Introduction to net metering in Pakistan: How does it work
You might have heard about net metering in Pakistan as a way to beat those pesky utility bills that pile up, especially during summer, when power requirements are at their peak. Well, good news: net metering is actually a big relief from bills that would otherwise eat up into your savings. Here’s everything you need to know about net metering system in solar power, and how you can use a net metering solar system in Pakistan.
However, it is imperative for us to first understand what net-metering is all about; how does it actually work, what benefits does it entail, which solar energy system configurations actually offer net-metering, and how, with a complete solar energy system from RS Energy, you can enjoy double the savings from your solar energy system and really make those utility bills disappear.
Net Metering in Pakistan: An Overview
Let’s start with an analogy. Suppose you use the grid for any utility, like gas or water. You pay for it based on your usage, and how much you use is what you are debited for. For example, if you use 10 liters of water a day, you’ll be debited for 10 liters. What will happen when you don’t use the said 10 liters and instead of using, you route back the water through the main pipeline towards the water utility distributor? The logical answer is: you’ll be credited for pumping water back into the system, right? This is exactly what net metering is.
Net metering, therefore, at its core, is essentially you (the consumer) generating electricity that goes into the grid. Not returning power, generating power, that you might do through renewable energy sources like solar or wind power. It’s important to be aware of this distinction: solar panels produce energy that is fed back into the grid; this power is not returned to the grid (as it would imply the power was taken from the grid in the first place).
How Does Net Metering Work?
Now that you understand the basic principle behind net metering, let’s look at how it works. Solar panels generate power for home consumption, which may or may not all be utilized, depending on the weather conditions. Excess power produced by the solar panels, if the right equipment has been installed along with agreements from the local DISCO, will then be fed to the grid, thereby crediting you for the power that has been fed back into the grid.
Payment for net metering in solar energy system works in the debit and credit mode, which means that you won’t get cash for the energy that is being generated into the grid, rather you will be credited for the energy that has been sent into the grid. These can be utilized during conditions where the solar panels aren’t generating all that much energy (during cloudy, rainy weather) and the energy requirement is still what is the usual.
Why Is It Called Net Metering?
Net metering is called so because under the debit-credit system, you’re actually billed for the net units consumed, that is the total consumed minus the units that were generated and supplied back to the grid.
Net Metering in Pakistan with RS Energy
For Pakistan, energy generation is an unfortunate problem, wherein costly IPPs produce power that does not meet the net requirement of the country. Thus, the solar option is a very lucrative one in Pakistan, and the prospect of net metering is an increasingly looked-upon option that requires a good initial upfront cost but balances it with enormous savings on the electricity bill. With this option of net metering in Pakistan, you can further tilt the equation in your favor by feeding back generated electricity into the grid, and many DISCOs have agreements and set parameters for that.
Pakistan, being in the tropical zone, receives a healthy and above-average amount of sunlight, and is therefore, makes for a very prudent investment should you look into the solar option as a way to deal with the energy inflation crisis that is unfolding in Pakistan. With complete solar energy solutions from RS Energy geared for maximum efficiency, your net-metering-enabled solar energy solution will provide you with double the savings and much more when it comes to savings, and you will be able to get a much better ROI from your solar energy system as well, since the solar energy solution will be able to pay for itself.