Zera drafts net metering regulations

20 Jul, 2014 - 02:07 0 Views
Zera drafts net metering regulations

The Sunday News

generator
THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) has drafted net metering regulations meant to govern the generation of electricity from small scale, grid tied renewable generators like solar PV generators on rooftops. Net metering is a service that allows electric customers who generate their own electricity using solar or other forms of renewable energy to bank excess electricity on the grid, usually in the form of kilowatt-hour (kWh) credits.

According to energy experts, these credits are used to offset electricity consumed by the customer at a different time during the same billing period like when the customer’s system is not generating enough electricity to meet the customer’s needs.

In effect, the customer uses excess generation credits to offset electricity that the customer otherwise would have to purchase at the utility’s retail rate.

Traditionally, net metering has been accomplished through the use of a single, conventional, bi-directional meter.
Zera chief executive officer, Engineer Gloria Magombo, said the drafted regulations were yet to be approved and gazetted before coming into effect.

“The intention is to feed surplus generation into the grid, while importing from the grid when there is inadequate generation or when the generators are not able to generate at all,” said Eng Magombo.

The net metering process is meant to reduce the consumer’s power utility bills as a bi-directional import/export meter connected to the grid will be used which will help to net off the energy supply from the grid.

Eng Magombo said through the net metering process, ZERA would not be buying any energy from the customers but ZETDC which is the off taker of this energy would be netting off the supplies.

“There may be circumstances when a customer becomes a net exporter to the ZETDC grid, in that case they may be obliged to pay the customer at a tariff prescribed in the net metering regulations,” she said.

The net metering is widely practised in countries like USA, Germany and Japan to promote consumers’ participation in producing electricity from renewable energy sources and reduce the dependency on state provided energy system.

Net metering is a policy designed to foster private investment in renewable energy.
Solar experts said by introducing net metering in the country, the value of owning solar systems for individuals would increase and urged the energy authority to expedite this process.

“As a net metering customer, when you generate more electricity than you consume, you receive a credit to your account that is applied against your future consumption. Individuals can then sell their excess electricity and make money out of it,” an official with a solar company noted.

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