At AEP Ohio, we believe in the promise of clean energy and are committed to helping lead the transition to a brighter future. We want you to be informed before making any decisions about whether solar panels are right for you and your family. Learn more below:  

  1.       Will I save money by switching to solar?

There are several variables that determine whether you might save, including weather conditions, your home’s energy efficiency, changes to electricity rates, and changes to compensation for electricity placed back on the grid.  Solar panels must be paid for, either upfront or through financing or leasing, so you need to ensure projected savings will outweigh the cost of the panel system over its lifetime. Before making a decision, customers should crunch the numbers with our solar calculator to understand what to expect.

2.       How does the process work?

Homeowners are sometimes told leasing a solar panel system is one way to avoid hefty initial costs. It’s important to understand when you lease a system, you use the power it produces, but a third party owns the equipment. Though leasing requires less upfront, there are other factors to consider. Visit AEPOhio.com/Solar for more information. 

  1.       What do I need to do before installing solar panels?

Before signing a contract to install solar panels, make sure you understand which responsibilities are yours and which are the installer’s. Check out this Solar Installation Checklist to help with your decision.

  1.   Does switching to solar mean I’m “going off the grid”?

Typically, solar panels are a supplement to electric service with AEP Ohio — most systems can’t function independently of the electric grid. Solar panel systems may not operate when there’s limited or no sunlight, during power outages or when there are safety issues. You must also remain “on the grid” if you want to be compensated for the excess energy your system may generate.

  1.       What is net metering?

Under Net Energy Metering Service, our bi-directional meter measures energy as it flows from the grid to the customer’s home (“delivered energy”) and from your home to the grid (“received energy”). At the end of each billing period, the received energy is subtracted from the delivered energy and the result (“net usage”) is what’s billed to the customer. Learn more at AEPOhio.com/Clean-Energy/Renewable.

More Questions? Call (614) 883-6775 (option 1) or email dgcoordinator-ohio@aep.com

19 responses to “Solar Energy: What You Need to Know

  1. I would like to speak to someone from AEP regarding the possibility of installing solar panels on my other house.

  2. At end of a month, if I end up with net 0 KWH usage from solar panel.

    What would I still need to pay anything to AEP for anything? how much would those things be?

  3. I don’t understand why there are not tax rebates or other financial incentives to make solar panels a realistic financial opportunity for homeowners.

  4. How can I check the status of my bi-directional meter? Can I verify the request for installation has been received?

  5. I have solar panels and net metering AEP Ohio in Columbus. If I produce more electricity in a month than I use that month, does that extra get carried over to the next billing period or is each month separate and done, with no further cost savings that can be carried over?

    1. Hi Robert. Under the Net Energy Metering Service (NEMS) tariff, if a customer’s billable usage is net-negative for a service period, they will receive a Generation Energy Supply monetary credit on their bill. This credit is calculated by taking the net-negative billable usage and multiplying it by the current Generation Energy rate. After the minimum bill amount is paid, any excess credit rolls over to the next month.

      1. So if I send 300 extra kWh, those will get credited at the Generation Energy rate, but will those 300 kWh also roll over into the next month to reduce my net usage that month?

        Thanks

        1. Hi Brad, thanks for the question. Customers receive only the monetary credit for excess kWh. You can refer to the Ohio Administrative Code regarding Net Metering for more details, but here’s an excerpt that may help clarify.

          For customer-generators on the electric utility’s standard net metering tariff, when the electric utility receives more electricity from the customer-generator than it supplied to the customer-generator over a monthly billing cycle, the excess electricity shall be converted to a monetary credit at the energy component of the electric utility’s standard service offer and shall continuously carry forward as a monetary credit on the customer-generator’s future bills. The electric utility shall not be required to pay the monetary credit, other than to credit it to future bills, and the monetary credit may be lost if a customer-generator does not use the credit or stops taking service from the electric utility.

  6. I have solar panels and I believe that the Generation Energy Supply Monetary Credit rate is around ,053/KWH. Does AEP sell these KWH’s to other customers at .07884/KWH?

    When the KWH rate increases in June, 2023 will the Generation Energy Supply Monetary Credit rate increase?

    1. Hello Sandra. We appreciate your patience as we found the answers to your questions. Customers receive the Generation Energy monetary credit on their bill when they have a net-negative billable usage, which is according to the Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4901:1-10-28. Customers receiving their generation from AEP Ohio pay the generation rate stated on their bill. Customers can check out the Bill Calculations spreadsheet on our website for an estimate of their bill amount.

      The Generation Energy monetary credit did increase in June.

  7. As someone who has had solar since 2017, your energy credits always have to overcome the $10 fix charge on your monthly bill, in addition to any electric distribution charges for you to get a bill of zero or below. An individual is better off using their generated solar (car charging, washing cloths/dishes etc.) than sending it to the grid because of the distribution charges. AEP does not give an off-hours usage rate on electric usage.

    It is good to hear that the generation charge did increase, but by how much? Was it 5% or 0.0001%?

    1. Hi AJ. The net metering credit is based on the Generation Energy Rider (GENE). Starting on June 1, 2023, the GENE went from $0.06041 to $0.10589 based on the blended auction results.

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