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Deschutes Municipal Light offers net metering to make it easy for solar homes and businesses to draw power from the local power grid while also producing solar energy. The program also allows Deschutes Municipal Light to incorporate more solar power into its system by buying back the surplus generated by solar homes.
Net Metering
Net Metering, also known as Solar Interconnection, allows Deschutes Municipal Light customers who have their own solar arrays, or photovoltaic (PV) systems, to generate power while also being connected to the Deschutes Municipal Light power grid. A bi-directional meter installed measures the power flowing into and out of the home/business allowing the customer to generate power and also draw power from the local system as needed. When a home produces an excess of electricity, Deschutes Municipal Light buys the power back from the customer.
Net Meter customers receive exactly the cost of each per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) charge listed on their net meter billing statements as a credit for all excess power generated by their PV systems.
The goal of net metering is to offset all or part of a customer’s energy use at the customer’s metered service account. Systems should not be sized so large that the energy produced by the array exceeds 120% of the customer’s maximum kWh consumption.
Benefits of Net Metering
- Offsets electricity costs
- Excess energy rolls forward each month
- Customer receives credit for excess energy left over at the end of the calendar year
- Reduces dependence on fossil fuels
- Encourages use of renewable energy sources
Energy Efficiency is Key
Simply having a photovoltaic system installed at your home does not mean you will sell back power. Owners who are able to generate enough electricity to meet the needs of their home (or achieve a surplus) have gone to great lengths to make their homes highly efficient in order to consume minimal electricity.
While solar technology is advancing, energy efficiency is still the key to savings. Before installing a solar PV system, a homeowner should first make the house as energy-efficient as possible.