Choosing solar panels for your home is about more than transitioning away from purchasing energy from the grid. Solar arrays provide multiple benefits, from their environmental friendliness to their ability to keep you online even during power outages.
In Fairfax, Virginia, solar panel installation grants homeowners access to a program called net metering for those who choose to participate. Should you sign up for the program? Learn about the concept of net metering and how it can significantly impact your energy savings if you live in Fairfax.
What Is Net Metering?
Net metering is the process of routing excess energy produced by solar panels back to the grid, allowing the utility company to deliver it to other homes and businesses that need it.
Because you’re reducing the strain on the energy grid by decreasing how much energy it needs to produce on its own, utility companies reward you.
Not all states offer net metering programs, but residents of Fairfax can benefit from Virginia’s statewide push toward green energy support, including net metering offers.
How Does Net Metering Work in Practice?
One of the best things about net metering is that it’s completely hands-off once the system is set up. You don’t need to do anything to enjoy the savings you earn from net metering.
In order to participate in net metering, your home will need to be equipped with a special type of energy meter that can track not only how much you draw from the grid, but also how much extra energy your panels produce.
During the day, your home likely uses less energy than your panels are creating. That extra electricity flows out through your net meter and back to the grid, where it is redistributed to other houses and businesses.
This reduces the load on the energy grid, and utility companies welcome this as it saves them money.
To incentivize customers to return their excess energy to the grid rather than letting it go to waste, utility companies will pay them for that energy.
Thus, a home’s energy expenditure is optimized—selling off extra electricity when the home doesn’t need it and using only what it needs during off-peak hours.
How Net Metering Boosts Your Savings
Net metering is a powerful way to generate your return on investment for the solar array and stabilize (or even eliminate) your utility bills.
When you return excess energy to the grid, the electricity company will track your production and generate credits in your account that can be used later.
Depending on your location, these credits may be worth a certain dollar amount, or they may be valued in kWh. No matter which type you receive, you can use these credits during off-peak times, such as during the night or during the shorter days of winter.
In other words, your home will spend time generating credits during peak hours and seasons which can then be used to reduce or eliminate your bill during the times when you do have to draw energy from the grid.
If your array has been sized to completely eliminate your electrical costs, you will typically bank credits from spring to fall, then use those credits to cover reduced production (from shorter daylight hours) during the winter.
Signing Up for Net Metering
Signing up for net metering is simple, and a reputable installer will help you with this process. You will need a specialized meter, because standard electric meters only track the energy that comes in—not what is going back out.
Once the new meter is installed, usually at the same time as your solar panel array, the only remaining step is to sign up for your energy provider’s net metering program. You will likely need to fill out some personal information to get your home enrolled.
This way, the utility company knows that it should be monitoring the energy you produce in order to compensate you appropriately. Once your net metering system is set up, there is nothing left to do.
It will function automatically to send or receive energy depending on your home’s usage and production.
Get Comprehensive Solar Installation from the Experts
If you are still deciding whether a solar array is right for your situation, it’s important that you consider all of the factors—including the powerful impact that net metering can have on your long-term costs.
The experts at Ipsun Solar will create a customized solar array that addresses all of your energy needs and can get you signed up for net metering quickly and easily.
Contact Ipsun Solar to schedule an appointment or to ask questions about net metering or other solar considerations.
