OEB now mandates all Ontario electricity suppliers must allow their net metering customers to stay on the time-of-use rate, increasing the value of each kilowatt-hour. Written by Christopher Ogilvie, Xolar Inc.'s Founder on LinkedIN: “This is fantastic news for solar owners in Ontario. Historically, solar net metering customers would be automatically moved onto a flat tiered [...]

OEB Bulletin: Billing Choice for Ontario Solar Owners

OEB now mandates all Ontario electricity suppliers must allow their net metering customers to stay on the time-of-use rate, increasing the value of each kilowatt-hour.

Written by Christopher Ogilvie, Xolar Inc.’s Founder on LinkedIN:

“This is fantastic news for solar owners in Ontario.

Historically, solar net metering customers would be automatically moved onto a flat tiered rate after installing solar. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has now mandated that all Ontario electricity suppliers allow their net metering customers to choose between the tiered rate, or to stay on the time-of-use rate.

Most solar power will be generated and exported to the grid during peak daytime rates, allowing customers to benefit from arbitrage by selling power when rates are high, and then using power at night while rates are low. This will improve the ROI of solar on average for most people.

In addition, this drastically improves the value proposition of adding batteries to your solar system, as it allows you to choose when you import or export power.

For example, you could conceivably save money with a battery system that doesn’t even include solar panels, simply because your battery can charge off the grid at night when prices are low, and then use that to power during the day to avoid importing energy while rates are high.

One of our first customers to be offered this choice gets their power from London Hydro, so this plan is now starting to roll out!”

For further clarification please read the full OEB news bulletin.

For more information on Ontario’s solar net metering program, click here.