When it comes to going solar, Brunswick Electric Membership Cooperative (BEMC) is one of the few remaining utilities in our area that offer net metering. And, in this case, it’s their only interconnection policy.
What is Net Metering?
‘Net metering’ refers to an interconnection policy where the utility company charges you a flat rate for energy and credits you at an equivalent rate for the power you push back to the grid. At night or on cloudy days, when your panels aren’t producing as effectively, you can pull power from the grid by exchanging your accumulated credits.
Whether you have solar or not, BEMC’s energy cost remains the same, but the facility charge changes slightly.
|
|
Without Solar |
With Solar |
|
Facility Charge ($/month) |
$29.75 |
$34.75 |
|
Energy Charge ($/month) |
$0.1022 |
$0.1022 |
Though solar customers have a slightly higher facility charge, they are able to compensate for it by exporting additional power to the grid.
BEMC’s Time-of-Use Policy
Throughout your research, you’ve probably also heard of ‘time-of-use’ interconnection policies. This is where the price of energy is dependent on the time of day, with peak hours fetching a premium price.
BEMC does have a time-of-use policy, but it is for non-solar customers only. BEMC breaks down their peak hours and the correlating prices as follows:
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On-Peak Summer: weekdays during 2pm-6pm, April 16-October 15, excluding holidays
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On-Peak Winter: weekdays during 6am-9am, October 16-April 15, excluding holidays
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Super Off-Peak: every day from 10pm-5am
|
Residential Time-of-Use |
|
|
Facility Charge ($/month) |
$34.75 |
|
On-Peak Charge ($/kWh) |
$0.38590 |
|
Off-Peak Charge ($/kWh) |
$0.06690 |
|
Super Off-Peak Charge ($/kWh) |
$0.04370 |
Does Going Solar Make Sense on BEMC?
Homeowners with the following criteria typically find it makes the most financial sense to go solar on BEMC:
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You have a high power bill
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Your home receives quite a bit of sunlight throughout the day
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You won’t be replacing your roof in at least 5 years
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You won’t be selling your home in at least 5 years
Should I Integrate a Battery with Solar on BEMC?
Whether or not a battery makes sense is entirely dependent on your lifestyle. Since BEMC’s solar customers have a net metering policy, adding a battery may not make as much sense financially as it would for someone on another utility’s time-of-use policy, where they have to be careful of when and how they draw from the grid. In their case, a battery is almost a no-brainer, as they can use it during peak hours to avoid paying premium prices.
For BEMC customers, however, a battery is more of an “insurance” benefit, rather than a financial one. With no risk of paying for “peak” hours, BEMC homeowners should consider a battery if any of the following apply:
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Your neighborhood experiences frequent or lengthy power outages
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You don’t want to hassle with the maintenance or fuel storage of a generator
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Someone in your home requires 24/7 access to power for medical equipment, medicine storage, or other lifesaving measures
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You don’t want a generator’s carbon monoxide exhaust around your home or family
Our customers on BEMC range everywhere from only having solar panels, to having solar and a battery, to having solar panels, a battery, AND a generator. It is very varied and entirely dependent on you.
One of the cool features with a home battery is the amount of customization that exists. With a battery-integrated solar solution, you can automate:
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When to pull power from the battery and when to pull it from the grid (if you even want to)
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When to export to the grid if your battery is full and you’re still producing
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What to back-up in the case of a grid outage (per breaker and sometimes even per outlet)
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When to prepare for an upcoming storm and conserve your reserves
To learn more about battery storage, please visit our battery page or give us a call at (910) 409-5533. We’re happy to answer any questions!
