San Diego Community Power’s NEM surplus rate belongs in the annual excess-energy calculation, not on every kilowatt-hour a solar system produces. Separating those quantities makes a solar-plus-battery proposal easier to evaluate.
This guide uses official information checked November 6, 2026. Confirm your account’s NEM status before using the example; a new Solar Billing Plan proposal needs its own applicable rules.
Read the rate and its date together
SDCP’s NEM page lists a November 2026 net surplus compensation rate of $0.03006 per kWh, including its $0.0075 bonus. This concerns annual net surplus energy. Ordinary NEM credits during the billing period use different rules, and surplus rates vary by month.
For an illustration only, assume SDCP confirms 1,000 kWh of qualifying annual surplus and that November’s rate applies. The surplus-energy component would be 1,000 × $0.03006 = $30.06. This is not a promised check amount or the value of all solar production. Ask SDCP to confirm your applicable rate, period and settlement.
Our NEM Balance Credit Refund guide covers a separate adjustment that can affect the final result.
Ask for a traceable proposal
Request a worksheet that identifies these quantities separately:
- Estimated solar production and household electricity use.
- Energy used at home, stored in the battery and exported.
- Expected utility charges and credits, including the dated surplus-rate assumption.
- Provider payments and any battery charges.
This is a suggested review format, not a list of standard bill labels. If an estimate has one unexplained “solar value” number, ask the provider to show the inputs before comparing offers. Also request a sensitivity case with a different surplus-rate assumption; a current published number does not establish future compensation.
Confirm whose account is being modeled
SDCP’s service overview lists San Diego, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, National City and unincorporated San Diego County. Check your statement rather than assuming every county address receives SDCP service.
Its bill guide explains that Community Power generation replaces SDG&E generation on the consolidated bill. SDG&E continues delivery, billing and grid outage responsibilities. Keep those delivery charges in the household comparison.
Put PPA access and backup value in the same review
A qualifying no-upfront solar-plus-battery PPA can help eligible homeowners access equipment while preserving cash. The CPUC solar guide explains that a PPA involves provider ownership and ongoing electricity payments. Review the rate, escalator, term, maintenance, transfer provisions and battery fees alongside remaining utility costs. Savings and offer eligibility require an actual proposal.
For backup, ask which circuits and simultaneous loads the equipment supports. PG&E’s general battery guidance explains how connected demand, available charge and solar recharge affect duration. Ordinary grid-tied solar alone generally does not supply outage power; backup requires compatible equipment and solar recharge depends on conditions.
Evaluate any SDCP battery-program eligibility separately before including incentives. A surplus calculation does not establish a funding reservation or PPA eligibility.
Bring the dated worksheet, recent bills and proposed agreement to the West Coast Alternatives homeowner journey. WCA is independent of SDCP and can help organize the solar-and-storage comparison; SDCP determines account-specific settlement.