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Net Metering Information





Water and Energy Adminstration
811 East Red Hills Parkway
435-627-4800

Introduction to Net Metering on the Website

Net Metering Basics


Customers on the City of St. George power system are eligible to participate in the City’s Net Metering program.  This program allows a customer to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on their home or business and generate energy to power their home or business.     
 
To submit an application please use the online Building Permit Program, Cityinspect.  You can access the Net Metering Application and checklist online at stg.cityinspect.com
 
However it's important to understand how the net metering program works before you sign a purchase agreement.  Contact the Energy Services Department to review how the program works and/or review the program documents at the bottom of the page.  

The City adopted a Net Metering Program in 2005 and revised the program in 2015.  The 2015 revisions included implementation of the following fees. 

 

One Time Fees:

  • Application Fee
  • Bi-directional Meter Fee

 

Monthly Solar Reliability Fee

  • Based on the kWh produced by the system

 

The “RESOURCES” section below contains the documents related to the Net Metering Program.

 

  • Net Metering Program – this document explains the program and the requirements customers have to meet to participate.  This is an informational document.

 

  • Net Metering Application – this is the document that must be filled out and submitted to the Energy Services Department to start the process. This document must be filled out and submitted via the City Inspect program - available at this link:  http://stg.cityinspect.com/
    Questions regarding the City Inspect program should be directed to the Building Department.  435-627-4100 

 

  • Net Metering Agreement – this document is an agreement with the customer and the city regarding the responsibilities of each party with regard to the solar PV system operation.  This document requires a customer’s notarized signature. The Net Metering Agreement can be submitted to the Energy Services Department (811 E Red Hills Parkway) at any time during the application review process.  However, it must be submitted before the system will be approved to go on line. 

 

  • Net Metering Appendix – this document details the fees related to the program and the calculation of the monthly solar reliability charge and the annual buy back of any excess energy the customer generated.  This is an informational document. 

 

 

Common questions related to the Net Metering Program

 

If you are considering installing solar PV on your home or business, there are several questions to ask in order to make an informed decision. 

 

  1. What is roof top solar?

 

Roof top solar typically refers to solar Photovoltaic (PV) system installed on a roof which generates energy from the sun to power a person’s home or business.

 

  1. What terms do I need to understand about solar PV systems?

 

Behind the customer meter: The system is located so that any generated electricity flows first the customer, if the customer needs more energy than the solar PV is generating, St. George delivers the energy to you from the electrical grid.  For example, if your home uses 100 kWh a day and your system produces 80 kWh per day, you will receive 20 kWh a day from the electrical grid.

 

kW: Kilowatt – is equal to 1,000 watts.  A solar PV system capacity is measured in kW.  For example a 3 kW system would have the ability to produce 3 kW of demand (which is the maximum of energy output at a moment in time). 

 

kWh – kilowatt hour – is a measurement of energy, it is a kW multiplied by the time in hours.  For instance 2 kW for 1 hour is 2 kWh. Customers are billed based on how many kWh consumed in a billing cycle.   For example if you have a 3 kW system (shown above) and it generated 3 kW for 1 hour, it would produce 3 kWh of energy. It is estimated that a 3 kW system in St. George has the potential of generating 5,193 kWh in a 12 month period. The energy produced would go first to your home and then if any more energy is needed, St. George would deliver energy to you from the electrical grid.

 

  1. How much will a solar PV system cost?  Solar PV system costs can vary depending on many factors such as the size or capacity of the system.  Some questions to ask may be:

 

    1. How large of a system do I need?

 

This question addresses what is termed “name plate capacity” of a solar PV system and is expressed in kilowatts (kW).  The capacity of the system will tell you how much energy the system will generate.  For example a 3 kW system is expected to generate 5,193 kWh in a year.

 

PV Watts Calculator is a website that can provide an estimate of how many kWh’s you will save based on the system size.  The website is http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/ 

 

    1. How can I find my utility information?

 

Contact the St. George City at 435-627-4700 to request a copy of your energy use history.

 

    1. Will the system be installed on the roof of my home, roof of an unattached garage or on the ground?

 

That is a question for your installer to answer.  You should check with the City Building Department to determine the requirements.  435-627-4000

 

    1. Will the system include a battery bank to provide back-up power in the event of a utility power disruption?

 

That is a question for your installer to answer. 

 

 

  1. What are the fees and when do I have to pay them?

 

The fees and how they are calculated are listed in the Net Metering Appendix which found in the Resources section of the Net Metering page on the City’s website.  www.sgcity.org

 

  1. Can I install a solar PV system on my house?

 

Yes a homeowner can install solar on the house they are residing in. A homeowner cannot install solar on income property.   A licensed electrician will be required to handle the interconnection with the utility.  An individual installing a system on their owner/occupied home will need to follow the net metering program requirements.

 

  1. How do I find a solar contractor?

 

St. George requires all solar contractors to have a City business license and to have completed the pre-qualified solar contractor class.  For a list of contractors that have met this requirement please contact 435-627-4095

 

It is recommended that you obtain more than one bid as part of the decision making process.

 

  1. Once I’ve decided on a contractor or am ready to install the system myself, what is the next step?

 

Complete the Net Metering Application which can be obtained via the City Inspect webportal.  Contact The Building Department with questions related to the City Inspect webportal.

 

  1. Once the application is submitted how long is the process.

 

A time line and steps in the review process are located in the Net Metering Program document.  

 

  1. What can I expect on my utility bill after the solar PV is installed?
    • The customer charge will still be billed.
    • Two meters will be listed on the Electric portion of your utility bill. One is the bi-directional meter.  If the kWh charge will read zero if you did not need any energy from the utility.  If you required energy from the utility, there will be a KWH charge.
    • The other line under the  Electric section on your bill is the reading from the production meter. It is the kWh’s your system produced in the billing period. 

 

The line item for “SOLAR REL CG” is the Solar Reliability Charge.

This charge is based on the kWh's your system produced in the billing period.

 

  1. When do I get paid for excess energy my solar PV system generated?   

 

For example in March I produced more energy than I needed.  What happened to my excess energy?

 

Your excess energy was delivered to St. George grid and a calculation for a credit of kWh was put to your bill for the next month.  Let look at the charge below for example.

 

Customer A

Month

Consumed kWh

Generated kWh

kWh billed or credit

Bill reflects

March

420

445

-25

420 - 445 = (25)

April

480

495

-40

480 - 495+ (25) = (40)

May

600

527

33

600-527-40=33

June

800

552

248

800-552=248

July

900

524

376

900-524=376

Aug

600

498

102

600-498=102

Sept

400

453

-53

400-453=(53)

Oct

420

436

-69

420-436+(53)=(69)

Nov

400

318

13

400-318+(69)=13

Dec

300

287

13

300-287=13

 

 

In this scenario, Customer A used the kWh credit and was billed for the energy needed from St. George.  The customer will not be paid anything for excess solar generation in December.

 

For the customer who has a kWh credit in December, see the chart below.

 

 

Customer B

Month

Consumed kWh

Generated kWh

kWh billed or credit

Bill reflects

March

420

445

-25

420 - 445 = (25)

April

480

495

-40

480 - 495+(25) = (40)

May

550

527

-17

550-527+(40) = (17)

June

560

552

-9

560-552+(17) = (9)

July

570

524

37

570-524+(9)= 37

Aug

525

498

27

525-498=27

Sept

500

453

47

500-453=47

Oct

400

436

-36

400-436=(36)

Nov

300

318

-54

300-318+(36)=(54)

Dec

200

287

-141

200-287+(54)=(141)

 

Customer B If Customer B chooses they can request the utility credit the customer for the kWh credit at the Renewable Wholesale Rate  and the meter will be reset to zero.

 

 

In months where you have a net kWh credit, your bill will reflect a zero kWh charge because the kWh credit is carried forward to your next month.

 

Customers who have a kWh credit on their meter in December can request  a credit on their January bill for those kWh’s.  Their bi-directional meter will be reset to zero.

 

Customer B will see a credit on their next bill for the buyback of 141 kWh at the Renewable Wholesale Rate and the meter will be reset to zero.

 

As of July 1 2019, the Renewable Wholesale Rate is $.04019/kWh.  So Customer B will see a credit of $5.67 on their next bill.

 

 

 




Name
Net Metering Program Updated 3.2024 Final PDF - 03-08-2024 View Download
Renewable Net Metering and Interconnection Agreement_Update 3.2024 Fillable Form PDF - 03-05-2024 View Download
Net Metering Appendix 7_2023 PDF - 01-04-2024 View Download