What is net metering and how does it benefit you? If you’re thinking about installing solar power solutions in Long Island, net metering will make a big difference over the lifetime of your system.
A net metering solar system uses a bi-directional meter that can measure the current flowing either into or out of your home.
With solar power solutions in Long Island, it’s not uncommon to use less energy than is produced, especially in the spring and the fall. Net metering allows compensation for the power you export back into the grid.
Here’s how it works…
Power Solutions in Long Island Vary in Performance Throughout the Year
When developing solar power solutions in Long Island, we look at things like the size of a home, the amount of roof space that is available for panels, the position and pitch of the roof, and any surrounding buildings or trees that will shade the panels throughout the day. Using satellite images, drones, and software, we can calculate, to a high degree of accuracy, how much solar a home will produce throughout the year.
Solar generation isn’t consistent. During the winter, the sun is lower in the sky and the days are shorter, so production is lower. In the summer, there’s plenty of sun and daylight hours, but you’ll likely be using more electricity during this time, so you might end up using all that you generate, or most of it.
Net metering gives more flexibility over the fluctuations in usage and the output of solar panels.
A Net Metering Solar System Makes for More Efficient Billing
To answer the question “what is net metering?”, you can consider some key scenarios.
- During ideal conditions, you could generate more in the day than you actually use. As the excess is exported, your meter will spin in reverse. At night when your solar panels shut down, and when you start drawing from the grid, the meter will spin forward, but this usage will be offset by the excess that you generated during the day.
- If you get to the end of the month and you have generated more than you consumed (common in the spring and fall), the excess will be added to your bill as a “credit bank”. This credit can then be used for future bills, and it accumulates over time.
- When you get to a season where you routinely consume more power than you generate, the credit bank will kick in and your power bill will still be kept low. In many cases, you might come out even. Some families end a year with money left in the credit bank, which carries over.
A net metering solar system is simply a fair solution and a type of reward for homes that generate solar energy. The excess that you produce isn’t wasted. It goes back to the grid and you’re compensated for it. When you need to draw more power than your panels can produce, you’ll benefit from the credit bank that you’ve built up.
Get Started With a Consultation and Solar Financing in Long Island
We are standing by to assist at every point of your solar journey. From the initial consultation to solar financing in Long Island, we’ll make sure that you can get a net metering solar solution that helps you to save money and regain your independence from the grid.
Now you’ve found the answer to the question “what is net metering?”, it’s time to talk to a solar expert at Long Island Power Solutions.
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