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When you take electricity from the electric grid for your needs, your meter runs "forward" as it counts up the kilowatt hours consumed. But if you generate electricity with a photovoltaic (solar panel) or wind generating system and you make more electricity than you need at the time it's produced, net metering allows this excess electricity to run the other way through the meter and back into the electric grid. Net metering measures the difference between the electricity you buy from your utility and the electricity you produce using your own generating equipment. At this point, Net Metering is applicable to solar and wind generators that are 1 MegaWatt (MW) or less in size. Net Metering allows you to effectively store excess electricity you generate in the transmission grid, therefore curtailing the need for expensive storage batteries for your on-site generation system. If you produce more power than you consume, your bill will be zero. At this point, you would not receive a credit from the utility for additional power you produced beyond your own demand. Please be aware that if there is a power outage and you are net metering without a battery storage mechanism, you will not be able to use the power produced by your system during the outage.
California Energy Commission's ABC's of Net Metering informational brochure.
CEC's Handbook on Buying a Photovoltaic Solar Electric System.
Interstate Renewable Energy Council's (IREC) solar interconnection guide, "Connecting to the Grid"
Download a copy of SDG&E's Interconnection Agreement to connect your solar or wind-powered system to SDG&E's power grid.
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Net Metering
I figurrd as much that the power companies would not allow anyone or anything to compete with them. So here we are 05/2009 and they've pretty much figured out how to benefit from electricity that they don't need to produce...Net metering. Yes you produce it they use it and you get a credit on the electricity you might need later and at the end of the year if you haven't used it which you won't if your system is efficent they zero out the balance and start over and all the while they sold what you produced and you get zip....yeah what a country right. Did anyone really believe they would allow us to produce electricity without their permission and allow us to get paid for it...yeah right, flying pigs right! Here we go again allowing these power hungry companies to screw us all over again... and we pay for it everytime.... Wake up people the hell with net metering. We produce it and they MUST be forced to pay for it..... by paying us at the same rate they charge for it...plane and simple.....it's not rocket science folks.... WAKE UP! Say no to net metering say yes to Solar metering Repayment Plans!
Go Solar don't let them screw ya again!
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