What is 1:1 Solar Net Metering?
Understanding 1:1 Net Metering in Solar Energy
1:1 Net Metering is a straightforward way to manage how you use and benefit from solar energy at home. Here’s how it works:
1. How Net Metering Works
- Producing Solar Energy: Your solar panels generate electricity from sunlight. During sunny times, they might produce more electricity than you need.
- Using Energy: You use some of this solar energy to power your home.
- Sending Excess Back: If your solar panels generate more electricity than you can use at the moment, the extra energy goes back to the grid (your local power company’s network).
The “1:1” Part
- Earning Credits: For every unit of excess electricity you send back to the grid, you earn a credit for the same amount of electricity. For example, if you send 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) to the grid, you get 10 kWh of credits.
- Using Credits: When your solar panels aren’t producing enough electricity (like at night or on cloudy days), you can use these credits to draw electricity from the grid at no additional cost. It’s like storing your extra energy with the utility company and getting it back later when you need it.
Why It Matters
- Cost Savings: This system can significantly lower your electricity bills because you’re effectively using your own solar power even when the sun isn’t shining.
- Environmental Impact: It also helps you contribute to a greener environment by using renewable energy.
Visual Example
- Sunny Day: Your home generates 15 kWh, uses 10 kWh, and sends 5 kWh to the grid.
- Cloudy Day: Your home generates 5 kWh, uses 10 kWh, and takes 5 kWh from the grid using your stored credits.
In summary, 1:1 Net Metering means you get full credit for the solar energy you produce and send back to the grid, allowing you to offset the energy you use from the grid at a later time. This makes managing and saving on electricity costs simple and efficient for solar energy users.
In Pennsylvania, we’re fortunate to have 1:1 net metering as the standard.
In contrast, California’s recent NEM 3.0 guidelines have made it less favorable to send excess energy back to the grid during most hours, making batteries essential for a viable economic payoff. Luckily, in our area, utilities still use 1:1 net metering as an incentive to encourage solar adoption. At some point, once more solar is on our grid it is likely this incentive will be curtailed, fear not, once your sign your interconnection agreement, you will be grandfathered in to the net metering policy in place at that time.
Reach out to Pennstar Solar LLC for a no obligation quote to see if solar makes sense for you.