Solar Metering Services
Electricity costs are constantly rising, and they are not going to go down. If you are looking for ways to save money, you should invest in solar energy. Once you have your solar panels mounted and connected you will need to have a new electricity meter installed.
This solar metering device will keep track of how much electricity you use and how much you send to the grid.
Gross Metering Solar System
Net metering and gross metering are different in a few ways. The main difference is how your solar system is connected to the grid. With gross metering, the solar system is not connected to your home.
Instead, it is connected directly to the grid. This means that any electricity your solar system generates is sent to the grid. You do not use any of it. Instead, the utility company receives the electricity and, in turn, pays you a set rate for it.
Gross metering requires that you have 2 separate meters installed on your home. You will also get two separate bills. One will be for the energy that electricity you consume from the grid. The other one will be what the utility company is paying you for your production.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Gross Metering
Gross metering used to be the way to go. However, times have changed. There are very few people that now use gross metering. Let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of gross metering.
Advantages
If you have a property that is idle and uses little to no electricity, you can sell the energy produced by your solar system and make a profit.
Disadvantages
When you choose to use gross metering, you must have 2 meters installed. This leads to two separate bills. You must pay your full electricity bill, then you will be reimbursed for any electricity you sent to the grid. Since the bonus feed-in tariff rates were lifted, the reimbursement rate may be lower than the electricity you are being charged for.
Net Metering Solar System
With net metering, the solar system is connected to your home. So, any electricity generated is used by you. If there is any additional electricity generated, it is then sent to the grid.
Net metering only requires one meter to be installed. It is a bidirectional meter that can keep track of both the energy imported and exported. Depending on your utility company and the area where you live, the extra energy generated can lead to a credit on your bill.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Net Metering
Recently, many homeowners have switched from gross metering to net metering. This is due to the NSW Solar Bonus being lifted on 31 December 2016. Now, in some cases, it is more beneficial for the homeowner to have net metering.
Advantages
If your property is lived in, and it uses a lot of electricity, you can use the energy your solar system produces before you must pay for higher electricity. If there is any unused solar energy produced, you can sell the energy to your utility provider. This can lead to a credit on your bill.
Disadvantages
There are no disadvantages of net solar metering for homeowners. However, there are disadvantages for the Utility company and those who do not have solar installed. This is because the Utility company is not generating as much revenue. In turn, they are passing costs on to other customers who do not have solar energy.
Is it Better to Use Net Metering or Go off the Grid?
Going completely off the grid is something you have probably thought about. For some people, this may be a good choice, but for most people, net metering is the best option.
Net metering allows you to send any extra electricity generated into the grid. This can help your community, and it can get you credits on your electricity bill. Having your system set up for net metering also gives you a backup plan just in case your system does not provide you with enough electricity.
Contact Us Today For Your Solar Metering
Learn how you can save on your energy consumption bills by calling Dave Fenech Electrical Services Pty Ltd today. We are your local level 2 electrician in Sydney. Contact us today.