Cut Down on Electricity Bills with Solar Net Metering

When you talk about solar energy, you often hear the term ‘net metering’. So what exactly does it mean? In a grid-tied system, where the solar PV system is connected to the main power grid, many people generating their own solar electricity often don’t need all the units they produce, e.g. during the day when the burden on solar lighting systems isn’t very high. The energy that isn’t consumed by them is added back to the main grid. It goes through the inverter (a grid-tie or standalone inverter) to the home electric control panels. It then goes through the utility meter to the utility grid where it’s available for others to use. Solar net metering is a billing system wherein solar panel system owners that add electricity to the grid are credited. The excess energy can be used by others who are in need of that energy. Here, those individuals are debited. This way, consumers are billed only for their ‘net’ energy usage, i.e. the difference between how much they consume and how much they produce.

Benefits of a net metering system

  • It’s very cost-effective. Consumers that add energy back to the grid get many cuts in their electricity bills (it could even be 0 at times)
  • Homeowners, businesses, etc. produce their own energy which takes the burden off the grid
  • Neighbourhoods that use net metering can become self-sustaining as houses that have excess energy power those who need it
  • It is a highly efficient way to become more environmentally friendly and conserve energy
  • Since consumers get credits for conserving energy, net metering is an effective way to instill a habit of saving electricity
  • Since the excess energy you produce gets transferred to the grid, you no longer need to invest in a high-end solar generator or batteries

Net metering in Maharashtra

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution/Transmission Company Limited (MSEDCL) regulates net metering in the state for rooftop solar PV systems. After the MERC Net-Metering Policy was implemented in 2016, installing solar PV systems with net metering was made easier and a large number of people started switching to solar energy to reduce their carbon footprint.

Vijay Engineering and Machinery Company offers a wide range of solar solutions to further fast track your journey to a greener lifestyle. We follow a systematic 6-step process to ensure efficient execution of the solar solutions we offer.

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