DESIGNING AUSTIN ENERGY'S SOLAR TARIFF USING A DISTRIBUTED PV VALUE CALCULATOR

摘要

Austin Energy plans to offer residential customers a new solar rate tariff in place of traditional net metering. The new tariff is based on the added value that solar energy offers to the utility due to the distributed nature of residential photovoltaic grid tied systems. Austin Energy worked with Clean Power Research (CPR) to employ the algorithms from a utility value calculator to design the solar tariff. A rebate structure was also designed in order to ensure that customers still satisfy a key economic cost-effectiveness test and address first-cost barriers facing solar customers. Steadily declining up-front rebates begin a transition toward production-based recompense for residential solar customers based on actual value credits for solar generation without a need to add incentives.