Revisions on net metering pushed

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THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is seeking for public feedback on the draft resolution amending current rules that govern the country’s net-metering program.

Under the net-metering program, solar power facility owners with up to 100 kilowatts peak (kWp) capacity can export their excess electricity to the grid in exchange for electricity bill credits that can be in the form of rebates.

ERC said in a statement yesterday among key amendments being pushed is to allow the banking of net-metering credits to allow its transfer in cases of property ownership changes.

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The regulatory body said in such instances, the credits accrued to the original property owner shall be transferred to the new owner, provided they comply with existing rules and execute necessary documents which may include but not limited to a new net-metering agreement with concerned distribution utilities (DUs).

The ERC is also proposing to mandate DUs to prominently display on their websites an itemized breakdown of their generation charges, along with their hosting capacities that must be delineated on both a substation and per-feeder basis.

The ERC also wants to make the installation of Renewable Energy Certificate meters voluntary but to come up with a proposed formula to estimate the generation of a net-metering facility.

The regulatory body said such changes will enhance transparency, accountability and the ease of implementation of the program.

ERC will accept public comments until the end of its office hours on January 17 while public consultations are also scheduled to be held on January 24 for Luzon and by January 27 for Visayas and Mindanao.

Based on latest data from the ERC, as of end-November 2024, there are 14,983 qualified end-users for the net-metering program for projects with a total rated capacity of 134,583.55 kWp.

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