Following the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariff debacle, the NSW government has reaffirmed its legal obligation to connect residential solar power systems to the electricity grid on a net-metering system, despite the recent closure of the NSW Solar Bonus feed-in tariff scheme. Net metering set-ups allow those who have solar panels on their homes to feed electricity into the grid, saving money and possibly even profiting.
According to a press release from the Australian Solar Energy Society, AuSES, quoted the NSW government’s response to rumours that new solar power systems would not be connected to the electricity grid:
“The Electricity Supply Act requires an electricity network to connect a generator to the grid, provided it complies with relevant safety, technical and metering requirements. These legislated requirements apply regardless of whether a customer is participating in the Solar Bonus Scheme or not. In addition, with the pending implementation of the National Energy Customer Framework electricity distribution network operators will be required to have at least one form of standard contract allowing the connection of micro-embedded generation, such as rooftop PV systems (up to 10 kilowatts).”
AuSES and other organisations in the Solar Power industry are pushing for a minimum 1:1 rate on a net metering scheme for residentially-generated electricity from small-scale system. This would mean that homes that feed electricity into the grid would be paid an equal rate per kilowatt hour as what they pay for their own electricity.
© 2011 Solar Choice Pty Ltd
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He is now the communications manager for energy technology startup SwitchDin, but remains an occasional contributor to the Solar Choice blog.
James lives in Newcastle in a house with a weird solar system.
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Well people we do have a solution. Form ourselves into a group and make solar energy and the outright theft of the power we generate an issue for the next state election. I am game. What about you?
Hi Mark, Sunny and James,
When we wrote this article way back in June 2011 the solar industry was very much petitioning for a 1-1 feed-in tariff, unfortunately what happened was a complete removal of the mandatory feed-in tariff. Some energy retails provide better deals than others, we commonly recommend Diamond Energy as they deal specifically with home owners who have invested in renewable energy systems. If you feel you are being treated unfairly by your energy retailer you do have the option to move but please bear in mind that you will loose any tariff you are currently on.
What Solar Choice recommends currently it installing a system that closely meets you energy need and changing your consumption habits to consume as much during the day as possible, by doing this the energy you generate if effectively worth whatever you don’t have to purchase from the grid.
Hopefully in the future we’ll see a fair system put in place for solar PV owners, with so many of us out there it’s an election issue whether the Politicians realise it or not!
I am with Integral and they dont want to see my face, but will galdly take the solar energy produced on my roof, for free and on-sell it at higher price. Not fair, unjustifiable, inequitable and down right thuggery.
They pay us nothing yet we have to pay them for electiricity we use afer dark.
There is something gravely wrong in NSW – with the govt, electricity suppliers and network providers. This is really wrong.
The solar system that was installed Was to cancel out the bill depending on weather and usage, based on the information from the supplyer , so it didnt matter how much the price went up there is enough power produced to cover usage and it does and then some BUT with the original meter no problem. (That was replaced ) it went backwards during the day and forward at night, so what it took off during the day is used at night and the meter reading stayed about the same give or take. Now with this new meter any excess goes back to the energy company without as much as a thank you, and still being charged when the sun doesn’t shine. So much for to do the right thing with the carbon foot print.