Alliant Energy expects solar customers to track their energy usage more frequently to better estimate costs and savings, the company said last month.
The company's proposal, submitted to the state Public Utilities Commission, aims to reduce the frequency of metering of solar energy produced by solar panels at customers' homes from one month to one hour. Tyson Cook, director of Alliant Distributed Generation Services, said the increased metering will allow for more accurate billing and compensation.
As part of its existing metering program, Alliant collects monthly data on the use and production of energy from solar energy systems and uses that data to bill customers based on the amount of energy taken from the grid and the amount that is generated from the sun. Surya Cook said the monthly figures do not take into account changes in grid power and power consumption at any given time.
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Alliant said that in addition to increasing savings, a new structure called Energy Partnerships will encourage more homeowners and businesses to install solar panels, increasing the use of renewable energy.
"This change better reflects their energy usage and compensates customers for the energy they contribute to the grid," Tony Pallis, Alliant's director of communications, said in an email.
Pallis said Alliant plans to include solar users with grids of 20 kilowatts or less in the proposed framework.
"Customers will see a small increase in the money we're compensating for the extra power coming into the grid," Pallis said.
Under Cook's proposal, the average Alien Solar customer would install a 7.07 kilowatt solar system. The proposed system would reduce the effective cost of electricity by 13 cents per kilowatt-hour based on a model installation of 5,000 systems.
The monthly net metering system, first introduced in 1978, is a "rough approximation" of energy use and production, according to Cook.
"The problem is that on any day, at any time, the cost of electricity and the service we provide to customers can change," Cook said. "What we are proposing now is to move to a cleaner metering rate."
In situations where a customer produces more electricity than it consumes, Alliant offsets the costs through credits for that period. According to Cook, in the previous system, energy production and consumption were "averaged over a month."
"One of the good things about this proposal and the transition to advanced netting is that we can have a higher price than we've had in the past," Cook said. "With such a high tariff, we can get people to pay more for the electricity they export, especially during peak hours when electricity prices are high."
Peak hours occur in the morning and evening, according to the agency, taking into account the potential for increased solar production during these times.
Baraboo resident Harry Lutz's home, which has 36 solar panels on the roof, receives power from Alliant. He said the summer months provide the most solar energy, but winter is more difficult due to less sunlight and the need to protect the panels from snow and ice.
"In the summer, I would say I have almost no idea how much I'm using and how much I'm spending," Lutz said, noting that the peak summer months can produce six times more solar power than the winter months. .
Lutz said he is financing the installation of a 12+ kilowatt solar system on his home, which will cost about $56,000. He said solar panels would be a more suitable investment in southern states, where there is great potential for year-round power generation.
Existing Alliant customers can stay on monthly net metering plans through January 1, 2028, if offer is accepted. Starting January 1, 2024, new Alliant customers will begin operating under the New Power Partnership. Existing customers can upgrade to the new system before the start of 2028 if they wish.
Reporter John Gittings can be reached at 920-210-4695.
