Positive News on NET Metering. Now’s the Time to Go Solar!

Last month, after two full days of public testimony and heated debate between APS and the solar industry regarding requested changes to the existing solar Net Metering regulations,  The Arizona Corporate Commission (ACC) voted to make no changes to the current Net Metering regulations!

Instead, the ACC voted 3-2 in favor of applying a small monthly “solar surcharge” for customers who install solar on their homes after December 31st, 2013. The approved monthly fee is $.70/kW of solar installed on the home. While this amount will vary based upon the size of the system installed, on average, it will add approximately $5 per month to a solar customer’s energy bill.

If you have been considering solar for your home, now is the time!

What every APS customer needs to know about the net metering reform decision:

*Current residential solar customers are not affected. They are grandfathered under current net metering rules for 20 years, regardless if home ownership changes!

*Customers who submit a signed contract with a solar installer and an interconnection application to APS by December 31, 2013, will also be grandfathered. At Harmon Solar, we will handle this entire process for you.

*Beginning January 1, 2014, new residential solar customers will get full retail net metering credit for the solar they produce, but they will be subject to the new monthly surcharge.

*The monthly charge, based on the size of the solar system installed, is $.70 cents per kilowatt. For example, a 7kW system would incur a $4.90 monthly surcharge.

Note: If either of the APS proposals would have been approved by the ACC, the average solar customer’s bill would have increased by $50-$100 per month.

*The ACC decision also directed APS to provide quarterly reports on the pace of rooftop solar adoption to assist the Commission in considering future changes to this surcharge.

*The new policy will be in effect until the next APS rate case, which will be decided in 2016.

For our solar customers who are already benefiting from the power of the sun, congratulations on your grandfather status! If you have been considering installing solar on your home or business, there is still time to lease or purchase a system to avoid the solar surcharge that will take affect next year. Become one of the many Arizonans who have locked in their energy rates for the long-term and are saving money every month on their energy bill. Get a free quote from one of our solar consults.