To Charge or not to charge- that is my question

It’s not a question of off-peak vs. peak energy cost, if that’s what you’re getting at.

His wife’s rather-curious point is that their utility buys (excess) energy from their panels at such a good price that they’d be better off unplugging the car, selling the those ~6KWh to the utility and using it to buy gas for the car. That, compared to charging the car directly from their panels.

That situation won’t come up, however, unless the car is charging during “peak solar” hours, during the day. Most days he’s off at work during those hours, and when he gets home, at 7PM, say, his panels will be producing almost nothing.

So, the question just reverts back to just $/mile on grid power vs. $/mile on gas.

This is all assuming he doesn’t have a large battery; most grid-tied systems don’t, that being the main reason to make them grid-tied.

 

I agree with you but maybe change your avatar to show the Prime being charged not filling with gas. lol

 

New Jersey is full-serve only? I'm guess that's why the locked-on gas pump.

Same situation here, in Coquitlam, BC. Think I've filled up in our wonderful city twice, in close to 30 years.

Geez, according to Google, current price for regular in our area: $1.71 (CDN) a liter. I "think" that's $4.87 (US) per (US) gallon, using a clunky online calculator.

 

Yes, NJ is full service only. I believe it is the only state to do so. I think there is also 1 county in (Idaho?) that is full service.

 

Oregon too I think?

 

You're right Oregon too. Forgot about that one.

 

I think Oregon does too.

 

I guess we all independently found out about Oregon in that regard!

 

Thankfully, Oregon is no longer fully full serve. Low population counties are now allowed to offer self-serve, and I was able to take advantage of that early last year.

I'd previously done self serve there when absentmindedly forgetting the ban, and the attendants were so busy that they simply didn't notice or ever get to me. Neither they or I figured it out until I went inside to pay, confusing the heck out of them.

 

More detail. Forbes item just over a year ago:
"Oregon and New Jersey are the only two states that ban self-service gas stations. But thanks to a new law that went into effect on January 1, customers can now pump their own gas in Oregon, though only at stand-alone gas stations in counties with fewer than 40,000 residents. Elsewhere, the ban still holds."

Map from another source:

 

In a nutshell, most of the big metropolitan areas are full-service only? That's kinda the opposite of what I'd picture: isn't it more typical for the small rural stations to be old-school, full-serve. Portland is in that upper-west corner, allows self-serve?

 

In a nutshell, all of them still have self-serve prohibited (except card-lock outlets).

No, upper-west is far away from Portland. Portland is a fair ways inland, right in the middle of the north border of the red zone on the left half. Portland is the very last place that self-service will ever be legalized.

The legislature gave the small rural areas permission for self service because their small populations and light customer traffic make it more difficult to justify 24/7 staff to pump gas. As a result, the self service ban simply made gas unavailable overnight in many such communities, a problem for travelers. The big metro areas are not similarly afflicted, so it is easier to maintain the typical Oregonian full-service demand there.

 

Sounds more like an edict. If there were a market demand for it, then stations would do it. What is the rationale for the law?

 

Looks like the I-5 corridor and then a random county in the northeast?

 

Random thoughts:
For what it's worth, as a Prius AND a pickup driver.....

If my electric company bought power at $0.31 / kWh, then I would start building a solar farm.....
...today.
I would check the math and make sure it's not $0.031.

Since I only pay $0.05 / kWh and there's no net-metering in my area then I'll have to wait for my local situation to change.
I see a lot of calcu-guessing about charging versus gas with piles and piles of data.
Just don't forget to count the actual cost of the solar panels, wiring, batteries, inverters or charge controllers (if applicable) install, etc.

As far as the original question (Charge or not charge) that depends on the system and what you use as a spit cup for the extra power when the car is not charging or the sun is not shining....as might happen in the far-off frozen North, from time to time.

Knowing what I know about the OP's situation, my answer would be:
"yes."

in other words, whatever seems more efficient at the time.
Grid-tied systems are connected to the electrical grid, and allow the owner to use solar energy as well as electricity from the grid - so it seems to me that unless the OP has a hybrid system (appropriate enough for a Prius forum!) they are using solar and/or fossil (or nucular, or other renewable) either way.
Economies of scale lean towards charging for the bunny-hugging set but if you're going to own a dual-fuel car, AND live in a megalopolis, I'd keep "both" tanks topped off as a matter of prudence.
Besides....the Prime has a very small traction battery.

It's the automotive equivalent of throwing a plastic water bottle in a recycle bin.
There are better ways to "save the planet" but you're doing what you can....

I live 3 miles from work.
It used to be 50, and then it was 10....so I have a very good reason not to look down on people who live further out - or drive vehicles that get slightly less miles per gallon than my car - because i still own a 10-year-old pickup with a well worn trailer hitch.

When they make a pickup or SUV that 99-percenters can afford and it doesn't look like a stage prop for a K-Pop boy-band?
I'll get to save the planet too....

Meanwhile?
I'll do what i can.

I have an off-grid solar system but it's only 100w for now...

 

I-5 corridor, plus much (not all) of the coast and the US-97 corridor, plus the Pendleton area (that 'random' county).

The 'edict' is Oregon's long-standing ban on self-service, strongly supported by the big city folks. Until last year's relaxation of that ban in lower population areas, the intermediate step of self service was simply not a legal option. So during times when the local market demand was insufficient to support having paid pump wait staff on duty, the only other legal business option was to close shop and lock the pumps.

Now, many of those low-business-traffic areas in rural counties can legally offer self service, both at times when they can justify just a single cashier in the accompanying convenience store, and also when even that is closed.

 

???? I'm still not following your argument. With regular net metering, it doesn't matter what time of day he plugs in. Or even what day of the week, or month of the year. The time shifting feature nets out to the same meter readings regardless of what time the energy was produced or consumed.

Agreed here. With his very high electric rate, gas now is cheaper, if that is the only consideration (i.e. excluding environment and geopolitics).

With regular net metering, 'The Grid' effectively serves the same function as a battery, other than the fact that this particular 'battery' isn't available during power outages. But when the grid is up, users can 'charge' this 'battery' whenever the sun shines, and 'withdraw' whenever they want. The PV Production meter and house Net meter don't know the difference. They track only how much energy flows through, but not when.

 

Not all net metering is the same. We are credited at the retail rate so time of day would not matter. Nevada blew up home solar a couple of years ago, net metered customers pay more than double the daily access rate, are charged retail but are credited wholesale. All the big solar companies left the state.