Utilities often claim that allowing customers to run their meter backward (by generating electricity on-site, e.g. from rooftop solar) can affect their bottom line because these customers don’t pay enough to cover the cost of maintaining the grid. In at least one case, however, a utility’s cost-benefit analysis of … [continued]
There’s a big net metering controversy/conflict in California at the moment, but a conclusion seems to be near. Susan just wrote on this a bit yesterday, and now we’ve got a wonderful, exclusive guest post from Ben Higgins, Director of Government Affairs, Mainstream Energy Corp./REC Solar/AEE Solar, to share with … [continued]
A fundamental change in how Californians get electricity is shaking up the largest utility in the country, and one that will be getting 17 percent of its power from utility scale solar by 2020. PG&E is the nationwide leader in distributed solar, where it credits solar ratepayers for their production … [continued]
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Annual. Note: The chart counts the number of net-metering customers and does not indicate the generator size or amount of generation. Non-residential includes the commercial and industrial sectors; net-metered generators in these sectors are typically larger than residential generators. Electricity consumers are participating in net-metering … [continued]
In my inaugural post, I went over why solar makes sense from a financial perspective. It is a sound investment that will provide you at least a 10 percent return on your initial investment for the next 30 years. Now the question is, “Hey Chris, how do you make money … [continued]
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released a new study on the bill savings received by residential customers with solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems, under the net metering rates currently offered by California’s two largest electric utilities. The report focuses on California, as it is the … [continued]
Last month, we published an article from a noteworthy, highly helpful and effective environmental nonprofit that basically argued that it was time to cut into (“reform”) solar net energy metering (NEM) in California. We quickly got some significant backlash. I had seen this argument made earlier in this year and … [continued]
Rocky Mountain Institute. Bundled, Block, Volumetric Rates are the Barrier to Unleashing DER Innovation It’s no secret that net energy metering (NEM) is a controversial topic in the electricity world these days. Customers love the way it helps solar PV offset their utility bill and adds clean energy to their … [continued]
India’s capital Delhi finally has net-metering regulations for small-scale renewable energy projects. The regulations would actually be implemented largely for rooftop-top solar power systems only, as potential for other renewable energy technologies is very low in Delhi. As per the regulations (pdf) generators will receive payment only for net electricity generated … [continued]
Funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Supports Energy Conservation Measures at 31 Facilities, Saving Taxpayers $29 Million in the First Year and Drastically Reducing the Federal Carbon Footprint ARLINGTON, Virginia — As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) yesterday announced $104 million for energy … [continued]
