How Does Solar Net Energy Metering Work in Florida?
If you’re a Florida homeowner who goes solar, you may be eligible for the state’s net energy metering program – a green incentive that allows you to sell unused solar electricity to your local utility company.
Although participating in this solar incentive is completely optional, net energy metering delivers 2 important benefits:
- You’re able to dramatically boost your solar savings, which helps to shorten the payback period of your clean power investment.
- You still have access to uninterrupted electricity – even when your solar panels stop working at night.
Let’s look at these benefits in greater detail.
Benefit 1:
Much Larger Solar Savings
Installing solar panels helps to lower your utility bills. This is true whether you participate in net energy metering or not. But if you do decide to enroll in this state-level incentive, we’ll install a bidirectional electricity meter along with your PV panels:
- During the day, your solar installation generates clean electricity. And any unused power gets fed into the grid – causing the meter to move in the opposite direction.
- At night, your solar panels stop working. And when you take electricity from the grid, the utility meter lots your usage by spinning in the normal direction.
At the end of the billing cycle, you’re only responsible for the “net” difference in electricity bought and sold:
- If you consume more total electricity than you generate, your utility company will send you a bill. But because nighttime power is typically cheaper than daytime electricity, those bills will consistently be lower than average.
- If you produce more electricity than you consume, this excess is carried forward as a credit (at the utility’s retail rate). And you can apply these credits to any future bill within that same 12-month billing cycle.
At the end of the year, the utility will compensate you for unused credits in the form of cash. Most utility providers use the “avoided cost rate” – which is the money they would’ve spent to produce an additional kilowatt of grid power.
Benefit 2:
Automatic Solar Storage
Enrolling in net metering involves connecting your solar installation to the utility grid. As such, you’ll enjoy consistent and reliable access to electricity – whether the sun is shining or not.
This completely removes the need to invest in expensive batteries to store your daytime solar electricity for nighttime use. With this approach, the utility grid acts as “virtual” storage for your PV system:
- During the day, your solar panels feed electricity into the grid.
- At night, you buy back the power you need (at off-peak prices).
And the best part is that Florida’s net energy metering program can be combined with the federal Investment Tax Credit for truly massive savings. To understand why, be sure to read our companion article on the 30% Solar Tax Credit Incentive.
Ready to Enroll in Florida’s Net Energy Metering Program?
If you’re ready to go solar and have the utility pay you for a change, request a free quote from us today.
Our experts can help you qualify for Florida’s net energy metering to ensure you receive the highest savings possible from your clean power investment.