Aren’t the solar power people charged for access to the grid?
They’d have two ways to pay, with money or by contributing their unused power to the supply grid.
They’re not floating off the grid if they are contributing to power to it.
—”They’re not floating off the grid if they are contributing to power to it.”
And that is why they call it a grid-tied system.
Systems not connected to any external grid are usually called island solar systems.
—”Aren’t the solar power people charged for access to the grid?”
That changes every day as the utility and local non-solar users wise up on the free riders.
On my bill, the charges for actual power used is about 40% of the total.
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2020/03/which-states-offer-net-metering/
"They’d have two ways to pay, with money or by contributing their unused power to the supply grid. They’re not floating off the grid if they are contributing to power to it."
Yes and no. It depends on if you choose to make an agreement with the power company. Basically your options are:
1 - Sell your unused solar power back to the power company. If you do you also have to pay the monthly fee (us solar users call it the "solar tax", but non-solar users have a legitimate gripe in saying all of us should pay some to maintain the lines for the 10% or so of our power we use from the grid). This option is good only if your power company doesn't charge a large monthly fee and does give you a decent buyback rate. Companies that do this (or states that force the power companies do this) are referred to as using "net metering".
2 - The other option is to not sell back your power to the grid. You don't pay a monthly fee, nor do you get the measly 2 to 3 cents per kWh you sell back to the grid because you're not selling it back. That excess power is simply lost. And your net gain of buying solar is a reduction in your power bill (less power used because you're supplying your own, and perhaps you're using less power during peak times).
Here in Alabama we don't have net metering so I'm doing Option 2. If things keep going like they're going (my system keeps doing well, and power rates rise roughly 2% to 3% per year inflation), I'll make my money back in 10 to 12 years. If, however, Chancellor Biden and Queen Kamala keep raising energy prices (their so-so fracking ban already has natural gas price about 40% higher than it was this time last year, and their green energy bill might force my power company to spend tons on green energy and pass the cost onto customers like already happens in states that force it), then I'll make my money back in shorter time. Plus, I sleep peacefully knowing that if electricity rates go way high it doesn't impact me much. Basically, I'm doing solar in a more libertarian way than a tree huggin' way.
If things get really bad I'll buy a small generator to get me through the few times my solar power and battery backup doesn't power the house and I'll tell the power company to kiss my ChristianFreeAmericanHairyWhiteUnsodomizedNeverVotedForThePartyOfSlaveryAndSegregation butt.
This was my understanding as well.