Net Metering being replaced by Net Billing

[Anarita John]

I've read in various online newspapers that the net metering system in Cyprus will be replaced by net billing, which we have in the UK. It looks as if there will be grants for battery storage but not for pv panels. However, this system will not affect existing customers on Net Metering.

https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/insider ... stem-2025/

With a battery, (in the UK we have a Tesla battery, capacity 13kwh even at 3 years old) during the summer in Cyprus we would be totally self sufficient for electricity, with 0 Kwh drawn from the grid. Our pool pump is solar powered with a Lorenz pump. Over the last fortnight, with visitors, and liberal use of air con units and cooking using the oven each day, we used 483 Kwh and produced, from our 5kw pv system, 540Kwh. With our swimming pool heater powered by mains not solar, I estimate we would be totally self sufficient from March to the middle of October. Without the swimming pool heater this would extend to 10 months of the year.

[sunspot]

Are we correct in thinking the Tesla battery you mentioned costs between USD 13,000 and 15,000? Or is it something else?

[Anarita John]

Ours was around 8000 GBP and, at the time , not much dearer than a smaller solar edge battery. However, in retrospect, probably a cheaper, myenergi battery would have been more economical.
One reason we went for the Tesla battery was its dimensions, it fitted on the path at the side of our house and the fact it heated in cold weather (0c) to make it efficient. Also it had a larger capacity and, if there was a power cut, would supply power to the house. Christos, from Greenair, has been researching batteries.

[sunspot]

Thanks. Complex area, and no 2 requirements will be exactly the same. Whatever EAC finally allow us to do, we think battery costs will need to drop significantly to make installation worth while. We have around 12 years to go on our 15-year net metering contract with EAC which (we assume) they will honour. Hoping battery technology will improve and costs fall during that time, giving us all more options.

[Anarita John]

In the UK, our Tesla battery along with our smart meter, allows us to export electricity to the grid at peak times. During the summer, from the end of April onwards, our battery charges mainly from solar, and then exports around 12kwh to the grid between 4pm and 7pm. We benefit as, with Octopus energy, we get 31p per Kwh. Also during the summer, we export around 10Kwh from our PV panels. In the winter, our battery charges up between 2am and 5am, at 13p per Kwh and we export between 4pm and 7pm at 31p perKwh. This means we are getting a good payback from our system during the winter and if energy prices increase, the payback will be even greater.
Octopus and the Tesla's artificial intelligence work together to set the amount of charge during off peak times, depending on the weather forecast.
If there had been Net Metering in the UK, I would not have bought a battery and, like in Cyprus, would have used the grid as my battery. Just hope EAC fulfill their promise of 15 years of Net Metering.

[mark4007]

no one is suggesting that existing net metering arrangements will be cancelled

[mark4007]

Price currently paid under the existing net billing scheme is 11 cents per Kwh exported

[mark4007]

As currently outlined it will be economic madness to want to install a domestic net billing system post 1 August and as such domestic installers may start to cease to exist by autumn.

[jeba]

Price currently paid under the existing net billing scheme is 11 cents per Kwh exported

Is that in Cyprus or the UK? Is there even a net billing scheme for residential customers?

[mark4007]

Cyprus.

see

https://dracoudisenergy.com/solutions/net-billing/

for example

[Anarita John]

When our net metering contract runs out, hopefully never, and is not altered under the current changes, batteries will be the way to go. During the period from December to January we produced, on average 15Kw per day, enough to supply our house with electric heating and all other electric consumption. We were away from late January to Mid March, 49 days in total and left the 5 aircon units set at 18c and lighting on timers. We produced 1212 Kwh and used in total, 460Kwh. With a battery, we would have been self sufficient.

Under a net billing system, installers will have to make sure that the maximum amount of solar energy is diverted for consumption and not exported to the grid. At present, if we put on an appliance that uses 3Kw, with 3 phase electric, only 1 kw comes from our pv panels and 2kw from the grid.

[mark4007]

you appear to be suggesting that imports and exports are calculated on a line by line basis.

i thought the 3 phase meters in Cyprus used vector suming to calculate a net import or export over all 3 phases rather than measuring each line individually..

[MAE68]

I’ve assumed that the current net metering is a far better option than net billing?
I’ve done a little bit of research and read your responses and that’s the conclusion I’ve reached. Hence a hurried application going in with it gets approved under current system. We don’t stay year round - but many family use our place too so probably through most of April to October place is occupied - and we come back and forth on cheap flights in winter months. Am I right do you think.

[jeba]

I think you are. The biggest risk that comes with net billing is that you have no guarantee that you'll get paid as much for exported units as you pay for those you'll be importing.

[mark4007]

I’ve assumed that the current net metering is a far better option than net billing?
I’ve done a little bit of research and read your responses and that’s the conclusion I’ve reached. Hence a hurried application going in with it gets approved under current system. We don’t stay year round - but many family use our place too so probably through most of April to October place is occupied - and we come back and forth on cheap flights in winter months. Am I right do you think.

good luck..

there appears to be little downside in making application..

hopefully we will get full details of new net billing (and battery) before you have to commit.

[johnandjen1]

I have 3 phase electricity and would be interested to know which, or indeed both in certain circumstances, of these statements from previous posts are correct.TiA

“if we put on an appliance that uses 3Kw, with 3 phase electric, only 1 kw comes from our pv panels and 2kw from the grid.”
or
“ … the 3 phase meters in Cyprus used vector suming to calculate a net import or export over all 3 phases rather than measuring each line individually..

[Anarita John]

When we first got our pv panels, I noticed that I was importing electric from the grid, even though I was producing 5Kw. I did an experiment in the winter when I was producing around 3.5kw in an hour. I put an aircon unit on heat, which would be using around 2.5kw but I still imported from the grid. I was producing enough to power the aircon unit and other appliances but still drew from the grid.

When I have time I will repeat this experiment. However, I've got figures to show that with the pool heater running for just over 7 hours in February, I produced 23.44 Kwh from solar, used 21.4 Kwh from grid and exported 13.1 Kwh.

Some systems in the UK export to the grid even when solar is being produced, and to get round this people fit an Eddi to divert their electric to heat their hot water. Under net metering this would not be worthwhile as you are only being charged around 5cents per Kwh(incl addons)

By the way, we have just had a car charger fitted by Greenair which draws electric from all three phases, and, will draw electric soley from our solar panels, so if we are producing 5Kwh all 5Kw will go to the car charger. Yesterday I ran one large aircon unit on full power and didn't draw any electric from the grid.

[mark4007]

So inspired by this conversation I did a similar experiment today.

And as with Anarita John - I am exporting energy and importing energy at the same time presumably on different lines (so line 1 may be net importing and line 2 and 3 are net exporting at the same time)

The meter I have does not do vector summing over all 3 wires.

So I can be producing 5Kw and only using 4 Kw and yet this may show as a net import of 2 units and an export of 3 units.

The meter readings appear to confirm that in my case my 3 phase inverter generates electricity over all 3 wires whilst certain appliances use only one line. So now I may have to figure out which appliances use which lines .....

This also perhaps accounts for my model consistently over estimating the projected amount of energy we will self-consume in any one time period.