If your home is solar powered, your house is called “net metering” – this means that you can sell the power that you produce to your local electric company. Different electric companies have different rules to pay the customer back. It may credit the amount monthly in your account or may pay you by check.
The rate at which the companies sell back the electricity also varies from company to company. Check it out at your local electricity company to find out what they can offer you for getting your house solar powered.
PNM is a customer friendly solar power company in New Mexico. They buy the excess power generated by a solar powered house at an unbelievable rate of $0.13/kWh. With the average electricity cost of $0.0935/kWh in the area, the rate offered by PNM is undoubtedly very lucrative and hence PNM is considered as one of the best electric companies in New Mexico. They actually buy the solar energy at a higher rate than the rate at which they sell electricity to their consumers.
Pacific Gas and Electric is a part of California Solar Initiative. California Solar Initiative encourages people to have solar powered homes and small businesses by offering them monetary incentives. Under different schemes offered, they can also help their customers by making the initial payment while installing the new solar power system.
Pacific Gas and Electric, an associate of California Solar Initiative has huge network of more than 25000 homes connected to their solar energy grid. They run a program solely dedicated to help customers in Northern and Southern California to turn their home solar powered by finding solar power providers and installers for them.
Austin Energy offers loan to customers who want to install solar power for their homes so that there is no initial investment. They also offer discount to their customers and buy back any excess energy produced by their solar system.
The Arizona Public Service Utilities also buys back the excess energy produced by their customers at a very good rate. But if you really want gain from your solar energy system, you must do some good research.
DSIRE has a huge state wise database which will be very helpful to find out the best deals. Visit the website of your electric company, to find out if they have any offer that is not listed in the database of DSIRE. Every electric company has got some local rules that you have to abide by while installing a solar power system.
First, you need to get a permit. Once you have got the permit, you have to register yourself as a net-metering location in your local electric company’s grid. This is quite a simple process, but is a must before you install your solar power system. After the installation is complete, representatives from the electric company will come and check the installation. Then they will decide whether your system is safe to be added to their grid.
An improperly installed solar system can prove to be hazardous as it can pump electricity to dead wires in the grid and may lead to serious injury or even death of the workers while doing the maintenance work. Being a member of the net metering club not only gives you the benefit in terms of monthly credit to your electric bill, or even a payback check, but also a great mental satisfaction, as you know that you are contributing towards a cleaner and pollution free earth.