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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Net metering standards for customer-owned electric generating systems are being considered for Nephi.
Randy McKnight, city administrator, reported to the council on the steps being taken to make such systems acceptable to the city.
"In the recent past, some Nephi City customers have asked about connecting residential-scale electric generation facilities to the city electrical system and receiving credit for any electricity generated in excess of that required by the residential structure," said McKnight. "This concept is known as net metering."
Although there has been interest among electric utility customers in the city, until now, the answer was always negative. That was caused by constraints placed upon the member cities by UMPA which, under contract, provided all electric power to the city.
However, UMPA recently agreed to alter the contractual obligation of member cities to allow net metering.
UMPA adopted a net-metering policy allowing member cities to provide a net-metering option to their retail customers who wish to install allowable types of renewable generation on the customer side of the meter and offset energy provided by UMPA to the member city.
"Each member city may adopt suitable policies tailored to the individual city to provide for retail customer net-metering," said McKnight. "The planning commission has worked on land use regulations for solar generation devices and the electric department has worked on an application process and standards for net metering installations."
He said the council could now review the draft standards and application process proposed by the electric department.
"Net metering installations will require conventional building permits and inspections as well as the net metering applications and inspections," he said.
Roof-mounted solar panels have been allowed in the city for many years, said McKnight. However, there has been no way to meter or give credit for such generation.
"As you can imagine, there can be several concerns with types of generation allowed at a residential site," he said.
Depending on the scale and type of the power generation system used, he said, there could be unwanted shadows cast in a neighboring yard, there could be noise, and some could be too tall and interfere with the look of the existing neighborhood.
Therefore, to date, the only work the electric department and the planning commission had done was on solar generation systems. And the bulk of the work and gone into considering how to make residential power generation compatible and harmonious with the city electric system.
Some sister cities, he said, had required an application and a fee for licensing the system. Those fees typically run, for a license, from $100 to $500. It is proposed that Nephi adopt the lower fee of $100.
"The type of electric meter we are using can also be used for net metering," said McKnight.
The city has the hardwire side of the power system and it will be up to the resident to make certain that their home meets the underwriters standard.
"Also, a diagram has to be submitted for the application to be considered," he said.
The document, "Net Metering Standards For Customer-Owned Electric Generating Systems," sets forth the requirements and conditions for interconnected non-utility-owned electric generation where such generation may be connected for parallel operation with the electrical system of Nephi City Power.
Generation systems will be permitted to interconnect to the city's electric distribution system at service-level voltage only after a determination by Nephi City Power that the interconnection will not interfere with the operation of the distribution circuit and ensures the safety of the city's power employees and customers.
"Who has the liability if their system malfunctions?" asked Robert Painter, council member.
The city electric department has the protocols in place to protect the city system, said McKnight.
One of those is that the power output control system will automatically disconnect from the city's power source upon loss of voltage and will not reconnect until the city's power voltage has been restored for at least five minutes continuously.
In addition, the power output control system will automatically initiate a disconnect for the city power source within six cycles if the customer's voltage falls below 60 Volts rms (root mean square) to ground on any phase and within two seconds if the voltage rises above 132 Volts rms phase to ground or falls below 104 Volts rms phase to ground on any phase and within three cycles for any reverse power flow.
Today's meters can analyze a waveform's shape and actually mathematically calculate the correct rms value.
"Are we talking only about residential generating systems?" asked Kent Park, council member.
At present that was true, said McKnight. In the future, there may be room for local businesses to participate in net metering as long as they meet the criteria for compliance.
The license for a particular generating device would remain in effect as long as the device or the owners of the device stay in compliance.
Scott McKay, local teacher, said that every school district would get a grant to help with power generation. In Juab School District that grant money would be used by the junior high.
"Mostly the power generation will be used as an educational tool," said McKay. "The power generated will be a pretty small percentage of the power needed at the school."
Utah law requires their only investor-owned utility, Rocky Mountain Power (RMP), and most electric cooperatives to offer net metering to customers who generate electricity using solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, hydrogen, biomass, landfill gas or geothermal energy.
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