By Bethany Kuhn

Net Energy Metering Aggregation (NEMA) is a program created by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in conjunction with the Investor Owned Utilities (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E) for businesses with multiple meters on the same, adjacent, or contiguous properties using Net Metering. NEMA specifically benefits customers in agriculture businesses, who use large amounts of power for buildings, numerous pumps, and other electric facilities.

Previously, Net Metering only applied to the electrical usage measured on a single meter attached to a solar installation. In other words, each meter needed its own separate solar system. Net Energy Metering Aggregation customers who have multiple eligible meters on the same, adjacent, or contiguous properties can build one solar system and offset usage on all the eligible meters.

This program follows the model of Net Energy Metering (NEM):
The Energy You Produce – The Energy You Consume = Net Energy.

Through NEMA’s program, businesses with grid-tied solar can send their excess energy back to utilities and receive a credit on their account for their entire solar power production through California’s Net Excess Generation (NEG) program. The meter with the solar system will use what power that solar system produces and send all excess power produced back into the power grid. At the end of each billing month, excess power is allocated to each eligible meter. By the end of 12 billing months from interconnection, all charges and credits are written in an annual “True-Up” statement. For agricultural and large commercial meters, charges and credits are reconciled monthly.

Net Energy Metering (NEM) applies to residential and commercial systems tied to one meter. Those with NEM are eligible for a small paid credit at the end of the 12-month billing cycle. Larger systems with multiple meters qualify as NEMA once verified through interconnection. Those with NEMA can use that excess generated power if needed, however, end-users forfeit excess energy if unused by the end of the year. Think of this as similar to having no “roll-over minutes.” NEMA benefits end-users and Investor Owned Utilities (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E) by improving efficiencies through consolidating rate plans and making power distribution as efficient as possible.

Eligibility

Customers are eligible for NEM and NEMA if all metered accounts are:

  • Owned
  • Leased or
  • Rented by the same PG&E customer on record
  • Producing at a rate not bigger than what would be consumed by all of the accounts over the course of the year
  • Located on the same property as the renewable generator or on adjacent properties.

In order to apply, ask your solar installer to submit the “NEM Load Aggregation Appendix” as part of your interconnection agreement at pge.com/nemaappendix