The solar power is inherently less valuable to the grid than the wholesale power it can get from on-demand variable-output plants, or even the wholesale power it gets from always-on baseload power plants.<p>If they are forced to buy the uncontrollably variable distributed solar energy, it will be at the expense of the peaking plant, and possibly even the baseload plant, if there is a large enough gap between peak solar production and peak energy consumption.<p>So it should pay, <i>at most</i>, the price it would have otherwise paid from the power plants if distributed small-time solar installations <i>weren&#x27;t</i> forcing their excess production back onto the grid.<p>That means paying <i>less than</i> wholesale.  So those solar installations end up paying a bit for the service of using the grid a like a storage battery--as they should.<p>If you&#x27;re going to demand equal compensation for your solar power as the peaking power plant, you will have to install equipment on your end that allows the grid to control how much power it chooses to buy from you.  Otherwise, it&#x27;s like haggling over the price of a meal that is already eaten.