| Category: | Solar - Connection |
| Subject: | Net Meter & microFIT @ the same residence |
| ID: | 10735 |
| Date: | 9/8/2009 |
| Question: |
I would like to install solar panels with micro inverters on my residence or possibly a Vertical axis wind turbine on Net Meter to take care of my electricity bill.
Would it also be possible to add on a seperate run of solar panels with micro inverters as microFIT on the same residence. If the answer is no due to using one meter to record the home import verses solar panel export, could an additional meter be installed to record the microFIT generation? If I remember right, some of the earlier projects have two meters to measure import and export of hydro. Also, could you clarify the adding of solar panel modules to the residence would have to change the microFIT contract. IE: If I install a basic 1kW microFIT system and enter the contract, and every year would like to add an additional 400w panels. For example I sign the contract in 2010 (for 1kw), I have till 2030, then in 2011 I add 2 panels (total of1.4kw). The original contract is cancelled and a new one would start from 2011 till 2031...and so on as I add 2 panels a year? Thank you. |
| Answer: |
It could be possible to have both a net-metered project and a microFIT project on the same residence. We would need to make sure that the electricity produced from the microFIT project can be metered separately from the net-metered project. All microFIT projects will require a separate revenue meter that is separate to any other meter (e.g. your home electricity meter to measure electricity consumed).
If you wanted to add additional capacity to your microFIT project, you would have to apply for another contract. So if you installed 1kW in 2010, the contract term would run until 2030. If you added another 1kW in 2012, the contract term for this 1kW would run until 2032. etc. This is want we refer to as an `incremental project'. |