The SPAN Home App provides energy and cost analysis to help all SPAN Panel homeowners understand their usage to save money. While an additional savings feature is available for all panels, the experience will differ depending on the panel you own.
For homeowners with a SPAN Panel MAIN 32, you’ll want to navigate to this article. If you don’t know which SPAN panel you own, this article can help: How do I know which SPAN Panel I own?
How do I get started tracking my energy costs?
Navigate to the “Savings” section of your SPAN app and follow the below steps:
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How do I know which utility rate to use, and what if my rate isn’t listed?
The name of your rate should appear on your physical utility bill as well as in your online utility account. On your utility bill, it may look something like this:
We provide a list of utilities based on your zip code. If you don’t see your utility listed, tap the checkbox to see other utilities in your state.
If your utility still isn’t shown, choose “Other” and enter your own $/kWh rate.
We are exploring opportunities to support more rates and allow more rate customization but do not have an exact date for when that will be available.
What is exported solar and how do I figure out how much my utility pays for it?
Often solar produces more energy than a home needs. The extra solar is sent back (exported) to the grid. The price utilities pay for exported solar informs how you should act to lower your bills. If they don’t pay close to your full rate value for exported energy, you will want to use as much solar energy as you can and avoid exporting solar.
When choosing how your utility pays for exported solar, you’ll have a few options. If you live in California and are served by PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E, your utility pays you differently depending upon when your solar was installed. We provide three net energy metering rates (NEM 1.0, NEM 2.0, or NEM 3.0) that correspond to different installation time periods.
For everyone else, the value of exported solar can be tricky to find. It usually doesn’t appear on your bills. We recommend that you call your utility, or if you’re inspired, look for compensation details in your solar interconnection agreement. Once you know how you’re paid for exported solar, you can choose "Net Energy Metering" or "Fixed Rate" and describe the payment scheme.
What is net energy metering (NEM) and “export rate deduction”?
NEM is a solar incentive program that uses your excess solar energy to offset energy usage and costs during nights, cloudy periods, and in some cases during darker winter months.
NEM 1.0, NEM 2.0, and NEM 3.0 refer to specific NEM policies implemented by PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E over the past ~30 years in California. If you live in California, the SPAN Home App will provide these three options for solar export value by default.
If you live elsewhere, your NEM policy will vary. We let you tune NEM to your local context by entering an “export rate deduction.” By default, the value is $0.00/kWh, which means the utility will pay you the full retail rate for exported solar. If you enter a higher value (say $0.04/kWh), we will assume your utility pays $0.04/kWh less than the full retail rate for exported solar.
What happens after I configure my utility rate for the first time?
Cost and savings analysis occurs once per day and begins the day you first set your rate. You’ll begin seeing cost analysis the day after you set things up. During the first month, the “Savings” page will show an estimate of monthly spending by end use category, and you can tap to see full spending breakdown for each breaker. In subsequent months, you can leverage the “Year” view to see your spending each month and the year.
If you need to update your utility details at any point, click the “Edit utility rate” button in the upper right corner of the page.
This feature only provides an estimate, not a guarantee. Not everybody will see high savings opportunities, especially if they already have a well-balanced electrical system.
Will your cost calculations match my utility bill?
SPAN Panel cost calculations are estimations intended to help you manage energy use and spend intelligently. We only represent energy use we can measure and focus on variable costs rather than fixed costs in your rate. Utility bill periods start and end on specific days in each month, and your bills are based on usage during those specific periods. Our calculations are based on calendar month rather than your specific billing period, so energy use and cost will differ from your utility bill.
Why are my monthly cost estimates negative?
We perform NEM (Net Energy Metering) calculations monthly and do not carry over any excess solar production to subsequent months. If your monthly cost is negative after considering solar export, we report the negative cost so you can anticipate how much cost credit you are accumulating for later months. In reality, utilities generally do not pay customers even if their exported solar math warrants it.
For Consideration
All estimated savings, projections, and calculations are are based on user inputs and assumptions, and provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Actual results may vary based on market conditions, utility fees and rate changes, and individual financial habits. Please consult your utility to verify rate information, and a qualified financial professional before making financial decisions.