VECO eyes more participants for net metering program

The Visayan Electric Company Inc. (VECO), the country’s second largest private power distributor, is urging its customers with solar installations to enlist in the net metering program to take advantage of the policy’s benefits and generate savings.

“We are encouraging those who already have solar technology in their homes to enroll in the VECO Net Metering Program. This way we can install the correct metering system and they get to earn more from selling the excess power generated from their system,” VECO chief operating officer Anton Mari Perdices said.

Residential or commercial customers who have existing solar facilities that have a capacity of 100 kilowatts (kw) and below are eligible for enrollment in the net metering program, the first policy mechanism implemented under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

The net metering program allows customers of distribution utilities (DUs) to install an on-grid renewable energy (RE) facility not exceeding 100 kilowatts (KW) in capacity, such as solar and wind installations.

Any electricity generated that is not consumed by the customer is automatically exported to the DU’s distribution system.

The DU then gives a peso credit for the excess electricity received equivalent to the DU’s blended generation cost, excluding other generation adjustments, and deducts the credits earned to the customer’s electric bill.

Aside from the opportunity to earn extra for excess power generated by their solar facility, VECO customers who are not yet enrolled in the net metering program will also be able to get the correct metering system that is intended for customers who are using solar technology.

The power distributor has previously called on customers who have installed solar panels in their households to enroll with the company’s net metering program.

At present, 48 accounts with a total installed capacity of 364 kw are enrolled under VECO’s net metering system. Of the total, 15 households have registered in the net metering program.

The company noted there is growing awareness among institutional clients on the program, International Pharmaceutical Inc., (IPI), Sunpride Foods, among others have already registered their solar facilities with the scheme.

VECO, owned by Aboitiz Power Corp. and Vivant Corp., distributes electricity to over 400,000 customers in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, Naga and four municipalities of the greater part of Metro Cebu – Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla and San Fernando.