Solar players seek rule changes on net metering

Players in the solar industry are pushing for amendments in the rules that could set new cost reference on solar energy being exported to the grid under the net metering program.

The Philippine Solar Power Alliance (PSPA) noted that it wants changes in the rules, primarily on the calculation of credits due to solar rooftophomeowners when they export power to the grid.

On pace with the scheduled review of the net metering rules, PSPA said it is seeking “correction in the payment system” as it opines that the current mechanism may not have been in keeping with the provisions of the Renewable Energy Act.

PSPA President Tetchi Capellan said the “net metering customer is only charged for his net electricity consumption and is credited for any overall contribution to the electricity grid.”

The net metering program is part of the incentive scheme to entice consumers to utilize solar in meeting their electricity needs – an advocacy aligned with the world’s bid to pare the energy sector’s carbon footprints.

Capellan noted that based on their understanding, the offsetting scheme on solar energy export must be calculated or referenced back on the volume of energy that the customer imports from the grid – without necessarily taking into account cost considerations.

On that, she said “the net metering customer is only charged or credited, as the case may be, the difference between its import energy and export energy.”

PSPA noted that currently, this is not the practice. “Instead, a lower kilowatt price for exported energy, the generation charge, is applied to calculate the credits due to the solar rooftop homeowners,” the group added. (MMV)