Net Energy Metering / Net Metering / NEM is an agreement between the solar energy system owner (you) and the utility company. The utility company agrees to provide credits for the extra electricity that you send to the grid — over-produced energy that you don’t use — in exchange for energy drawn from the grid at another time. Net Metering is changing throughout California, and San Diego Gas & Electric customers are entering a new era for residential and commercial solar.

The second generation of Net Metering promotes grid-connected solar installations by preserving near-retail rates for exchanging energy with the utility. As the utilities adapt to the new energy resources and shifting demand, rates are expected to climb and rate structures will change. NEM 2.0 also includes several important consumer protections, through grandfathering, which ensure that solar customers like you can preserve the value of your investment.

BENEFITS OF NET METERING

NET METERING 2.0 CHANGES

Net Metering Contract Signing Icon

NET METERING APPLICATION FEE

All SDGE customers installing a residential or commercial solar panel system will now be required to pay a $132 application fee as part of the interconnection process. This one-time fee pays for the administrative costs incurred by SDGE’s NEM department. When looking at this fee as part of the overall value proposition of solar, it’s not even a speed bump in the savings you’ll see over the next 20-25 years. SolarTech pays this fee for all our residential customers going solar.

Non-bypassable Net Metering Charges for San Diego

NON-BYPASSABLE CHARGES

Solar customers signing up under NEM 2.0 will now incur a few cents of “nonbypassable charges” on all electricity consumed from the utility. Basically, you will get full credit for energy exported to the grid, but when you import electricity (at night or on a cloudy day) you will be charged about 3¢/kWh for public purpose programs, nuclear decommissioning costs, and other unavoidable fees. Solar is still a great deal, with on-peak solar generation credits as high as 46¢/kWh.

Net Metering Time of Use for San Diego

TIME-OF-USE SCHEDULE

All SDGE customers will be transitioning to a time-of-use (TOU) rate structure. The on-peak rate schedule is also planned to shift towards later in the day. Net metered customers will be required to switch to a TOU rate structure, affecting the value of solar energy exported to the grid. Going solar before this change is enacted will allow you to lock in (for 5 years) the current solar-friendly TOU schedule of 11am-6pm M-F for on-peak power prices and compensation.

LOCK IN NET METERING

If you’ve looked into solar in the past, it’s time to look again.

Request a free solar quote to see how much you can save with Solar + Net Metering. Go solar now and secure your Net Metering benefits for the next 20 years.

SunPower Residential Solar Panel Installation

ELECTRICITY COST COMPARISON

Below is an example showing the additional cost of nonbypassable charges for a residential solar panel system with Net Metering 2.0 in San Diego. To keep it simple and understandable, the solar example is shown using the tiered rate structure and zero-down financing for a customer-owned solar energy system.

Most SDGE customers see even better savings by switching to a solar specific time-of-use rate structure (DR-SES). In this illustration, which includes additional NEM 2.0 nonbypassable charges, solar saves over 40% on electricity costs! (Click on the graphics below for a larger image).

Energy Costs Without Solar (Tiered Rate)

$314 / Month Average

SDGE Energy Bill without Solar

Energy Costs With Solar + NEM 2.0 ($0 Down Financing)

$177 / Month Average

SDGE Energy Bill with Solar and NEM 2.0

SOLAR + NET METERING SHOWS IMMEDIATE SAVINGS OF OVER 40%

For simplicity, the example above uses the tiered rate structure to show NEM compensation. Request a consultation to see how much you can save with solar + Net Metering 2.0. Actual savings are greater when using the current DR-SES (Solar TOU) rate structure. Sample shows residential SDGE electricity costs for 1,000kWh average monthly usage offset by a 7kW solar panel system.

Electricity bill represents electricity costs during Summer months in the inland climate zone (rates as of 1/1/16). $0 down financing through San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union at 4.99% for 12 years (after 26% federal tax credit). Solar calculations include $10/month minimum electric bill and $0.03/kWh nonbypassable charges.