Big deltas between what PW2 and my utility report for power delivered to grid



I wanted to put this out there to see if anyone else is running into the issue i'm seeing. I have a single PW2 with a 9KW solar system - both were installed by a local installation company which is a certified PW2 installer. After a few months of operation, i've noticed that what the PW2 says i've pushed back on the grid differs greatly with what my utility, Duke Energy, is giving me credit for. AFAIK i'm supposed to get 1:1 credit for the kHh I push back on the grid, but the numbers just don't line up. For example, one recent month I delivered 200kWh to the grid per my PW2's data, but Duke says it was 19kWh. This is way too big to be a measurement accuracy error. FWIW the PW2 reports almost the same value for solar generation as my SolarEdge inverter reports. Also, the last bill showed that the total from the grid was with 1% of what the PW2 reported. I suspect that Duke isn't measuring my meter correctly as its a CL320 meter (most houses are CL200) and doesn't appear to have the same radio in it as the rest of the neighborhood. When the meter read truck comes by each month, the dude has to get out of his truck and do a manual read - so i'm wondering if they are just not grabbing the proper parameters from the meter.

anyhow, wanted to see if anyone else may have run into this situation and where you might be with resolving it.


Patrick | 07. tammikuu 2020

Likely just a meter reader with a hangover - sounds like a new reading would be in order.

PapaSmurf | 07. tammikuu 2020

I am always suspicious of Duke Energy meters. They claim our home consumption is WAY higher than anything that makes sense to me. That was one reason we purchased the Tesla solar system in November.

Now that the Tesla solar and PW2 is operational, I am watching the Duke Energy bills like a hawk. If there is any case to be made for them ripping us off with "errors" in Duke's favor, I will likely file a lawsuit against Duke Energy for violation of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA).

I would do it pro se just for fun. I won't waste any money on a lawyer over the issue. But I will drag Duke Energy into court and make them spend some money over the issue.

nick | 07. tammikuu 2020

Haha, yeah i know what you mean regarding Duke. In this case, I really suspect that they are either measuring or reading incorrectly. The only reason I am not 100% confident is because my solar company initially setup the powerwall incorrectly, i.e. I was generating solar energy at night :). So, I can't rule out that they setup the CTs wrong again. I've sent them requests to review it as well, but I put my money on Duke.

PapaSmurf | 08. tammikuu 2020

Duke Energy also has an arbitration agreement for customers.
So you can file for arbitration for a mere $200.

Per the arbitration rules, the company (Duke Energy) agrees to pay all arbitration fees.
Filing fee $300, case management fee $1,400, hearing fee $500, arbitrator compensation $2,500.
Total = $4,700
And they are required to reimburse you the $200 filing fee that you paid.

That is generally the situation on all arbitration agreements. In order for the company to force you to give up your right to file a lawsuit in court, the company has to agree to pay all arbitration fees.

Mail a copy to the American Arbitration Association (AAA) with a check for $200. They will send a bill to Duke Energy for $4,700.

Also mail off a copy of the arbitration filing form to Duke Energy, it is really simple and takes 2 minutes to fill out.
Also include an offer to negotiate with Duke Energy if they would like to avoid paying the $4,700 in mandatory arbitration fees to the AAA.

Trust me on this. You will get a phone call within days from the Duke Energy legal department (or any company you do this to) and they will basically do whatever you want to resolve the issue, as long as it costs them less than $4,700.

It is quite easy to receive PREMIUM customer service, from any company that is giving you problem, with that simple process.

Patrick | 09. tammikuu 2020

Papa - is the Duke arbitration agreement part of their solar interconnection paperwork or is it more generally available to all customers? Our solar went online with Duke back in early 2016 and cant recall....

PapaSmurf | 11. tammikuu 2020

@Patrick, it is available for everyone. Google 'Duke Energy arbitration"