IMPORTANT
California Assembly Bill 920 allows PG&E and other state utilities to offer payment for surplus energy sent back to the electric grid by your home renewable energy systems. Our NSC program is based on this bill. Get answers to queries about NSC.
Your business's solar or renewable energy system is designed to supply your energy needs. PG&E automatically supplies additional energy to you, as needed. Surplus energy is returned to the energy grid when your system creates more energy than your business can use. We pay you fair market value for any balance of surplus energy that you have at the end of your 12-month billing cycle. |
Your PG&E SmartMeter™ monitors the energy supplied to your business every month. It also measures any energy that is returned to the electric grid. Over a 12-month billing cycle, if you've generated more electricity than you've used, you are paid the fair market value. |
Check your True-up statement. If a negative number displays in the amount of kilowatt-hours (kWh) in the Total Energy line, you have surplus energy. If a positive number displays, you used more electricity than your system generated. You might receive a bill if you used more electricity than you generated. Either way, because of your green energy commitment, your overall energy bills can be much lower.
Understanding credits and compensation
You are automatically enrolled as an existing Net Energy Metering (NEM) customer. If your business generates surplus energy over the total 12-month True-up cycle, a credit will be added to your True-up bill.
Yes, you can opt out of receiving your compensation payment by completing and sending the opt-out form. Download Request to Opt-Out Of/Opt-In To Compensation For Surplus Electricity (PDF, 159 KB) .
If you move into a building with a previously interconnected solar or renewable system, you are probably enrolled in the NEM and NSC programs. Additional steps may be required if your solar energy system is larger than 30 kW. Call our Solar Customer Service Center at 1-877-743-4112 for more information.
Understanding program eligibility and enrollment
View the following answers about program eligibility and enrollment. |
You are automatically enrolled as an existing Net Energy Metering (NEM) customer. If your business generates surplus energy over the total 12-month True-up cycle, a credit will be added to your True-up bill. |
The NSC rate is based on current market prices. Find this month's NSC rate. Download Net Surplus Compensation Rates for Energy (PDF, 139 KB).
If the amount you owe is less than zero on your True-Up statement, you have two compensation payment choices:
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Payments are processed at the end of your 12-month billing cycle, on your annual True-up statement. The statement lists any NSC earned. If you don't know when your billing cycle ends, check your monthly NEM statement.
California Assembly Bill 920 requires PG&E to pay your Net Surplus Compensation at a rate that is comparable to what we pay other energy producers for electricity generation in the wholesale market. In contrast, your monthly Net Energy Metering credit for exports in each month is calculated using a higher rate. This higher rate is based on the full retail cost of providing energy. It’s calculated using the underlying rate of your service.
Find this month's NSC rate. Download Net Surplus Compensation Rates for Energy (PDF, 139 KB).
Additional resources
Use the PG&E solar calculator
Get a quick estimate of the size and cost of system you need to power your business. |
Making a plan for going solar
Make going solar easier. |