Written by Chris Reilly
In late 2019 the Georgia Public Service Commission unanimously approved a motion requiring Georgia Power to purchase excess solar power at the retail rate over the course of the month, in what is known as “monthly net energy metering”. That is significantly different from the scant $0.03/kWh credit, rather than at “full retail” value, they used to provide. However (and this is big), the program is only available to the first 5,000 rooftop solar customers who sign on for it.
What’s Changed?
Georgia Power’s prior method was to record the “instantaneous netting of energy” to establish the value of any solar energy sent up to their grid. This meant that ANY solar power sent to Georgia Power received just a wholesale, or “avoided cost” rate. Under the PSC order with monthly net energy metering now in effect, solar customers are to be measured according to the overall monthly consumption/solar production — allowing them to better capitalize on the energy production of their systems. It is now common to see residential systems “pay for themselves” in less than 10 years.
What is “Monthly Net Energy Metering” All About?
Solar energy is first consumed in your home or business. If the system produces more energy than is being consumed by the house or facility at that very moment, any excess is sent to the electric grid in exchange for credit on your monthly utility bill. Net Energy Metering (NEM) assures you receive a full retail credit for that instantaneous excess energy. At night, or during other times when your panels are under-producing, you’ll pull energy from the electric grid and use the credits earned during times of excess energy production to offset the cost of the energy you pulled from the grid.
As long as you consume your excess solar energy (either directly from the solar panels when it’s created or from the credits attained from over-production and then used when you draw from the utility) you will receive the full retail value of all the electricity your solar produces. While rare, if any extra “credits” remain they do not roll-over to your next month’s bill, but are credited at the smaller wholesale, or “avoided cost” rate, which was last posted at approximately $0.027/kWh.
Is There A Limit On Sign-Ups?
The program is available to only the first 5,000 rooftop solar customers who sign up, and Georgia Power already has approximately 1,800 subscribers with existing solar energy systems. That means with about ~3,200 slots left and word now rapidly spreading, we estimate these will go fast!
Who Can Participate?
All residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers of Georgia Power are eligible. Residential customers must install systems not larger than 10kW per meter, and commercial/industrial customers are limited to 250kW. Solar Plus can easily help assess your energy needs and recommend the most suitable system for your home or business.
Call us today to see how easy it is for you to “Go Solar!”, while the incentives are this strong!