Illustration of net metering

While it is possible to go entirely off-grid with solar panels, most people considering residential solar want grid-tied solar power systems.

Summarized briefly, net metering benefits both the property owner and the utility company.  If you have solar panels installed and generate more electricity than you require, the excess is fed back into the grid for use by other consumers.  The utility will give you a credit against any power you need to draw from the grid at other times, at a specific, agreed rate per kilowatt-hour (kWh).  Some people even get a refund if they end up producing more power with their solar panels than they use any given month.

Net metering for grid-tied solar power systems also benefits the power company because they are provided with additional electricity that they can sell, often at peak demand periods.  Perhaps not surprisingly, a net metering arrangement usually involves the utility paying you slightly less for the power than the rate at which they will charge other consumers.

Net metering is regulated on a state-by-state and/or local basis – there are not any national standards yet.

Its easy to use net metering with home solar power systems, but be sure to check with your utility provider regarding rates and details of the arrangement.  All you need is a net metering monitor to be installed with a grid-tied solar power system.  The device will track your use of grid-tied power, which is compared to the amount of energy produced by your residential solar array.  You can also review data regarding the dates and times of peak or low power usage.

The US Energy Policy Act of 2006 requires utilities to provide each residential and commercial energy user with net metering. With a solar power system, you can save substantial amounts of money by generating power during the day (peak demand times) and only drawing on the grid overnight when energy demands are lower.  Overall, you can end up with inexpensive, affordable power with tiny, if not nonexistent, electricity bills!

Review

The book can also be a handy reference for graduate students, practicing engineers, and academics working on grid integration of RE power generation sources and their management or in the general area of power system planning. In fact, I recommend the book for every field engineer who works in the area of planning, integration, and operation of distributed generation in power systems.? (IEEE Power & Energy Magazine , Sept/Oct 2009 )

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Lease solar panels to help defray costs (image from Wayne National Forest on Flickr)

One of the most exciting, easiest ways to install solar panels is gaining momentum!  Two new solar lease programs have recently been announced, which help people convert to solar energy while minimizing upfront costs.

Can you imagine tapping into solar electricity with no down payment?  Did you know that you can lease solar panels?

Consider these two new options that can help you reduce the cost of solar panels:

Sungevity is launching a 10-year residential solar lease program.  The monthly fee (there are no upfront costs) covers maintenance, monitoring, cleaning and insurance of panels installed on your rooftop.  Sungevity also helps you determine which solar system is best suited for your location, and has consultants on call 12 hours a day to answer questions.   In fact, customer service is such a priority that you can get a proposal based on your request within 24 hours of submitting it – weekends included!

Similarly, those who live in Texas can explore a solar lease with TXU Energy.  Through a partnership with SolarCity, the solar lease program will run you only about $35 a month!  You will save much more than that in monthly utility bills.

Once again, there are no upfront costs, no maintenance – its so easy.  I wish I lived in Texas!

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (image from sterlingpr on Flickr)

This week, solar energy is shining a bit more brightly in California.  Two solar bills were signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, which will boost incentives for installing solar power systems.

First, the California Solar Surplus Act of 2009 (AB 920), requires utilities to pay consumers for “excess” solar electricity generated beyond their individual needs.  This corrects the net metering law that many thought to be unfair, which previously permitted utilities to take in surplus energy without paying for it.

Under the new law, the California Public Utilities Commission will set rates for payments by utilities to customers for solar electricity that is fed back into the grid.  Estimates are that the rate will be about 1 1/2 times market price.

The Environment California website notes:

“The road to a million solar roofs, however, is long. While the state saw tremendous growth in solar last year, California has to go from today’s 50,000 solar roofs to 1,000,000 by 2016. To achieve this feat, California must remove all barriers for consumers wanting to invest in solar energy and more deeply penetrate the consumer driven market for solar power.”

The second solar bill signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, Senate Bill 32, establishes a “feed-in” tariff, which mandates utilities to buy solar-generated electricity at a set rate over 20 years.  The legislation is similar to European laws, and is hoped to spur additional development of PV solar panel systems across the rooftops, parking lots and other sunny locations.

According to a MarketWatch article:

The proposal seeks to expand the market by requiring California utilities to buy power from solar-panel generators of 1.5-3.0 megawatts in size, at set rates above what the utilities would pay for wholesale power from conventional sources.

Some solar companies said the bill’s pricing scheme would create a feed-in tariff of about 15 to 17 cents a kilowatt-hour, which they said wouldn’t be high enough to spur significant investment. But others said the program would create opportunities for lower-cost projects for which there isn’t currently a market.

For more on the Million Solar Roofs program in California:

Getting closer to a million solar roofs in California (image from Jeremy Levine Design on Flickr)

But that’s not all the good solar news! Gov. Schwarzenegger also announced a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Interior that should speed up siting of solar energy projects in the state.  Working with the federal government, California will develop maps that identify the best areas for renewable energy development, considering a number of factors.

The new effort is intended to help the state reach its goal of generating 1/3 of its power from renewable sources by 2020.

California is just one of several states that is adopting new solar legislation to help continue the push towards renewable energy development.  With federal tax credits and other incentives part of the stimulus package, state laws provide additional encouragement for homeowners and small businesses to go solar.