City of Georgetown Texas > Georgetown Utilities & Customer Care > Electric > Net Energy Metering

Net Energy Metering

What is Net Energy Metering?

Net energy metering rate program allows residential and small commercial customers with
DER systems less than 10kW-DC and interconnection agreement to sell the excess energy
generated by their DER system (in excess of their consumption) at the rate identified in the
program.

Note: this graphic is for illustration and information purposes only

How does the bi-directional meter work?

When a customer generates less energy than they consume, the Utility provides electricity to
the customer and the bi-directional meter measures that amount as volumetric energy.
Conversely, when the customer generates more energy than they consume, the excess
energy (received energy) is sent back to the Utility and the bi-directional meter measures
that amount as received energy. At the end of each billing period, the Utility uses the
volumetric and received energy measurement readings from the meter to calculate the
customer’s bill.

What is the current credit rate for power put back on the Georgetown grid from my DER system?

The current renewable energy received credit rate for eligible customers is $0.06276/kWh.
This credit rate is reviewed and adjusted annually in February of each year. Customers in
good standing on the net metering program rate as of October 1, 2020 will continue to
receive a credit of $0.09580 per kWh until September 30, 2022. Please see the graphic
above to see how your bill is calculated.

If I don’t have a REC meter, how will I know what my DER generates?

Most DER systems monitor the energy produced by your system. You can then reference the
reported amount from your system and compare it to your bill. See the bill calculation image
above for further assistance.

Are there any surcharges once my system is operational?

Currently, there are no surcharges once the system is operational.

What happens if I generate more electricity than I use?

The maximum amount of energy that can be sold to Georgetown cannot be greater than the
volumetric energy delivered to the customer.

Is there a way to estimate my costs?

Link to this site to project billing: http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/

Are there any rebates for installation?

At this time, there are not any rebates for installation of DER systems to the customer from the City. Confer with your installer for any further information.

My system is installed, how long will it take for my account to start reflecting the billing changes?

Once a work order has been issued when interconnection is approved, it will take anywhere from 5-10 business days for the new meter to be installed and for your billing to begin reflecting the net meter changes.

I went through the interconnection process, a meter was connected, but I am not seeing the appropriate changes that I was expecting on my bill. Is there something wrong or will I be charged for additional inspection?

Please review the Net Energy Metering bill calculation to ensure you fully understand the credit for excess energy. The Net Energy Metering ordinance is can also be accessed here.
Contact your installer if your system is not producing the estimated energy
If there are any further questions regarding billing, please contact Customer Care at customercare@georgetown.orgor at 512-930-3640.

I have sized my system appropriately to my usage and I am I still having to pay an electric bill. I thought this was supposed to offset my charges on my bill?

You can possibly offset all of the volumetric charges on your bill. Keep in mind that there are base and PCA charges that can’t be offset. Please see the Net Energy Metering ordinance here for more information. Please note that the amount of energy that can be sold back cannot be greater than the energy supplied by the Utility.

Annual Credit Rate Frequently Asked Questions

How are the solar rates calculated?

A cost-of-service rate study was completed in 2020 by consultants NewGen Strategies and Solutions. They recommended rates and rate structures that equitably funded the operations of the electric utility and removed any cross subsidies that existed. Modifications specific to the existing Net Energy Metering (NEM) Policy were adopted to incorporate industry best practices and clarify and simplify the NEM process.

Annual Review:
The Renewable Energy – Received Credit is updated annually. The updated credit is adopted for customer billing no later than March 31^st.

Terms:
Renewable Energy – Received: Any excess metered energy generated from the customer’s DER facility that is not used on-site at the customer’s premises and flows back to COG during a billing cycle. The Renewable Energy — Received is measured by the bi-directional meter and recorded on an interval basis. COG pays NEM customers a credit per kilowatt hour of the Renewable Energy – Received

Renewable Energy – Received Credit: The Renewable Energy – Received Credit is an energy rate ($/kWh) applied to the NEM customer’s Renewable Energy – Received. COG pays NEM customers a credit per kilowatt hour for Renewable Energy – Received. The credit on the customer’s bill is subject to the limitations discussed in the ordinance section Item I.

Calculation: