More Solar Capacity and an End to Net Metering

 I first installed solar panels on my new garage roof in 2009.  The six panels met the needs of my house by Net Energy Metering standards.  The NEM program credits you for any electricity you feed into the grid based on the rate you would pay if you drew energy from the grid at the same time. So, if I generated electricity during peak pricing hours, I would get a credit for that amount.  Then I would do laundry on the weekends during off-peak hours and get to use nearly two KWh for each KWh I generated.  This allowed me to bank excess power during the summer and draw against it during the winter.  My net electric bill for the year was under $50. 

In 2012, I bought the purple Mitsubishi i-MiEV and needed to generate more electricity to power the miles I would be driving.  I did some rough math and estimated four more panels would essentially cover most of my home EV charging needs.  The NEM program was still in effect, so again I was able to bank summer electricity for use in the winter.  My yearly cost for powering the house and charging the car with the new system remained under $100 and included nearly 10,000 miles worth of driving.

My original solar panels (in yellow) and my upgraded panels (in green)

In 2018, I bought the blue BMW i3 and passed the Mitsubishi onto my partner.  Between the two of us, we were driving nearly 20,000 miles a year.  In 2019, I replaced the main inverter on the original solar panels with microinverters, which improved their afternoon energy production by about 10%.  (I have a power/telephone pole next to my garage that casts a shadow across some of the panels.)  Still, I was running over my production by $600 to $800 a year.  So, I planned to add to the solar panels.  But my garage roof was now full, and I would have to put the panels on the main house roof.  But the house roof was installed in 1997 and had exceeded 25 years of age, so I would have to replace the roof before installing the new solar panels. 

Alas, I waited too long to get started on the roof replacement, so my NEM program was terminated when I upgraded my solar system.  Under the new solar program, I am credited the wholesale cost of any energy generation (not transmission), which is about 15% of what I pay for electricity.  I had eight new solar panels installed, each generating up to 410 watts.  (The original panels generate up to 230 watts.)  I also had to buy battery storage for the excess electricity I generate during the day to use after sunset.  The original recommendation was to install one house battery, with a new subpanel to dedicate some circuits for use when the power would go out.  Because I usually need to charge one of the cars at night, I realized one battery would not be enough.  By adding a second battery, I am able to meet most of my charging needs, and I was able to eliminate the electric subpanel, which paid for half of the second battery.  (Two batteries provide enough current to power the whole house – except for the A/C unit.)  I discovered the backup batteries were working one day when my next-door neighbor asked if my power was also out.  Power outages are much less stressful now.

Visiting Carmel-by-the-Sea

 I love to visit Carmel-by-the-Sea.  The weather is never hot, there is world-class food all around you, art galleries, wine-tasting rooms, distinctive clothing, imaginative toys, and charming architecture all around.  The beach is a short walk from the center of town.  And the best bet is to park in the city lot just south of the main street where they have installed a handful of level-2 EV charging stations.  From there, it’s a short walk to the various attractions in town.

The level-2 chargers are important to the journey.  Carmel-by-the-Sea is 75 miles from my home, making for a 150-mile round-trip.  Under the best of conditions, my BMW i3 can travel 150 miles without spending much time on the freeway and staying on level land.  But I don’t like to drive anywhere without a safety margin of 20 miles of extra range.  So, a visit to Carmel necessitates a charging stop.  (Most newer cars can drive there and back on a single charge because of their larger battery packs.)  When I get to Carmel, I can plug in, enjoy the town for two or three hours, then come back to my car charged up with an additional 45 to 75 miles of range and enjoy a comfortable return home (free of anxiety).

The level-2 chargers are a short walk to downtown attractions.

For this trip, the level-2 chargers are preferable to DC-fast-chargers.  With the level-2 chargers, I plug in and take my time taking in Carmel.  I want to spend more than two hours there and charging for that long satisfies my charging needs.  I could also have used a DC-fast-charger on my way home, but that would have meant a 15- to 25-minute stop in a place where I had little interest in dwelling.  Plus, I would have had to stay within a short walk of the car while it charged, limiting my ability to explore or dine.  Level-2 chargers have a real need in places like Carmel, where you are likely to enjoy spending a few hours in one spot.  (DC-fast-chargers make the most sense along busy travel corridors like along the interstate freeways.)  Now, if we could only get a few level-2 chargers installed near hiking locations like in our national parks.

Picking a Charging App (or Two)

 If you never drive beyond your car’s winter battery range, and always charge at home (or work), then you will likely never need to use a public charging station and won’t need a charging network’s app for your smartphone.  Even if you do decide to venture beyond once or twice, you can likely get by with Google Maps and a credit card.  Google Maps can help you locate most charging stations and can help you plan your route to include them.  And many chargers now have credit card (tap) readers for payment, just like a gas pump.  But, using the charging network’s app can improve the charging experience by providing station availability, station notes left by prior users, monitoring the charging progress, and even start and stop the charging session and arranging the payment.

In the early days of EV adoption, there weren’t many public chargers around.  Individuals with home chargers were willing to provide access to their charger to other EV drivers in order to promote EV adoption.  A smartphone app emerged to allow individuals to advertise their home charger and collect payment for its use, called PlugShare.  PlugShare is ideal for travelers passing through regions with low EV adoption and limited public EV charging infrastructure because it connects drivers with these generous hosts.  It also includes the public charging stations and helps with route planning.  Because I live in a high-adoption area, I have not used PlugShare personally, but I have read good things about it.

Instead, I have made use of the following EV charging networks and apps:  ChargePoint, EVGo, and Electrify America.  These are the most relevant networks for California, though other charging networks are available.  EVGo and Electrify America provide detailed information and status for their own charging equipment.  They manage payments and can start and stop charging sessions.  They also report the amount of power flowing into the car, which can help to anticipate when charging will complete.  And they notify you once charging has completed so you can disconnect (and move) your car before parking charges are applied.  ChargePoint does all the same for its own network chargers, and it also includes information about chargers on other networks, but does not control those off-network chargers.  ChargePoint also installed a number of destination (level-2) chargers, while EVGo and Electrify America are almost exclusively DC-fast-charging focused.  ChargePoint has become my go-to charging app.

To prepare for a road trip up the California and Oregon coast (in 2024), I installed two other charging apps.  The first was EVCS, which serves the west coast well (but nowhere else).  Along my trip, I used EVCS stations a number of times and found the app helpful.  The other app was by Shell.  The one time I tried to use the app I was unable to start my charging session.  Fortunately, the credit card reader was working, and I was able to charge, but the experience was frustrating.  But overall, the trip went well.