Our Top Performing Blogs Posts of 2019
We’re already halfway through the year, and a lot has happened in the renewable market in the first 6 months of 2019. From new policy changes to allow energy storage net metering, to arguably one of the biggest changes of the year, California’s three investor-owned utilities (IOU’s) went through a major electric rate reform, rolling out time-of-use (TOU) rates as the default for all customers.
CPUC Approves Energy Storage Net Metering
A big win for energy storage developers in California. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved a decision that will allow customers with energy storage systems to receive credits for any excess energy that is sent back to the grid. In the past, only excess energy produced by solar …
Utah: Rocky Mountain Power & Solar Industry Advocates agree on alternative Net Metering program
The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Utah unanimously approved a settlement deal, reached between Rocky Mountain Power and a group of solar industry advocates, which ends the utility’s full retail credit Net Metering (NEM) program. This effectively means that new solar customers will no longer be reimbursed at a full 1:1 credit for extra energy they export back to the grid. The Utah Solar Energy Association, who was a signatory to the settlement deal commented that “this compromise, which comes with challenges, maintains solar as an affordable and secure investment, encourages self-reliance and promotes choice in our energy market.”
New Net Metering Rules Approved by Nevada Public Utilities Commission
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of Nevada approved a draft order that will implement new Net Energy Metering (NEM) rules and regulations for NV Energy. Under the new rules, rooftop solar customers who export energy back to the grid will be compensated at 95 percent of the retail electricity rate. The new order calls for export rate compensation levels to gradually decline as tranches of capacity are reached. The order requires that NV Energy charge solar and non-solar customers the same fees.
New Hampshire PUC Makes Cuts to Net Metering Program
The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission issued a new order, making cuts to the state’s Net Energy Metering (NEM) program. The order maintains full retail credit for monthly net excess generation for supply but will no longer give credit for non-bypassable charges (NBC’s) like the system benefits charge. The decision removes the existing NEM caps and offers grandfathering to current customers.
How to Model a NEM 2.0 Project
We’ve been getting a lot of questions on how to model Net Metering version 2 (NEM 2.0) projects, so we figured it was time for blog. A lot of the recent inquiries are coming from our California users, where the Net Metering caps are expected to hit capacity soon. As of March, the PG&E and SDG&E service territories are over 80% of the way towards reaching their cap. While California has been getting most of the attention recently, the mechanics of modeling NEM 2.0 scenarios are fundamentally the same regardless of the state or utility territory.