Renewables NB

The Source for small-scale, renewable energy projects in New Brunswick, Canada

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Net Metering

Net metering allows a customer to supply power to the grid as well as receive it. It is now a service many electric utilities across Canada offer, including NB Power. Just like a bank account, the amount of electricity that is used and supplied is tracked by NB Power and the customer is billed for the ‘net’ metered amount of energy consumed.

Renewable energy is a requirement for net metering with NB Power. There are currently several net-metered locations in New Brunswick, such as Falls Brook Centre and Cape Jourimain, that use wind, solar — or both — at their net-metered sites.

  • When energy is generated, it will be used to supply the resident’s needs first, with any surplus fed into the grid which will be used to further reduce the resident’s bill each month.
  • When not enough is being generated, the grid or utility will supply what the resident’s generator cannot.
  • readings for the electricity  delivered and received can be seen on the installed net meter, and a detailed report is sent to the resident each month.
  • At the beginning of the billing year, April 1, if the resident had any credits they could not use, these will be reduced to “zero”.

Net metering should be a consideration for residents or businesses that are already connected to the grid and who are planning a renewable energy installation that involves the generation of electricity.

Savings from net metering

Electricity is generated at a savings of the set rate kWh (please refer to the NB Power website for current rates), since the generated energy offsets what would otherwise be bought from NB Power. When using this figure to calculate the payback for the renewable energy system you plan to install, also allow for increases in the cost of electricity over the lifetime of the system.

For more information about net metering, such as how to qualify or how to enroll, check of the NB Power – Net Metering website. You may also be interested in the reading the case study of Falls Brook Centre’s Net Metering site, the first in New Brunswick.