Each project has two utility rates: the current rate your customer pays today and the future rate they'll pay after going solar. Some screens call these the pre-solar rate and post-solar rate. For projects in the US, Aurora preselects both rates based on the project's location through our integrated utility rate database, and you can change them for the whole project or for a single design.
In this article:
- Before you begin
- Change a project's rates
- Change one design's future rate
- View a rate's details
- If a rate isn't listed
- FAQ
- Related articles
Before you begin
- For commercial projects, ask Aurora Support to turn on commercial utility rates for your account. See How to contact Aurora support.
- For projects in Great Britain, see Selecting electricity tariffs in Great Britain.
Change a project's rates
A new Current rate applies to every design on the project. A new Future rate applies only to designs you create afterward.
- Open the project and click Energy usage.
- Under Grid electricity, click Current rate or Future rate.
- Select a rate. The list shows only some rates at first. To find others, type part of the rate's name in Search and wait for the results to load.
Note: Your account's custom rates appear at the top of the list, marked Custom, whatever the project's location, so check the utility name above a custom rate before you select it. The list can also include rates that are closed to new customers, so make sure your customer qualifies.
Change one design's future rate
To change the future rate on a design you've already created, use Design Mode or Sales Mode. A duplicated design starts with the original design's future rate.
In Design Mode
- Open the design in Design Mode.
- In the top bar, click Bill savings.
- Under Post-solar rate, select a rate.
In Sales Mode
- Open the design in Sales Mode.
- In the top bar, click the Project details icon.
- On the Energy usage tab, click Edit energy profile.
- Under Future rate, select a rate.
- Click Save profile.
The new future rate applies only to this design. The project's Future rate on the Energy usage page doesn't change.
View a rate's details
On the Energy usage page, click View rate next to a rate. In Design Mode, click View pre-solar rate or View post-solar rate. The panel that opens has three tabs:
- Import rate: what your customer pays for energy from the grid, including fixed charges, pricing tiers, and weekday and weekend schedules.
- Export rate: how the utility credits your customer for energy their system sends to the grid.
- Rate details: settings that affect how the rate applies to your customer, such as eligibility for discount programs. The settings shown vary by rate.
To change a rate's charges or settings, see Edit Existing Utility Rates.
If a rate isn't listed
If searching doesn't find the rate and the utility is in the US or Canada, contact Aurora Support to request it. See How to contact Aurora support. For utilities outside the US and Canada, create a custom rate. See Creating custom utility rates
FAQ
Why don't my pre-solar and post-solar rates match?
Aurora preselects the current and future rates separately, so they can be different rates from the same utility. If the preselected future rate isn't right for your customer, select a different one.
I changed the post-solar rate, but my design didn't update. Why?
Changing the Future rate on the Energy usage page affects only designs you create afterward. To update a design you've already created, see Change one design's future rate.
Why did Aurora select the wrong utility?
Aurora preselects the most common rate in the project's ZIP code. If more than one utility serves that ZIP code, it might not be your customer's. Select the correct rate on the Energy usage page.
Where do I change the escalation rate?
Escalation is the yearly increase in utility prices Aurora uses to project savings. To change it for one project, edit Escalation on the Energy usage page. The field isn't shown in Sales Mode. For account-wide defaults, see Utility and Tax Rates - Account Configuration.
What does the sun icon next to a rate mean?
In the Future rate list, a sun icon marks rates with working export settings. To see a rate's export settings, click View rate and open the Export rate tab.