Being in the state with the highest UV index and some of the most sunlight hours in the nation, going solar will usually make a lot of sense. There are, however, some nuances to understand about the utility companies in Arizona and how they bill their customers in order to know how to maximize your savings by switching to solar.

Utility Buy Back Rates

Various parts of Arizona are serviced by different utility companies. Certain utility companies, such as SRP (Salt River Project), do not offer favorable solar buyback rates.

Regarding utility companies like SRP, we recommend installing a system that can cover 50-70% of your energy usage and include a load controller, which regulates your power usage at specific times during the day. The primary goal is to maximize your solar savings by producing power that will be used on the spot during the peak hours of the day when the rate per kWh is the most expensive. Fortunately, rates are at their lowest overnight so when your solar system is not producing you will not be charged much for the electricity you use from the utility.

For more information on the solar programs for the more common utilities we work with in Arizona, you can click on the utility provider page below:

Arizona Public Service - APS

Salt River Project - SRP

Load Controller

The Load Controller is used to regulate the electricity consumption in a home, helping to prevent excessively high electric rates from the utility company.

The device is connected to your air conditioning and water heater. It throttles these appliances to keep the energy demand below peak thresholds set by the utility company, which would otherwise result in extremely high electric bills.

Currently, Better Earth requires a load controller for all solar projects within the Salt River Project (SRP) utility in Arizona, but it is optional in the rest of the state. We believe that this energy-saving device is essential for a long-term positive user experience.