Solar customers raising concerns over NV Energy net metering proposal

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) — Climate Groups, Rooftop Solar Customers, and Solar Installers are raising concerns over NV Energy’s Proposed Change to Net Metering.

Net metering allows customers with on-site renewable energy generation, like solar panels, to send excess electricity back to the grid and receive credits on their electricity bills.

NV Energy says this will balance the prices for all customers.

“Currently, the policy in place is unfair to low income and those who cannot afford solar systems on their home, and that’s because there’s a cost shift,” said Katie Nannini, NV Energy. “There’s a cost to delivering energy. so when you see distribution and you see meters on the outside of homes, there’s a cost for that. that cost is not currently collected in the system that we have and so moving to a 15 minute netting system would allow us to collect those costs.”

Solar customers are worried that the proposal would reduce the value of rooftop solar and could increase monthly bills.

“Right now your credits accumulate over the month and you can apply that excess generation that your solar system is producing to later in the evening when your solar system is not producing at one-to-one credit,” said Julia Hubbard, Nevada Program Director for Solar United Neighbors. “By changing to 15-minute netting that means you will have to use that excess solar generation within that 15-minute interval.”

NV Energy is proposing changes to its net metering program that would affect how excess solar energy sent back to the grid is credited.

Currently, excess energy is credited on a monthly basis and solar owners are worried the change will cost them more money.

Opponents say it would reduce solar savings by at least $132 per year and make it harder for Nevada families to go solar.

“When you add solar, you are not just making an investment in your own home,” added Hubbard. “You are adding to the grid, you are building out your own infrastructure and making our grid better. We think that it should be rewarded and we should be paying people for their contributions to producing electricity and sharing electricity with their neighbors.”

If you do not use it within the interval, your credit could be devalued.

NV Energy says, “This filing being considered by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada proposes a change to how new solar customers are billed. This would impact only new solar customers starting October 1, or when the proposal is approved by the commission. This proposal does not bring any changes to existing customers who already have private rooftop solar.

Currently, Nevada uses monthly netting, where solar customers get credit for their extra daytime energy anytime within the month, even at night when their panels are not producing power.

This policy creates an imbalance, allowing solar customers to receive credits for extra electricity they send to the grid at full retail credit. This results in an increased cost shift to customers who do not have private solar.

The Company’s proposal helps minimize the imbalance that non-solar customers pay on behalf of those with private rooftop solar.

NV Energy continues to support customers who choose to install solar or other electric generating or storage resources and supports compensating these customers during the times they are utilizing those resources to support the electric grid.

This proposal mirrors a proposal in Southern Nevada that is part of the general rate case.”

 This proposal will likely be voted on in September by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

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