It’s not a secret handshake, but being eligible for net energy metering can feel like one of those business benefits you wish someone had told you about sooner, especially if your business has extra roof space.
Yes, net metering can be used for corporate solar installations. It’s becoming more prevalent in most U.S. states and certain parts of Canada. You can turn sunshine into bill credits if your building has a lot of glass facing the sun, just like people who own solar panels at home. Here’s the catch: businesses normally have to deal with a lot more. Instead of a 6-kilowatt system for your home, think of a 500-kilowatt roof over a factory or a big warehouse. Those panels can send out a lot of electricity.
The restrictions are set by state and utility rules. For instance, Massachusetts has allowed commercial net metering for a time. This helps enterprises make up for their high energy consumption by making their own power on site. Some states only let systems with a capacity of 2 megawatts or less, but sometimes you can get more if you can prove that you need it. Farms, schools, churches, supermarkets, and huge distribution centers all have different rules, limits, and forms of net metering. If you have a lot of meters on a big property, check to see if your state lets you consolidate accounts or move credits between buildings.
The company statement gets bill credits in the same manner that they do at home: when solar panels provide more energy than they consume, the additional energy goes back to the grid, which makes the meter spin backward during those productive hours. The company then gets kWh credits at retail (or sometimes wholesale) prices. Be ready to complete extra calculations if rates change during the day. Utility corporations love their small print. Companies may also need to know about demand charges because many bills include extra line items that credits don’t influence.
Net metering can help your business save money, make more money, and provide your PR team a nice story about how your company’s carbon impact is getting less. The best companies are the ones that work during the day and use most of the energy their panels create, selling the remainder back to the grid.
Businesses can save money and show that they care about the environment by using commercial net energy metering. The numbers may look like a bowl of alphabet soup, but people who know how to ask the right questions and do the math might literally make their balance sheet sparkle.


