HECO -- Time of Use Rates (leasing, HOA, condos)

[Rain Monkey]

HECO has a pilot project in place which charges electrical rates based on time
of usage. They are as follows:


9 am - 5pm --- 14.9 cents/kWh
5 pm - 10 pm - 37.3 cents/kWh
10 pm- 9 am -- 23.7 cents/kWh

All rates inclusive of surcharges according to the HECO flyer

It is a limited participation study, and I am curious if anyone (or perhaps a
neighbor) on this MB has signed up. If so, could you kindly share what has been
your personal results/experience?


TIA

[pj737]

The only people that I could imagine would sign up for the TOU program are those that are literally never home between 5 pm and 10 pm. Perhaps someone that works at night and sleeps with the ac on during the day. Anyone with a typical lifestyle, or virtually any family for that matter, would not benefit from such a program.

If you had an energy storage facility at home, you could technically charge the batteries between 9 am to 5 pm and then discharge it between 5 pm and 9 am. If the gear was set up to be perfectly efficient, it could allow you to save enough between the TOU off-peak/non-TOU standard rate (about 10 cents/kWh) to pay the energy storage system off in a short 15-20 years.

[Rain Monkey]

Thank you for the reply, PJ. IMO, the availability of programmable appliances has somewhat
changed the landscape of when you can use high demand appliances. For example, clothes washing/drying and dishwashing can be accomplished during low-demand hours. Even the rice
cooker is programmable, That leaves hot water demand for showers, the reefer, stove plus
misc. items. We are fortunate (had the foresight when purchasing) that we don't need AC
where we live, however A/C is a high demand appliance and I can understand your point about
its contribution to cost and the fact some folks need it.

[hotzcatz]

Timer on the water heater would take that out of the high demand times.

[Rain Monkey]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Timer on the water heater would take that out of the high demand times.

Good point, Hotcatz. Perhaps it might be worth even looking at the feasibility of hot water on demand.


About a year ago, we made a modest investment in replacing some of our appliances (washer/dryer, reefer, TV's) and household lighting to energy efficient ones. The realized savings in terms of energy consumption was immediate and surprising.

[whtviper1]

Solar hot water is a no brainer.

[Rain Monkey]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Solar hot water is a no brainer.

Of course. Generally provided one lives in a detached home.

[honobob]

Originally Posted by Rain Monkey

Of course. Generally provided one lives in a detached home.

There are condos with solar water. I've owned one that installed in the 70's with federal grant money. It is so overengineered that as panels fail we just bypass them.
The problem with photovoltaic panels is that the HOA would have to give the tax credit to a leasing company and enter a long term purchase contract.

[KauaiHiker]

I think this is going to be the way of the future--and imposed on everyone like it or not. If Hawaii can get more and more renewable energy, it will be solar based to start with, and that means cheap during the day. Solar is great for covering the A/C load when the sun is shining, but it can't cover the evening peak, when everyone gets home and turns on appliances.

Efficient and eventually programmable or smart appliances are great, but the first step is just changing habits: line drying clothes, getting solar water installed or putting a timer on your water heater, use LED lights everywhere, etc. And once you do that, you can really make battery storage (tesla powerwall) have a much shorter payback period.

In the long run, the utilities need to develop more storage (pumped hydro), wind and wave power to flatten out the renewable energy curve. But people need to realize that cheap fossil energy on-demand is pau, use the energy you have (solar) more efficiently.

[pj737]

Originally Posted by KauaiHiker

I think this is going to be the way of the future--and imposed on everyone like it or not.

The way of the future is energy storage, not TOU. Every home will eventually have their own energy storage... if retained long-term, the TOU scheme will end up being a tax on the poor as they will be the only ones that can't install a dirt cheap energy storage system in their home/units.

The dying model of our current utility will throw every stop-gap measure out there as they desperately try to keep revenue flowing. TOU is one example.

Inside of 3 short years, energy storage will be <$100/kWH. Something completely unfathomable just one year ago. The average Hawaii home in 3 years time could carry 100% of their electrical needs through the "peak" TOU periods for less than $1,000 in energy storage... and that is without any state or federal tax credits.

Within 2-3 years it won't matter that HECO killed the NEM and CGS programs. Cheap energy storage will make PV explode again. And better yet, no ridiculously long waits to interconnect your PV system and homeowners will have true off-grid capability (i.e. those PV panels on the roof will actually work in the event of a power outage). Those that signed up for the ill-conceived CGS program are going to wish they waited for self-supply.

We are literally going to see the long-time energy distribution model die right before our eyes inside of 5 years. Truly exciting times ahead.