Net Metering (New Hampshire)

Last modified on February 12, 2015.

Rules Regulations Policies Program

Place	New Hampshire
Name	Net Metering
Incentive Type	Net Metering
Applicable Sector	Agricultural, Commercial, Fed. Government, Industrial, Institutional, Local Government, Nonprofit, Residential, Schools, State Government
Eligible Technologies	Anaerobic Digestion, Biodiesel, Biomass, CHP/Cogeneration, Fuel Cells, Fuel Cells using Renewable Fuels, Geothermal Electric, Hydroelectric, Hydrogen, Landfill Gas, Other Distributed Generation Technologies, Photovoltaics, Renewable Fuels, Small Hydroelectric, Small Wind, Solar Thermal Electric, Tidal Energy, Wave Energy, Wind
Active Incentive	Yes
Implementing Sector	State/Territory
Energy Category	Renewable Energy Incentive Programs
Aggregate Capacity Limit	50 MW
Applicable Utilities	All utilities
Meter Aggregation	Virtual net metering allowed.
Net Excess Generation	Credited to customer's next bill as a kWh credit and carried forward indefinitely. Customer may elect to receive payment (at the utility's avoided-cost rate) for any excess credit remaining at the end of an annual period.
REC Ownership	Customer-generator owns RECs. However, RECs associated with the net excess generation purchased by the utility at the end of an annual billing period may be claimed by the utility.
System Capacity Limit	1 MW
Website	http://nh.gov/oep/programs/energy/RenewableEnergyIncentives.htm
Date added to DSIRE	2000-01-01
Last DSIRE Review	2013-08-19
Last Substantive Modification to Summary by DSIRE	2013-08-19
References	Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

Summary

New Hampshire requires all utilities selling electricity in the state to offer net metering to customers who own or operate systems up to one megawatt (1 MW) in capacity that generate electricity using solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, tidal, wave, biomass, landfill gas, bio-oil or biodiesel. CHP systems that use natural gas, wood pellets, hydrogen, propane or heating oil are also eligible.*

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) rules for net metering distinguish between small customer-generators (up to 100 kilowatts) and large customer-generators (greater than 100 kW and up to 1 MW). The rules vary slightly for each customer type.

The aggregate statewide capacity limit of all net-metered systems is 50 MW. Each utility’s individual aggregate capacity limit is calculated by multiplying the statewide aggregate cap (50 MW) by the individual utility’s share of the “total 2010 annual coincident peak energy demand.” CHP systems may account for a maximum of 4 MW of the state’s aggregate net-metering limit.

Net excess generation (NEG) is either carried forward indefinitely to the customer’s next bill as a kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit. Customers with NEG at the end of an annual period may elect to receive payment for NEG at the utility’s avoided-cost rate. Customers retain ownership of renewable energy credits (RECs) associated with generation. However, RECs associated with the net excess generation purchased by the utility at the end of an annual billing period may be claimed by the utility.

For systems up to 100 kW, a single meter that measures both the inflow and outflow of electricity internally is used. A bi-directional meter is used for larger systems. Utilities may install additional meters at their own expense.

Each utility’s net-metering tariff must be identical, with respect to rates, rate structure and charges, to the tariff that under which the customer would otherwise take default service from the utility. The PUC is authorized to develop a methodology for net metering under a time-of-use tariff.

Virtual Net Metering
SB 98 (2013) allows a customer generator to become a group host for a group of customers who are not customer generators. The kWh credits generated by a host system will be shared between the members of the group. The group of customers must be default service customers of the same electric distribution utility as the host. The host must also provide a list of the group members to the PUC and the electric distribution utility, and must certify that all members of the group have executed an agreement with the host. Any costs necessary to upgrade a utility’s information systems in order to accommodate the billing arrangement associated with virtual net metering must be paid by the group host. The PUC will be establishing the process for registering hosts, including periodic re-registration, and the process by which changes in membership are allowed and administered. Contact the PUC for more information about virtual net metering.

* CHP systems up to 30 kW must have a system efficiency of at least 80% to be eligible. CHP systems greater than 30 kW and up to 1 MW must have a fuel system efficiency of at least 65%.

Incentive Contact

Contact Name	Tom Frantz
Department	New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
Address	21 South Fruit Street
Address 2	Suite 10
Place	Concord, New Hampshire
Zip/Postal Code	03301
Phone	(603) 271-2431
Fax	(603) 271-3878
Email	tom.frantz@puc.nh.gov
Website	http://www.puc.nh.gov

Authorities (Please contact the if there are any file problems.)

Authority 1:	New Hampshire Statutes § 362-A:1-a
Date Enacted	1983 (subsequently amended)

Authority 2:	New Hampshire Statutes § 362-A:9
Date Effective	2001
Date Enacted	8/25/1998 (subsequently amended)

Authority 3:	N.H. Admin. Rules, Puc 900
Date Enacted	1/12/2001 (subsequently amended)

Authority 4:	SB 98
Date Effective	2013-07-24
Date Enacted	2013-07-24

• Incentive and policy data are reviewed and approved by the N.C. Solar Center's DSIRE project staff.