15 Oct What is Solar Net Metering?

Solar energy customers that are connected to the power grid can be credited for the surplus solar electricity. This is called solar net metering or net energy metering.

Many solar households generate more solar electricity than they consume on sunny days. If the system doesn’t have batteries, any surplus electricity goes to the power grid, and you will receive credits on your electric bill. If you supply 5-kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity to the grid during a sunny day and use 5 kWh of electricity at night, you will owe no money for the nighttime power that you consumed.

Unfortunately, these credits expire after one year, so proper solar system sizing is important in maximizing the value of your system from your investment. Sundog Solar is skilled in sizing solar systems and uses your energy usage history for the most accurate solar system sizing possible. It is also helpful to know if there will be major future changes in household electric use. For example, if a household is getting an electric car or installing heat pumps, it will increase home power use.

Whenever possible, the Sundog Solar team designs the solar panel system to cover all the electric needs of a home. As a result, any Sundog Solar customers pay only the monthly connection fee to the electric company. Such homes are net zero which means that the solar panels generate all the electricity the household consumes over the course of a year.

When Sundog Solar installs a solar system, we also apply for interconnection with your utility provider. Once approved, you will get a credit for surplus solar electricity. Sundog Solar pays the interconnection fee as part of our installation service.