net metering

[William Megens Haileybury]

Does anyone have any experience with net metering in Ontario. Is it still available? The OPA makes no reference to it on their website. If available, what is the protocol to apply, what are the regs, who can participate, does it require the same fees and requirements from Hydro One as the microfit program, and is it as politically sensitive as the Fit and MicroFit?

[Rob Beckers]

William, I know net-metering is available, because we have customers that are using it. I've not been involved directly in getting anyone connected under net-metering, so I can't provide details. Easiest is to contact your LDC to find out what the local requirements are; for example, here is Hydro-One's net-metering Web page: http://www.hydroone.com/Generators/Pages/NetMetering.aspx

Every LDC should offer annual net-metering, though they can have differing connection requirements. The "annual" part means that once a year they look at how much energy you produced, and how much you used. Subtract the two, and you pay for excess use (they will continue billing you monthly, but once a year the accounts are reconciled). There is no payment as far as I know for excess production.

This means you can 'bank' excess PV production for example during the summer months, to use it when you run a deficit during the winter months. In essence you'd be using the the grid as a giant battery.

-RoB-