What if you could generate your own power, use it to offset your electricity costs and help the environment out in the process?
That’s exactly what you can do through the Net Metering program that the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) delivers for the provincial government’s Go Green initiative and SaskPower’s Eneraction program.
Net Metering is for people who want to generate their own electricity using heat recovery, flare gas, wind, solar or other forms of renewable energy.
Through the program, power meters are installed to measure energy from the customer’s energy production device as well as incoming and outgoing electrical power. If a customer generates more electrical power than they use, they can use that electricity to offset their electricity costs for up to one year.
“One of the benefits of this program is that the customer is able to achieve the full retail rate that they pay for their energy by both offsetting their existing load and when using any banked energy to offset future consumption," says Ken Smith, SaskPower’s business policy supervisor.
As appealing as self-generated power can be to the green at heart, the initial setup costs can appear daunting. To ensure those interested in net metering don’t shy away because of high prices, SRC provides eligible recipients with up to 35 per cent of the cost to set up alternative power generating equipment and install bidirectional net meters.
To qualify for the program, customers must install a production meter on their renewable energy system. In return for funds, SRC requests readings from the production meter and access to participants’ utility records for 18 months prior to and 10 years after generating equipment has been installed.
“Participants’ energy consumption records are critical because they allow us to measure the actual impact of the energy production from the equipment that’s installed,” says Grant McVicar, SRC’s energy conservation director. “This information allows us to assess the economic and environmental benefits to the clients. It also helps in making refinements to the program to increase these benefits in the future.”
Helping customers make the switch from power users to power producers is working. Since its launch in 2007, the Net Metering program has helped more than 44 participants.
According to a local distributor for renewable power products, Net Metering is driving the market by making clean power more appealing.
“The response has been excellent,” says David Anderson, an alternative energy engineer for Solar Outpost Inc. “People are very happy to produce clean renewable energy onsite.”
SaskPower Eneraction has shown their support for the program by adding another 10 per cent in funding to the original 25 per cent provided under Go Green. Because of this boost, eligible residents can now receive the 35 per cent rebate of up to $35,000 retroactive from April 1, 2007, to March 31, 2011.
More more information email info@src.sk.ca or visit www.src.sk.ca/ec.
