Customer Renewable Generation

How net metering works

A net meter is capable of measuring both the electricity supplied by the utility as well as any excess supplied by the customer's system back to the grid.

One of the primary benefits of net metering is that when a customer's home requires less electricity, like when everyone is at work or school, the system may still produce electricity. When the system is connected to the grid, that electricity is being put back into the grid. The difference between what the home uses from PSE versus what they system generates is the "net" in net metering.

A typical generation installation

Typical generating systems include:

• The mode of generation, such as solar PV, wind generators, small-scale hydro, and biomass.
• An inverter, which converts the DC (direct current) energy produced to AC (alternating current).
• A disconnection device, which ensures system safety for PSE employees and customers. The type of device depends on the total output capacity of the system.

Detailed requirements can be found in the schedule 150 tariff (PDF, 43 KB), or can be requested from a PSE Energy Advisor.

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