Solar Net-Metering: How it Works
A great way to reduce your electric bill is to utilize solar net-metering. With solar energy net-metering, you “sell” any excess solar electricity back to your local utility. This is usually in the form of a credit. Your electric meter will literally run backwards when you are “selling” your electricity back. Then when you use electricity from your utility, the meter runs forward again.
The first thing you need to determine is if your state requires your electric utility company to participate in solar power net-metering. It is federally mandated that all public utilities provide net-metering. Click on your state in the DSIRE database (a database provided by NC State University) to check your state’s solar tax incentives for net-metering.
Next, read very carefully what the policies are for your state for solar net-metering. Some states are really on board with renewable energies and make net-metering very lucrative, with competitive credit rates and credits than can be carried over month to month. Other states allow a less than retail credit for customer generated electricity and some even have a limit as to the amount the utility is required to credit. Some states even charge monthly fees just to be connected for the solar power net-metering option. If you have a battery bank connected to your home solar power system, you may not be eligible for solar net-metering.
All in all, solar net-metering is a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, for the electric utilities, it cuts into their profits, which is why it is not met with open arms throughout the US. As a country, we need to wake up and demand better programs for renewable energies. If we wait until there is no longer any fossil fuels available for our power supplies, it will be too late. We need to be more proactive and start integrating, on a larger scale, renewable energies wherever possible.
excess electricity you are able to produce
from your home solar power system.
Check your state’s requirements.
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Tagged With solar power
