A Big Secret About Electricity Nothing But Net Metering

What is Net metering? To be completely honest before writing this article I had a very vague understanding of what it is. So, I sat down with CETC energy expert Matthew D. Chentnik to become enlightened, "Power is much like water. It will flow as long as there is a path, a pipe or in electrical terms, a wire or completed circuit."

Apparently, In sun and wind powered systems, excess energy flows over and back into the grid, then into the homes around you. "One of the biggest secrets of the grid is that power does not have to come in a single direction from a power plant to your house or to anyone's house for that matter."

So, if you had a Solar or Wind system with a grid tie-in for example, once your energy needs were met, the surplus electricity would be distributed to your neighbor (at no cost to you), therefore taking a load off the grid. However, the utility company would charge your neighbors as if it came from their production plant.

Net metering energy distribution is much more efficient and helps reduce energy waste because not only are you avoiding "burning stuff" as power plants do, but you're also avoiding the "power push". Power push is a term to describe the amount of energy it takes to send energy from point A to point B. Power plants spend vast amounts of energy to get their energy "delivered via high voltage lines from miles away which have loss from distance, heat, coronal discharge, corrosion, degradation, transformer inefficiencies, etc."

When energy is produced at home it does not have to go through the ringer that the energy from power plants do. When energy is produced and then immediately used at the load there is very little energy waste. When energy is pushed from a power plant to your home, on average IT TAKES THREE TIMES AS MUCH ENERGY TO GET TO YOUR HOME THEN THE ACTUAL ENERGY YOU CONSUMED!

It seems unfair for utility companies to charge us for energy that they didn't produce, doesn't it? I spoke with Ron Kelly at Talquin Energy about this, "Talquin has recognized the benefits of demand side generation through customer-owned Renewable Generation Systems (RGS) and has adopted an interconnection agreement as well as a rate schedule to compensate members for excess energy generated through a properly installed RGS." That compensation is 2.83 per kWh.

Let's say you have a Solar or Wind system that produces 1,000 kWh per month. The average American household uses 940 kWh per month, so we'll use that number as your expenditure. So on top of the money you save from zeroing out your electricity bill, you would earn an additional 169.80 a month for the energy you produced back into the grid!

In order to realize these benefits and establish net-metering for your account, the following documentation must be completed and returned to their office at 1607 W Jefferson St, Quincy FL 32351-2133, Attention: Ron Kelly.

1. Interconnection Agreement

2. Completed Load Form

3. Line diagram of service

4. Proof of insurance

5. County Inspection / Release