APS Arizona Resource Comparison Proxy (RCP) Export Rate & TOU Demand Guide
Arizona Public Service (APS) steps down its Resource Comparison Proxy (RCP) solar export rate by 10% every year (now ~6.85¢/kWh) while charging 34¢/kWh—or $19.90/kW demand fees—between 4 PM and 7 PM when Phoenix air conditioners run hardest.
1. 24-Hour Import Cost vs. Export Credit Visualizer
Schedule: APS Rider RCP (Resource Comparison Proxy) + Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm (R-TOU-E / R-2)Compare what Arizona Public Service (APS) charges you to import 1 kWh vs. what they pay you when you export 1 kWh during each time window—and how your battery inverter should be programmed:
2. Forensic Tariff & Battery Arbitrage Math
- 1The 10-Year RCP Lock-In Rule: Every September 1, APS reduces the RCP export credit by up to 10% for new applicants (from 12.9¢ in 2017 down to ~6.85¢ today). Once your PTO is approved, you lock in your RCP tier for 10 years.
- 2Beating the APS R-2 Demand Charge ($19.90/kW) with LFP Load Shaving: On APS’s R-2 TOU- with-Demand schedule, off-peak electricity is dirt-cheap (~6.2¢–11¢/kWh), but your highest 1-hour kW spike between 4 PM and 7 PM is billed at ~$19.90 per kW! A 12 kW hybrid inverter + 14.3 kWh LFP battery holds 4 PM–7 PM grid draw at 0.0 kW—slashing APS bills by $220+/month.
EG4 18kPV (12kW Continuous AC for 5-Ton Phoenix A/C) + 14.3kWh–28.6kWh LFP
Estimated Payback under APS Rider RCP (Resource Comparison Proxy) + Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm (R-TOU-E / R-2): 4.7 – 5.5 Years
Arizona Public Service (APS) Solar Tariff FAQ
Does APS charge a monthly Grid Access Fee to solar customers?
Customers on standard non-demand TOU schedules (like Time-of-Use 4pm–7pm Weekdays) pay a monthly Grid Access Charge of ~$0.93 per kW of DC solar capacity (~$9.30/mo for a 10 kW array), whereas customers on the R-2 Demand schedule are exempt from the Grid Access Charge.
Why should Phoenix solar panels face West as well as South on APS?
West-facing panels (240°–270° azimuth) produce peak power between 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM—directly overlapping the brutal APS 4 PM–7 PM Peak window when 5-ton air conditioners are running nonstop.