Mass. homeowners can now sell back electricity

[JohnWxy]

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20091201/massenergy01_st.art.htm

It's called "net metering," and beginning today, property owners can submit the applications needed to begin earning credits on their electricity bills if they generate more energy than they need any given day or week.
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"Net metering will accelerate the development of renewable energy projects … by putting the economic value of power generated by these projects on par with electricity purchased from the grid," Department of Public Utilities Chairman Paul Hibbard said.

Before the change, net metering was limited to solar arrays or wind turbines capable of generating just 60 kilowatts or less, and customers were able to sell their power back to the grid only at the wholesale rate.

Under the new law, customers who own wind turbines or solar power installations up to 2 megawatts — even larger for municipal and state installations — can sell excess power back to the grid at the higher retail rate.
(more)

[slvrd4]

1. Accounting and software nightmare for power companies.

Good news! You can sell power back to the power company.

Bad news: Everybody's rates just went up to pay for the nightmare accounting, logistical, software, hardware mess this creates.

[ret5hd]

2. pffft. bullshit.

it amounts to making the meter run backwards.

[Statistical]

3. Completely wrong.

Net metering has been around in VA for nearly a decade. IIRC it started more than 2 decades ago in some states.

Pretty simply when supply exceeds load in house the meter spins backwards. All it requires is a meter that can spin both ways. Nothing more.

Without net metering if your supply exceeds load (which will happen in grid tie system) then the energy still flows to the grid the meter simply stops turning. You give energy to grid and get no credit.

[joshcryer]

4. Hehe, didn't you know, it costs money for the meter guy to put a minus sign by the number...

[garybeck]

5. complete bullshit. many states already have net metering.

utility companies love it.

[joshcryer]

6. See post #4 btw, the person is banned.