Reddit will power companies buy your extra solar generated power

How does your utility compensate you for solar energy?

How your utility compensates you for your solar energy can affect your energy savings over time. If you have solar panels installed on your roof, you likely aren't using up all of the energy that they're generating each month. All that excess is sent to the grid, joining your utility's supply of electricity.

Do utilities pay for solar panels?

Some utilities vendors will pay you for the extra power your solar panel system produces. Find out how to take advantage of net metering offers to score some case from your solar panels. How your utility compensates you for your solar energy can affect your energy savings over time.

What happens if my solar panels produce more energy?

One of the most common questions people have about solar is “what happens if my panels produce more energy than my home uses?” In almost every state, if your solar panels generate more power than you consume, you can send this power back the utility and receive credits on your next monthly utility bill. This is known as net metering.

Could solar be a smart move for utilities?

"We're just a few years away from affordable batteries, which—along with a backup generator —will allow existing and new solar customers to disconnect from the grid entirely." Which means that some day soon, consumers could defect from the grid en masse. The far smarter move for utilities would be to embrace solar, he says.

How can utilities accommodate solar customers?

What's more, in order to accommodate solar customers, utilities say they must invest in new technologies that allow them to, for example, scale production up and down based on whether it's a sunny or cloudy day.

Are solar customers paying a fair share of transmission costs?

Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the August 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the August 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. Utilities argue that solar customers aren’t contributing their fair share of transmission costs and are fighting back, says Consumer Reports.