Our voluntary Blue Skysm Understanding renewable energy option small electric Overview When customers choose to operate a Whether you’re ready to take steps Pacific Power recognizes that customers may generating system, their electricity is toward net metering or not, Pacific Power generators and be interested in purchasing and operating small monitored by a system known as net metering, has an easy way for you to reduce your generating systems to provide electricity to which measures the difference between the environmental footprint and help grow a net metering their home or business. However, there are electricity the customer consumes from the sustainable energy future. Our voluntary formal rules and schedules for interconnections utility and the electricity the customer Blue Sky renewable energy program gives between small customer-owned generators generates to the utility using their own you the option to support renewable energy and electric utility providers. Under these rules solar, wind or other acceptable renewable in addition to the renewable energy included and schedules, or “tariffs,” customers generate generating equipment. in our diverse mix of resources used to all or part of their electricity using renewable generate electricity for all our customers. resources. Customers are charged for the amount of energy they purchase from the The following material provides detailed For as little as $1.95 more each month you utility company minus the cost of the energy information on small electrical generators can buy one 100-kwh block of Blue Sky. they provide to the utility company. The tariffs and net metering. Supporting renewable energy through the specify that the customer is responsible for all Blue Sky program is easy – all you have to costs associated with any modifications that do is sign up. may be required to connect the generating For more information about Blue Sky, facility to the larger utility system. please call us at 1-800-769-3717, email us at [email protected] or visit pacificpower.net/bluesky.

Let’s turn the answers on. Let’s turn the answers on.

© 2016 Pacific Power Photo- Fuel Small voltaic cell wind Wind What is net metering? Commercial Well Limited Well Wind turns a propeller connected to a Net metering measures the difference between availability established established generator. A direct current wind generator the electricity you consume from your utility will provide its energy to direct current Size 0.30 kw – 1 kw – 600 watts – and the electricity you generate and send to 2 MW 200 kw 40 kw loads. Alternating current for refrigerators, computers, TV, etc., would have to be provided the utility using your own solar, wind or other Installed $3,500 – $8,000 $3,000 – by an inverter. If the wind turbine-generator acceptable renewable generating equipment. A costs per kw $5,500 $7,500 produces 60-cycle alternating current, the special net meter is installed that keeps track O&M costs Varies 0.13 – 1.5 Varies generator could serve AC loads directly. of this difference as you generate electricity (cents/kwh) and take electricity from the electrical transmission grid. When you generate more Fuel type Solar Hydrogen, Wind Fuel cell biogas and than you use, electricity flows to the utility. methane Fuel cells are similar to batteries in that they produce electricity using an electro- Normally, your electric meter spins forward as chemical reaction. Unlike a battery, which it measures how many kilowatt-hours (kwh) of This table compares size, cost and other aspects of various electric generators. must be recharged, a fuel cell produces electricity you buy, and is read by your utility electricity continuously when supplied by once a month. The net meter allows you to fuel. These units are available commercially use the electricity you generate first, reducing Solar photovoltaic panels in 250-kw sizes. Smaller residential units what you would normally buy from your utility. Solar photovoltaic panels (PV) generate direct also are being produced and field-tested If you generate more electricity than you use, Generator technology current electricity. These solar cells consist at this time. the excess goes through your electric meter Small generating systems include solar of positive and negative layers on a silicon and into the grid. Your meter shows the net wafer. Sunlight striking the panels is absorbed, photovoltaic panels, wind turbines and amount, measured as the difference between freeing electrons in the silicon crystal. Electrons other renewable generators. Many small the electricity you generate to the utility and activated by the sunlight move through the generating systems are easily available and Generation system components the electricity you purchase from your utility. crystal and out to the load or battery. With environmentally sound. this type of electric generation, typically 12 to Please note, net metering rules, credits and rates When considering the purchase of energy 18 percent of the energy striking the panels is are subject to the oversight and changes made generation equipment, ask the dealer converted to electricity. Research advancements by the applicable state public utility commission. which agencies have tested, qualified, or continue to increase this efficiency. otherwise approved a unit. Underwriters What are the benefits? Laboratories (UL) organizations and the Net metering is a simple way to get a present InterconnectionRocky Mountain Power’s Interconnection process Process timeline Timeline Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and future benefit for the electricity you (IEEE) certify the safety and performance generate. For example, if you are a residential of renewable products. Every net-metered APPLICATION and customer, you may not be home during the generation project must meet specific safety APPROVAL day when your system generates electricity. and engineering standards to qualify for Net metering allows you to “store” this interconnection to the utility grid. excess electricity on the grid, reducing or INSTALLATION and offsetting the electricity you would otherwise INSPECTION May not be required under have to purchase. certain circumstances For more information on net metering, please call toll free 1-800-625-6078. You can find This illustration shows a small electricity generation system’s NET METER the net metering tariff for your state on our 10 INSTALLATION major components and its connections to Rocky Mountain Power’s system. website at pacificpower.net/netmetering.