Utility tariffs are notably complex due to the wide variation in pricing structures across regions and utility providers. Tariffs often include multiple components that can significantly affect a homeowner’s bill depending on their consumption patterns. Tariff complexity arises with diverse rate structures defined by utility.
Key components of a tariff
- Fixed and minimum charges: These charges belong to fixed amount that homeowner must pay regardless of usage
- Usage charges (per kWh): Usage charges are the rates that homeowner must pay for electricity imported (kWh).
- Demand charges (per kW): Demand charges are the rates which the customer must pay for the peak demand in the billing period (kW)
- Export rates (per kWh): Export rates correspond to the rate utility pays to customer for electricity exported
Utilities define the above rates either based on time of usage or amount of usage. Common such methodologies include:
- Time of Use (ToU): Time of use corresponds to segregating the time of day into interval blocks to apply variable rates. Usually, ToUs are defined within a day (off-peak, on-peak, partial-peak), or weekend/weekdays, or seasons (summer, winter), or a combination of all.
- Tiered rates: Tiered rates correspond to the different rate structure based on the overall usage of the home in billing period. Users are charged with variable pricing if the amount of usage crosses tier thresholds.
Solar and battery solutions help reduce the dependence of utility imports and variations in tariffs. Hence, it is of paramount importance to accurately model tariffs and calculate the potential savings for homeowner.
Use Solargraf’s enhanced custom tariff builder to model complex tariffs
Solargraf’s new Custom Tariff Builder is designed to simplify this complexity—giving solar professionals the tools they need to accurately model and apply detailed utility tariffs.
The new and enhanced version of the tariff builder allows you to create complex tariffs supporting all 4 key components of tariffs (fixed, usage, demand, and export)
Usage and demand rates can have pre-defined time of use schedules and tiering
In today’s evolving energy landscape, the ability to model real-world utility rates is a game-changer. Solargraf’s Custom Tariff Builder empowers you to navigate complex tariff structures at ease and helps you to enhance customer trust.
Whether you’re dealing with a simple flat-rate plan or a multi-layered ToU structure with demand charges, Solargraf helps you model it all—quickly and accurately.
Try the Custom Tariff Builder in Solargraf today and deliver more impactful, effective estimates to your customers.
United States
Germany/Austria
Brazil
Netherlands