Solar Net Metering
In Vermont, net-metering allows customers with a certificate of public good from the Vermont Public Utility Commission to receive the benefit of excess electricity generated from customer owned renewable energy resources. Residential and commercial customers who generate their own electricity from renewable resources (i.e., solar) can receive credits for the electricity generated from their system they aren’t using onsite and is distributed to the electric grid. Under Vermont law, if a net-metering customer has excess generation credits, the customer is eligible for a credit applied to their utility bill. The credits remain for up to 12 months and help net-metering customers reduce their monthly utility bills.
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The net-metering law also allows for "group" net metering. This allows a net-metering generator to group any number of meters located within Stowe’s service territory to receive an allocation (i.e. percentage) of net-metering generation credits. A group net-metering system can be a single customer with multiple electric meters, or multiple customers each with distinct meters (as long as the meters are associated with Stowe Electric accounts.)
Net-metering customers must go through the PUC approval process and are responsible for costs for their system, which might include regulatory and power engineering costs, electrical wiring and panel upgrades, meter installation, and any upgrades to the distribution system. These costs are usually nominal when compared to the overall costs to purchase and install a renewable energy generation system.
We recommend that you contact Stowe Electric staff as soon as possible to discuss potential upgrades and costs.
We also request that you send us a site plan and one-line engineering drawing. The site plan should show pv module locations, proposed AC disconnect location, voltage, phase, and amps of main service, existing and proposed metering equipment locations, and existing transformer vault and/or pad locations. This will help staff review your project efficiently.
Net-metering customers are responsible for non-bypassable charges (i.e., utility customer charge) and paying into the Energy Efficiency fund (Efficiency Vermont). You will receive a meter installation fee for the net-metering meter when you submit your Net-Metering Service Application to us.
As of January 2, 2022, Stowe Electric Department has 113 net-metering customers with an installed name-plate capacity of 1.7MW. Stowe Electric also owns and operates the 1MW Nebraska Valley Solar Array, which adds additional electricity generated by solar to our system.
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