Net Metering Fact Sheet

 

What is net metering?

  • Net metering measures the quantity of electricity you use against the quantity of electricity you generate resulting in a “net” total from which your bill is calculated.
  • Under our Net Metering Agreement, excess generation credits can be carried forward for up to 12 months to offset future electricity costs.
  • ?North Bay Hydro does not pay you for any excess generation.

What’s the process to connect to North Bay Hydro’s Distribution System?

Approvals

  • North Bay Hydro recommends that all generator equipment be certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). If it isn’t, equipment must be site certified by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA).
  • Installation of all generation facilities must be approved by the ESA and proof of Connection Authorization provided to North Bay Hydro prior to connection.
  • To comply with Section 84 of the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, you are required to have an isolation switch (visible, accessible and lockable) located between the meter and your equipment.

Agreements

  • Our Net Metering Connection Agreement must be signed and complied with.
  • You must complete our Application Form.
  • Customers, who are enrolled with a retailer and are billed by North Bay Hydro, are eligible provided the retailer confirms to North Bay Hydro that it and the customer have an agreement allowing the customer to return eligible electricity to the retailer for billing on a net metering basis.

Technical

  • Generator Protective Relay settings must be set as per the tables in the agreement.
  • Your generation facility must comply with the requirements in the “Technical Requirements for Generators Connecting to North Bay Hydro’s Distribution System” document, which is available from North Bay Hydro.

For generators above 50 kW:

  • North Bay Hydro will perform a Connection Impact Assessment at your expense.

Metering Requirements

  • In order to bill you on a net metering basis and comply with the requirements of Measurement Canada, meter replacement may be required.

For generators less than or equal to 10 kW:

  • North Bay Hydro will install a dual register meter at no charge to you. This meter will register separately, the amount of electricity consumed from and the amount of generation supplied to the North Bay Hydro system.
  • If you are a demand-billed customer, North Bay Hydro will install a two-channel interval meter at your expense. Your meter will continue to be read on a monthly basis.
  • There will be no change in how we read your meter or the frequency. Credit for electricity generated between meter reads will be incorporated into your actual meter-read bill – not your estimated bills. To avoid estimated bills, your meter must be accessible to North Bay at all times.

For generators above 10 kW:

  • If your generator is above 10 kW and less than or equal to 50kW, North Bay Hydro will install a twochannel (bi-directional) interval meter (kW in/kW out) at your expense. If your generator is above 50 kW and less than or equal to 500 kW, North Bay Hydro will install a four-quadrant interval meter at your expense. These meters will be read remotely on a monthly basis and you must meet the following requirements:
    • Provide a telephone connection up to the meter installation Network Interface Device (NID).
    • Your telephone connection can be a dedicated line or via a telephone line switching device.
    • If you use a switching device, you may be asked to submit technical specifications to ensure it meets North Bay Hydro’s requirements.

Connection Costs

  • You will be responsible for the costs of any modifications to North Bay Hydro’s distribution system, including transformer changes needed to connect your generation facility.

How will my bill be calculated?

We will continue to read your meter as we do now. The bill you see will reflect the difference between the value of the electricity you return to the grid and the value of electricity you consume from the grid. If your net consumption for a billing period is zero, or results in a credit, the delivery portion of your bill will not include kilowatt-hour based charges.

Are there any tax incentives?

Retail sales tax rebates are available on components, upgrades or expansions installed in residential premises if purchased by November 25, 2007. For more details, call the Ministry of Finance, Retail Sales Tax Branch at 1-800-263-7965.

Can I use my own power during an outage?

If you wish to run your generator during a North Bay Hydropower outage, your generator must have special transfer and isolating capabilities installed to ensure your generation facility cannot feed into the North Bay Hydro distribution system during this time.

For more information on net metering, call or visit:

  • Ministry of Energy 1-877-818-2900 or www.energy.gov.on.ca
  • Electrical Safety Authority 1-877-421-2228 or www.esainspection.net
  • Ontario Energy Board 1-877-632-2727 or www.oeb.gov.on.ca
  • Canadian Standards Association 1-800-463-6727 or www.csa.ca
  • Canadian Wind Energy Association www.canwea.ca
  • Canadian Solar Industries Association www.cansia.ca
  • Alternative Energies www.micropower-connect.org

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