For a Humboldt County homeowner receiving Redwood Coast Energy Authority generation service and PG&E delivery, a solar proposal should show imports and exports separately, not just one net-kilowatt-hour total. That distinction helps explain both the utility bill and the value a well-matched solar-plus-battery PPA may offer.
RCEA's residential billing information identifies its generation charges separately from PG&E's delivery charges. Check your own bill to confirm those providers and your solar billing program before applying a proposal's assumptions.
What does “no netting” mean?
RCEA's solar billing comparison chart distinguishes NEM2 interval netting from the Solar Billing Plan's separate treatment of imports and exports. Under the Solar Billing Plan, electricity drawn from the grid and electricity sent back are not simply canceled against one another in kilowatt-hours before pricing.
An import is electricity your home receives from the grid. An export is electricity your system sends to it. Their prices can differ. Subtracting one energy total from the other loses information needed to calculate charges and credits.
This is also different from using solar directly in the house: electricity consumed behind the meter does not first need to be exported and bought back. Ask the proposal to distinguish direct solar use, battery charging, imports and exports.
Equal energy totals need not mean a zero charge
Consider a deliberately simplified example: a household imports 100 kWh and exports 100 kWh during a billing period. Assume all those imports cost $0.40 per kWh and all exports earn $0.05 per kWh.
- Import energy charges: 100 × $0.40 = $40.
- Export energy credits: 100 × $0.05 = $5.
- Difference for these two modeled energy items: $35.
The net energy total is zero, but these modeled dollar amounts do not cancel. The prices are hypothetical, not current RCEA or PG&E rates. The example excludes fixed charges, taxes, separate credit restrictions, annual adjustments and PPA payments; it is not a complete bill or savings estimate.
A real comparison needs the applicable prices and timing. RCEA's Solar Billing Plan information explains that participants are billed monthly by both providers and receive generation export credits at Energy Export Credit values. Use your actual plan's rules rather than a neighbor's older NEM arrangement.
Where a battery can help
A suitable battery can store solar energy for later household use, potentially reducing grid purchases at other times. PG&E's storage guidance explains daily operating modes and backup reserves. The result depends on equipment, settings, available solar, storage losses and household demand.
Request two forecasts with the same home usage: solar alone and the proposed solar-plus-battery configuration. Each should show grid imports, exports, remaining utility costs and equipment payments. Keep the backup reserve consistent with your outage priorities; using every modeled kilowatt-hour for daily bill savings may leave a different reserve than you intend.
Backup capability also needs compatible equipment and identified circuits. Duration depends on charge and connected loads, and solar cannot replenish storage continuously.
Add the separate PPA payment
The CPUC solar guide explains that a PPA provider owns the solar system and sells its generated electricity to you. The provider's bill is separate from utility import charges and export credits.
A qualifying no-upfront solar-plus-battery PPA can make equipment accessible without an upfront purchase. Confirm eligibility, energy price and escalator, contract term, battery ownership and fees, maintenance, replacement and home-sale transfer terms. No upfront cost does not mean free electricity or guaranteed savings.
Our battery efficiency comparison guide explains another useful modeling input. Bring your RCEA/PG&E statement and the separate import-export forecast to West Coast Alternatives to discuss a proposal around your household's needs.