Making The Switch From Gross To Net Metering In NSW

Solar & Consumption Net Meter

Let us hope everyone has done their homework when the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme [SBS] ended on 31st December 2016. Meaning distributors, retailers and householders, so as to reduce any unwanted bottlenecks.

It will pay to be at the wave front for meter changeover requests! Making the switch from Gross to Net metering options are: 

• A compatible Gross meter is been re-programmed for Net metering
• A Net meter is replacing the Gross meter
• Mechanical meters such as spinning disk / clock face are replaced with a Net meter 

The current rate [March 2017] for net metered exported power is anywhere from five to twelve cents depending on your electricity retailer's offer.

What Will This Meter Changeover Cost You? : Currently anywhere from $260 to $600 to switch.

Want to know more about Net metering and billing? : Check out our SOLAR NET FIT METERING BILLING page on our main website.

This blog post brought to you by Aussie Home Energy a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY SAVING SERVICE industry in Australia.

NSW Ex Solar Bonus Scheme Homes See Sharp Bill Rise

Compare Gross Versus Net Metered ROI

Some NSW Solar Bonus Scheme homes are about to get a nasty POWER BILL SHOCK! As their first electricity bill of the year is due, since the closure of the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme. Where the majority of homes were getting 60 cents for every kW exported!

With Gross metering now gone and Net metering being applied, there is going to be a dramatic financial drop of revenue in the first quarter and thereafter for many of these households.

So for those of you whom want a quick heads up on what to expect, at Aussie Home Energy we have done the basic maths. Maths to help you see what financial return you can expect, when you are using more or less of your net metered solar power.

The concept of Net metering can be foreign to many people, when they are simply used to being paid for all solar power sent back to the grid. We hope this data table helps you realise with Net metering you need to use more of your solar power.

As an example the maths is based on excess solar power being sent back to the grid for ONLY 6 cents per kWh. And imported power costing 25 cents per kWh. No one will argue that from 60 cents to 6 cents is a large drop for power sent back to the grid.

Even if the householder was to use 100% of the net metered solar power [extremely unlikely for Mr. Average], then there is still going to be a 41.5% drop in solar investment return, when compared to the NSW Government's recent 60 cent Gross scheme.

If you were on the 20 cents per kW Gross FIT then the difference is not that bad. But for the 60 cent per kW Gross FIT households, there certainly will be plenty of 'Power Bill Shock' causing unwanted financial pain!

Not forgetting as the scheme has run for around six years most of these 60 cent householders will have forgotten, what a normal electricity bill is! As they have simply got used to the solar power credit added to each bill.

So to help you to get an idea of the financial return to expect when being Net metered, we have created a simple data table HERE.

Now that 41.5% gets a lot worse for those homes, where there is little use within the sunny hours of the day. Yes those of you out working with only the fridge / freezer on at home, plus a few other basic appliances such as phones, clock radios and AC control panels. Shockingly up to

90% LESS!

Now that is 90% less of any recent quarterly SBS 60 cent Gross return that you are used to gone. This 90% less is for those homes now sending 75% of the power back to the grid! Check the maths! Obviously different tariff rates will affect our maths, but hopefully you will get the picture!

So as we have being saying for years to anyone with Net metering

'USE IT OR LOSE IT!'

Now it is not all that bad if you can control your appliances, as this will allow you to use more of your solar power and offset imported power costs. And that is how you make money with a NET metered Solar System. Yes you make more by offsetting imported power costs!

There are a few appliances in many homes that can be programmed or simply controlled by a timer to use up some of that excess solar power.

Check out the maths of our GROSS VERSUS NET METERING MATHS

This blog post brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY SAVING SERVICE industry in Australia.

What Is Your Total Power Consumption With Net Metering?

Online Monitoring For All The Facts

This is one question that no-one knows without there being some form of electricity and solar power monitoring system installed within the home.

It is not uncommon for homes installing solar power to in fact use more power after the installation, due to the fact they are making their own power.

Prior to installing your net metered solar pv system, your total power consumption was your imported power. Now you have installed solar power, your total power consumption is now actually:

Consumption  = Generation + Import - Export

Before your solar power was installed the electricity bill clearly itemised your total electricity consumption. Now after your solar installation, it actually itemises imported power only as your daily usage. Yes this is confusing and yes we have many times explained this to the electricity retailers.

So how can you know if your using more or less power since the solar was installed? Clearly you cannot by looking at your electricity bill!

What your total power consumption now is, is usage made up of both imported power and that generated power from your roof during the sunny hours of the day. During those non-sunny hours of course, you can only be importing power from the grid. We will assume here for this article, you have no battery banks installed to store generated power during the day for use at the night.

During the sunny hours of the day, if you are not using much power under your roof, then you run the risk of it being sent back to the grid for little financial return. This is your exported power.

So there are a few issues here that clearly need to be known. What is your total power consumption and what power are you sending back to the grid. Excess power that alternatively you could be using to offset imported power costs.

All of these unknowns can easily become known facts, that you can work with to maximise your electricity savings.

What you need to do is to install a simple online electricity monitoring system, one that is taking note of your total consumption and generated power at the same time. The imported / exported power is easily worked out once these two facts are known. Thus then you will know 24/7 the following:


Consumption  = Generation + Import - Export
 
So why not take a look at our ONLINE ELECTRICITY MONITORING page.

This blog post brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY SAVING SERVICE industry in Australia.

What Happens When The NSW Solar Bonus Scheme Ends

NSW Solar Bonus Scheme Ends 2016

You may be asking yourself what is going to happen when the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme [Gross FIT 60 & 20 cent] comes to an end in December 2016? 

From a recent conversation with a NSW electricity distributor, it appears a decision has been made on the policy of the matter.

“A distributor supplies meters at no charge, the only costs involved are those charged by the Accredited Service Provider [ASP] installing the meter.”

“When an ASP replaces a gross meter with a new net meter, the old gross meter is returned to the distributor where it can be either kept in store as a gross meter or reprogrammed when possible to a net meter.”

“As meters are supplied at no charge by the distributor, there is no buy back for their return. Before or at the end of the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme the householder simply needs to arrange for an ASP to rewire the solar inverter from the gross meter, to the export register of the net meter.”

Where a householder has a NSW SBS gross meter and also a net metered system, then the solar inverter connected to the gross meter is simply rewired and added to the existing net metered system. 

Visit our page on NET FIT METERING & BILLING for an insight into net metering.

This blog post and podcast brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY REDUCTION SERVICE industry in Australia.

Solar Power Net Meter Export Electricity

Recent research shows us that most home's installing Solar Power connected to the electricity grid via NET metering, are going to send a small percentage of the generated power back to the electricity grid, at sometime.

This can often occur when generated power from the solar system, is greater than the power used under the roof. This excess power is exported back to the electricity grid, and any financial return for this exported power, will be based on any current NET  feed in tariff offered, by the electricity retailer. Currently in New South Wales this can range from six to eight cents per exported kilowatt.

A question often asked during our SOLAR POWER ASSESSMENTS is “How much of the generated power will we export back to the electricity grid?”

Research by IPART & the University of New South Wales, shows the average exported power from a 2 kW solar system or smaller is around 32% to 50%. On average, households have been found to consume around two thirds of their generated solar power.

It is important to note that the amount of imported and exported electricity, will be  different for all homes, due to different energy usage characteristics and the size of any installed solar system.

Some homes manage to use all of the generated power from their Solar PV system. Any financial returns will be based on the reduced imported electricity and exported electricity within any NET feed in tariff.

For a detailed explanation, of the financial returns available, with variable electricity offsetting and exported electricity, visit our GUIDE TO NET METERING, hosted on our main website.

You can leave your comments on this subject on our SOLAR NET METERING blog page.

To see electricity used, imported, generated and exported in your home, we offer you various ONLINE ELECTRICITY MONITORING options. Where you can see the data 24/7 from anywhere and analyse at any time. We also make the task of getting your data online, very easy. 

This blog post and podcast brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY REDUCTION SERVICE industry in Australia.

Solar Net Metering & Billing Confusion

Our research over the last few months mainly in Sydney’s West, has shown there are lot of people with a Solar PV system, connected to the grid via NET metering, who are very confused as to what their solar system is generating!

Our research findings are telling us, this too is both from a energy angle and a financial one. And if the householder is not confused, often the idea they have of what their solar system is doing, is totally incorrect.

So what we have decided to do is put the records straight. You will find information on what you should see and what you will not see on the electricity bill, detailed on our SOLAR NET METERING web page.

This blog post and podcast brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY REDUCTION SERVICE industry in Australia.