California (CA) • San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)Model: Avoided Cost

SDG&E NEM 3.0 (SBT) Rate Structure & EV-TOU-5 Battery Economics

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) charges up to 81¢/kWh during Summer Peak while paying under 3¢/kWh for midday solar exports. Here is the exact solar + LFP battery math that yields a 4.1-year payback in San Diego County.

Peak Import Rate

$0.66 – $0.81 / kWh (Summer On-Peak 4 PM – 9 PM)

Midday Export Credit

$0.019 – $0.038 / kWh (Midday ACC Export)

Peak Export / VPP Bonus

$2.10 – $3.55 / kWh (Sept Peak Export Window)

Min Monthly Bill

$16.00 Monthly Base Service Fee (EV-TOU-5)

1. 24-Hour Import Cost vs. Export Credit Visualizer

Schedule: SDG&E Solar Billing Tariff (SBT) / EV-TOU-5

Compare what San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) 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:

12:00 AM – 6:00 AM (Super Off-Peak)

Import: 16¢/kWhExport: 3.1¢/kWh

Grid Buy:

Grid Sell:

Inverter Dispatch Rule: Charge EVs during 15¢–16¢ Super Off-Peak if solar is insufficient

6:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Daytime Off-Peak)

Import: 45¢/kWhExport: 2.2¢/kWh

Grid Buy:

Grid Sell:

Inverter Dispatch Rule: Power daytime home loads (saving 45¢/kWh) and charge LFP battery to 100% SoC

4:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Summer On-Peak)

Import: 74¢/kWhExport: 21¢/kWh

Grid Buy:

Grid Sell:

Inverter Dispatch Rule: Run 100% off battery (avoids 74¢–81¢/kWh SDG&E rate!)

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM (Late Off-Peak)

Import: 45¢/kWhExport: 4¢/kWh

Grid Buy:

Grid Sell:

Inverter Dispatch Rule: Discharge remaining battery down to 15% reserve to avoid 45¢/kWh grid power

2. Forensic Tariff & Battery Arbitrage Math

Battery Pairing Necessity Score: 96% Mandatory (Highest retail kWh rates in continental US)

1Why Daytime Self-Consumption Alone Saves 45¢/kWh in San Diego: Even outside the 4 PM–9 PM Peak window, SDG&E’s daytime Off-Peak rate on standard schedules exceeds 44¢/kWh. Every single kWh your house consumes directly from your solar or battery avoids 45¢ to 81¢/kWh.
24.1-Year Direct Hardware Payback: Because SDG&E rates are the highest in the continental US, a 10 kW solar + 28.6 kWh battery system generating 16,200 kWh/year in sunny San Diego (5.7 peak sun hours) offsets $8,200+/year in utility bills.
3Zero-Export Expansion for Existing SDG&E NEM 1.0/2.0 Homes: Existing San Diego solar owners can add a 5 kW non-export solar array + 14.3 kWh battery without touching their legacy NEM 1.0/2.0 status.

Optimal Hardware Architecture for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)

EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra (18kWh–30kWh) or EG4 18kPV + 2x PowerPro (28.6kWh)

Estimated Payback under SDG&E Solar Billing Tariff (SBT) / EV-TOU-5: 3.9 – 4.6 Years

View Direct Wholesale Pricing →

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) Solar Tariff FAQ

What is the real difference between SDG&E TOU-ELEC and EV-TOU-5 for solar + battery?

EV-TOU-5 offers a ultra-low ~15¢/kWh Super Off-Peak window from midnight to 6 AM (until income-graduated fixed charges adjust base fees), making it ideal for households with both solar+battery and 2 electric vehicles.

Why is my SDG&E True-Up bill still $1,500+ when I only have solar panels and no battery?

Under NEM 3.0 (SBT), exporting 25 kWh during midday only earns ~$0.65 total, while importing just 10 kWh between 4 PM and 9 PM costs $7.40. Without a battery, you need to export 25 kWh at noon just to buy back 1 kWh at 6 PM.

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