What is a smart meter?
A smart meter is a device that digitally records electricity usage. The recorded information can be read remotely and offers several advanced measurement features, including energy consumption, voltage, power flow, and frequency. Smart meters provide customers with access to their electrical data via the internet or cellular network. In doing so, they offer benefits such as comparative usage analysis, energy use alerts, and remote disconnection.
Electrical companies use smart meters to measure electricity consumption more accurately to reduce costs and better manage the electrical grid. They also allow for real-time power outage detection and restoration efforts. Smart meters are also a component of demand response systems that help utilities control peak electrical loads and save money on the cost of electricity.
Smart meters have also been subject to privacy concerns. Smart meters can be equipped with software that can monitor the power usage of individual appliances within a home or business. This means that, by installing a smart meter, users lose control over how much information they want to share about their daily activities and habits.
How does net metering work?
Net metering is a billing mechanism used to compensate solar customers for the electricity they generate. It essentially allows consumers with solar panels or other renewable energy systems to get credit from their utility company for excess power generated and fed back into the grid. In this way, users who have access to renewable resources can offset usage by purchasing less power through their local utility.
In most net metering systems, the credit for excess energy is recorded by a meter that is installed in the customer’s home or business. This device keeps an ongoing tally of electricity production and consumption, as well as any savings generated. Customers who generate more power than they use can receive payments in the form of checks, direct deposits,s or credits against future utility bills.
Net metering is the most common type of distributed renewable energy compensation program. It is used by utilities to encourage solar panel installation and electrical generation at commercial, industrial and residential sites.
Advocates of net metering have pushed for its expansion so it can be used in a wider range of circumstances, such as in the case of distributed generation. The practice is controversial as it favors those who can afford expensive renewable energy systems like solar panels over those who cannot. Critics also believe that net metering programs inflate the electricity bills of non-solar users to subsidize those with solar panels or other renewable energy systems.
Net metering allows residential customers to use net billing. The utility is only required to pay the customer’s bills for electricity consumed and supply any excess back to the grid at a nominal price, even if that amount exceeds what the consumer has paid over the same period.
What are the benefits of net metering?
Net Metering is the billing mechanism in which generation (output) from a renewable energy system on a customer’s property offsets consumption of electricity at that same facility. While net metering varies by the utility company, it is usually calculated based on how much power your house uses in comparison to how much power your solar panels can generate (during peak sunlight hours), and it is billed monthly. This billing method allows you to use your own renewable energy instead of buying it from the grid.
The generation that occurs at a customer’s property, reduces power purchased from their utility company – hence, net metering. Net metering is typically regulated by state policy and therefore varies by state or even municipality.
The benefits of net metering are two-fold – the obvious benefit is that it lowers a power bill, giving customers an incentive to invest in renewable energy. The second benefit is more subtle – utilities can rely on their customer’s distributed generation (solar panels) instead of building their own power plants. This reduces the amount of CO2 and other pollution that is emitted by power plants.
At this time, the specific net metering billing rates vary depending on the utility company. For example, in Illinois customers with solar panels get full retail value for their generation and only have to pay $0.11 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) at night when the sun doesn’t shine. In contrast, Arizona customers have solar panels that are worth $0.11/kWh during the day and pay about $0.17/kWh at night.
While net metering is currently the most common billing mechanism for distributed generation, there is a concern among utility companies that this kind of billing system provides an unfair advantage to distributed generation customers. Some utility companies have proposed to change their billing mechanism from net metering to “monthly netting with rollover” as a compromise between the two methods of billing. The main difference in this method is that it accounts for “grid use,” instead of just generation and consumption at the customer’s property, creating an incentive to reduce both grid consumption and production.
Since net metering provides a direct financial incentive to generate power at your home, it is possible that customers will generate more energy than they need, and sell/give away the excess back to the grid. Since this kind of billing mechanism only encourages customer’s self-interests, it has been proposed that monthly netting with rollover would be more equitable, since it encourages both saving money and reducing pollution.
Net metering Vs. Monthly netting with rollover?
A smart meter is an electric utility meter with an inbuilt computer that records the amount of electricity used. This type of electrical meter replaced traditional electromechanical meters, which required manual reading by the utility company, and are now found on most homes in North America.
Net Metering Vs. Monthly netting with rollover? Net metering refers to a billing system for electric customers who generate their power using solar panels or wind turbines. The customer’s bill credits them at total retail rates for any excess energy they produce and export back to the grid when there isn’t enough demand from other customers. In contrast, monthly netting with rollover applies only to those commercial customers who have a utility grid connection and a private central generation facility. The netting method works much like the monthly statements customers receive from their electricity supplier and is akin to settling up at the end of each month.
If your business doesn’t need surplus power from one month, it can roll over to the next month at no cost to you. Once it exceeds the amount of energy you need that month, your electricity supplier buys it at a predetermined rate that’s usually lower than retail. But before you can send excess power to the grid, your utility needs to approve your private generation facility as an eligible generation resource and install special equipment called a bi-directional meter on both the incoming primary voltage lines and the outgoing secondary voltage lines from your facility. Both these meters are synchronized and communicate with each other to measure both directions of electricity flow continuously. In addition, you must apply to the utility for net metering service before you install new generation equipment or make changes to existing equipment. Once approved, monthly netting statements become your official account history, providing details of electricity sales and purchases in real-time. All you have to do is sign the statements each month as proof that you received your share of net revenues from utilities for any surplus power used by customers on the utility’s distribution system.
Is net metering available in all states and cities?
Net metering is available in most states and many cities. The specifics of whether or not it’s legally required depends on your state laws, what utilities are involved. It’s best to check with your city utility company directly before making assumptions about how net metering works there.
In general, though, if you pay a fixed rate for your electricity (where the rate doesn’t depend on how much electricity you use), then net metering is available. If it’s available, you can get a system installed for free. Net metering might be available if you pay a variable rate, as the standard rate rates with many power companies. Your city or utility company can check for you to see what they cover and whether your situation will qualify. Without net metering, you’d have to pay total retail prices for electricity from a solar system instead of the much lower rates for excess electricity that you’d be getting from your solar system.
CONCLUSION
A smart meter is a type of electrical meter that records the amount of electricity being used. This type replaced traditional electromechanical meters, which required manual reading by the utility company, and are now found on most homes in North America. The net metering method works much like monthly statements customers receive from their electricity supplier and is akin to settling up at the end of each month. With net metering, you’ll be able to get a system installed for free if you pay fixed-rate or variable rates with many power companies; without it, however, you’d have to pay total retail prices for your electricity instead of reduced rates.