Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative has recently reached net metering limits for residential and commercial customers.
Net metering is a consumer-based renewable energy incentive that gives alternative power system owners retail credit for at least a portion of the electricity generated.
Net metering limits were established by the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission after a net metering law was enacted in 2001.
Under KIUC’s net metering program, any renewable power generation no greater than 50 kilowatts that utilizes photovoltaic (solar), wind, hydro, biomass or any hybrid system consisting of these technologies can be hooked into a KIUC meter.
Excess power sent onto KIUC’s grid is then subtracted from energy supplied by KIUC to the member. The member then pays the tariff energy rate for the net amount used.
Net metering was available to members until the sum of installations equaled 1 percent of the KIUC system peak. One half of the 1 percent was allocated to systems 10 kw or smaller, while the other half of the one percent was allocated to systems greater than 10 kw, but no greater than 50 kw.
“We didn’t think it would happen this early,” Steve Rymsha, a staff engineer at KIUC, said.
In 2005, there were only three people using net metering, and this year 60 people are trying to install systems, Rymsha said.
(Source: Rachel Gehrlein, Kauai Garden Island News)
1 response so far ↓
1 Woody // Oct 27, 2008 at 6:58 am
I don’t understand how KIUC can call free power coming from a solar user, like them ‘using KIUC as a battery and not paying for the use’. KIUC gets power from the solar user, can sell that power when its needed, and pay back the solar provider with KIUC power. Its a win win situation for everyone, especially when there is a high peak need and KIUC can’t meet that need. What is their problem? There should be more than a 1% (of peak output) allowable net metering. That 1% limit does not look ahead at growing usage or at the environmental impact of other power sources. That kind of thinking is why global warming is now a term everyone has heard of.
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