Increase Your Savings with Solar, Storage and SDG&E’s Time-of-Use Rates
Solar Battery Storage Savings with SDG&E TOU Rates
Adding solar panels and a Brightbox™ battery for your home will give you control over your electricity usage; as well as clean, reliable energy during outages; and the power to reduce your carbon emissions.1 Plus, choosing Brightbox also means you’ll automatically save money with San Diego Gas & Electric’s Time-of-Use rates.
Before we go through the benefits of combining a home solar battery with SDG&E’s TOU rates, let’s discuss what TOU rates are along with the type of TOU plans SDG&E is currently offering.
What Are TOU (Time-of-Use) Rates?
Time-of-Use rates are electricity prices set by electric companies like SDG&E, that change depending on the time, the day, and the season you consume energy from the electric grid.2
During on-peak hours, such as late evenings when most people are using power at home, SDG&E and other electric companies with TOU rate structures charge more for electricity than during off-peak hours when people are usually at work or school.3
TOU rates are becoming more common with electric companies across the U.S., and California is leading the way. According to California’s Net Energy Metering (NEM 2.0) policy, any homeowner who installs solar panels in the state will need to enroll in a TOU rate plan instead of paying the traditional per-kilowatt-hour rate.4
How Can I Benefit with an SDG&E TOU Rate Plan?
Since SDG&E’s TOU rate plans are based on how much electricity you use and when you use it, they could help you save money if you’re able to shift your energy use to lower-cost hours of the day.5
Now, enrolling in one of SDG&E’s TOU rate plans doesn’t mean you have to shut down your energy usage during on-peak, high-demand hours. Making small changes, like washing your clothes or doing your dishes in the morning, can have a positive impact on your energy usage costs.
SDG&E’s TOU Rate Plans
Learn the differences between SDG&E’s TOU rate plans6*
| SDG&E Rate Plans | Peak Pricing | Schedule | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOU-DR-SES7 | 4 pm - 9 pm | on-peak, off-peak, and super off-peak | Yield more savings if you have solar battery storage service |
| TOU-DR1 | 4 pm - 9 pm | on-peak, off-peak, and super off-peak | Ideal if you have more flexibility in your energy use |
| TOU-DR2 | 4 pm - 9 pm | on-peak and off-peak | Great if you have some flexibility in your energy use |
| TOU-PLUS | 4 pm - 9 pm; 2 pm - 6 pm on Reduce Your Use Days (avg. 5 / max. 18 days per year) | on-peak, off-peak, super off-peak, and Reduce Your Use days | Good if you can reduce your on-peak energy use on Reduce Your Use days |
*SDG&E’s TOU rate plans are subject to change in the future.
Which TOU Rate Plan Do Brightbox Customers Go On?
After performing in-depth analysis, at Sunrun we believe SDG&E’s TOU-DR-SES rate offers the most savings for solar customers who also have a home battery. We’ll automatically enroll you into the TOU-DR-SES rate when you request the connection of your home solar system to SDG&E’s electric grid. If you prefer to be on a different TOU rate plan, you have 90 days after receiving SDG&E’s Permission to Operate (PTO) to select another TOU plan.
If SDG&E TOU rate plans change in the future, Sunrun will re-evaluate all TOU plans and choose the one we believe will generate the most savings for our customers.
How Do SDG&E Solar Time-of-Use Rates Work with DR-SES?
The TOU-DR-SES rate plan offers you more affordable prices at times when there’s less grid demand — before 4:00 p.m. and after 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, weekends, and holidays.
SDG&E TOU-DR-SES Hours - Weekdays
| Weekdays | On-Peak | Off-Peak | Super Off-Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer June 1 - Oct 31 | 4 pm - 9 pm | 6 am - 4 pm, 9 pm - midnight | Midnight - 6 am |
| Winter Nov 1 - May 31 | 4 pm - 9 pm | 6 am - 4 pm, 9 pm - midnight, Excluding 10 am - 2 pm in March & April | Midnight - 6 am, 10 am - 2 pm in March & April |
SDG&E TOU-DR-SES Hours - Weekends & Holidays
| Weekends & Holidays | On-Peak | Off-Peak | Super Off-Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer June 1 - Oct 31 | 4 pm - 9 pm | 2 pm - 4 pm, 9 pm - midnight | Midnight - 2 pm |
| Winter Nov 1 - May 31 | 4 pm - 9 pm | 2 pm - 4 pm, 9 pm - midnight | Midnight - 2 pm |
SDG&E TOU-DR-SES Rates - Summer & Winter8**
| Rates | On-Peak | Off-Peak | Super Off-Peak | On/Off Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer June 1 - Oct 31 | $0.54 | $0.29 | $0.23 | $0.25 |
| Winter Nov 1 - May 31 | $0.25 | $0.24 | $0.23 | $0.01 |
**For the most up-to-date information about SDG&E’s current TOU-DR-SES rates, please click here.
What Is Brightbox Smart TOU Allocation?
With a TOU rate plan, SDG&E charges you a higher or lower price depending on the time you use electricity from the grid. But when you have a home solar system with a battery service, like Brightbox, your battery will perform Smart TOU Allocation during on-peak hours in the summer (from June 1 to October 31) to use your stored energy instead of consuming electricity from the grid. This could help you offset your electric costs and potentially save you more money with each billing period.
Why Doesn’t Brightbox Perform Year-Round Battery Smart TOU Allocation?
Brightbox only performs Smart TOU Allocation during the summer to give you the most significant savings possible while balancing your battery’s degradation.
See, in the winter months (November 1 to May 31), the cost difference between SDG&E’s on-peak and off-peak rate prices is much lower, so we Sunrunners believe performing year-round Smart TOU Allocation would result in little energy savings for you.
Similar to devices such as your phone, cordless vacuum, or rechargeable Wi-Fi camera, the more you use your home battery, the faster it wears out. That’s why Brightbox only performs Smart TOU Allocation during the summer when your home energy savings are greater than the cost of your battery’s degradation.
Purchase or Lease Brightbox Today to Boost Your Savings
According to experts, switching to solar today in California could save you thousands of dollars on electric bills during the next 25 years.8 So if you want to talk about how solar can benefit you and your family, our team is ready when you are. See if you qualify today.
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Sources:
1. https://www.energysage.com/solar/solar-energy-storage/benefits-of-solar-...
2. http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/General.aspx?id=12194
3. https://www.solar-estimate.org/news/2018-01-12-how-will-time-of-use-elec...
4. http://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/detail/276
5. https://www.sdge.com/residential/pricing-plans/about-our-pricing-plans/t...
6. https://www.sdge.com/whenmatters
7. https://www.sdge.com/sites/default/files/ELEC_ELEC-SCHEDS_DR-SES.pdf