dry, we have resolved to answering the most important, nagging questions: “is solar worth it” and “what is it going to cost”. Rather than wasting hours upon hours playing detective, we have summed up the most important information you need in order to make an informed decision about solar, for your family.

The Initial Cost

For the average residential system, typically purchased within the San Diego area, a 6 kilowatt installation is recommended. For this article, we are going to utilize the available data in order to provide an initial overview of cost for as many curious people as possible. With this in mind, the upfront cost of installation generally starts around $19,200 before incentives. The total price is based on an average cost of $3.20 per watt.

Request a Quote

Are you ready to save money on solar power, EV charging or Energy Storage? Get an instant quote from Makello!

Incentives of Solar

Once you take available federal tax credits into consideration, the total cost drops considerably – once the 26% discount is taken into account. The initial quote immediately drops to $14,200 with the aforementioned savings. The most important detail to take note of, is that the credit is for individuals who actually purchase their own solar system.

No doubt you have heard or seen advertisements from a variety of solar companies, offering leases, in addition to Power Purchase Agreements, if you find yourself in the market. The issue surrounding promotions such as these is that, because a separate company owns the solar system, the consumer will not receive the tax credit if they are leasing – the solar company does. These types of agreements typically mean, however, that the developer is solely responsible for the overall upkeep of the system, in addition to the financing arrangement and installation. The consumer is simply charged a fixed rate for their consumption of solar power.

Many leasing companies do not install open rack modules. — Many leasing companies do not install reverse tilt modules, pole mount, awning, carport or ground mount.

Because, realistically, families do not have $19,200 in cash at their disposal for the purchase of a new solar system, loan or leasing may be a viable option. The leasing situation isn’t much different when compared to that of a utility company, aside from the fact that the rates are a bit more affordable. Aside from the benefit of lower rates, the savings from leasing are consistently lower once compared to the outright purchase of your own solar power system by cash or loan. However, when a lease is your only option, it is worth time spent researching solar companies that offer a lease-to-own alternative to leasing. Benefits might include lower payments, in addition to benefits beyond the 26% federal tax credit, such as additional tax incentives.

Differences in Solar Energy Systems

When analyzing a typical solar system, the monthly average is 800 kWh (kilowatt hours). This number is based off of a 6kW system producing an annual average of 9,600 kWh in the first year. While these rates can change significantly with more advanced solar systems, which offer higher installed system capacity, these systems are able to produce 8% to 20% more kWh per watt. Along with the long-term savings increase, and a higher initial investment, homeowners will observe an overall decrease in length of pay off.

San Diego Utility Pricing System

As we watch rates continuing to climb throughout the San Diego area, the pricing system has integrated a slew of fundamental alterations. Even the way utility companies price power overall has faced significant changes, at least up until 2016. Before 2016, homes were based on a 4-tier pricing system in order to classify homes in a more affordable manner. Prior to 2017 it was changed to a 3-tier system and, currently, we stand at a 2-tier cost structure as rates continue to rise. “Super user” surcharges have also been imposed for households deemed beyond tier 2.

Annual Savings

Solar offers a significant advantage over tiered pricing systems, and assists in saving money on subsequent monthly bills. Considering how they are San Diego’s largest coastal and inland electricity providers; we have based our calculations on SDG&E’s residential pricing system.

Get Makello’s Ethical Energy Savings Report

Book an appointment to receive Makello’s Ethical Energy Savings Report, which is the result of a detailed trade-off study of discount utility rates, grants, rebates, tax credits, and equipment options, to determine the fastest payback and highest return on investment to meet your home, business and vehicle energy needs.

The fee for the Ethical Energy Savings Report is refundable (less the 3rd-Party $15 utility data access charge) or credited towards our installation services, after you attend the presentation meeting and complete a 5 minute survey after permission to operate.

Includes up to 5 hours research by the Makello team, and 1 hour Q&A, by Makello’s Ethical Energy Efficiency Expert.

Before installing a solar system, households typically consume an average of 800kWh per month, or an annual 9,600kWh. Because a residence generally consumes more power after installation, potential savings tend to range from 9,600 to 12,000kWh. Homeowners living within inland San Diego can expect, by our calculations, to save upwards of $4,000 each year. However, in coastal San Diego, the savings decreases a tad with the moderate coastal climate, topping out at $3,000 annually. Essentially, your solar system would pay for itself in around 3-4 years, assuming a 6% annual average increase in SDG&E utility rates.

A Bit More Consideration

Although this brief rundown only begins to illustrate the feasible savings presented by a new solar power system, savings may be influenced by additional factors. The size of your system, requiring a larger installation, offers further annual savings, and enables the system to make recompense for itself. Every homeowner, interested in solar, should take it upon themselves to study the topic further, before deciding to opt for a solar system.

Tag: rates

Community Choice is Here!

The True Cost of Utilizing Solar in San Diego