How does Dominion Energy Virginia net metering work?

Dominion Energy customers who have solar panels have the opportunity to enroll in a net metering program. Customers agree to connect their renewable energy system to the power grid so that they always have a steady supply of energy, even when their system is not producing energy. Dominion Energy will install a meter measuring two-way flow of electricity, so when your system is producing excess energy, that extra electricity will flow back to the grid and you may be credited or paid for the excess that your system produced. When your system is not producing enough energy, electricity will flow from the grid to your system. You are only charged for the “net” power consumed over a designated time period. Click here to learn more about Dominion Energy's net metering policy.

Where does Dominion Energy offer net metering?

Dominion Energy offers net metering in Virginia and North Carolina. While they offer solar power in other states, these are the only two states that allow you to send power back to the grid from your own solar system.

What are Dominion’s rates and prices for net metering?

The value of Dominion Energy net metering credits are equivalent to the rates and prices that Dominion Energy customers pay for their electricity.

A special billing meter is installed on the customer’s system in order to measure the two-way flow of electricity. You receive a monthly bill similar to your normal electric bill, but it will be a lower cost and it might even be nothing if you produced more energy than you used. Energy sold to the grid is credited back to the customer in their monthly bill.

What is Dominion Energy's net metering cap?

Virginia has defined system and aggregate capacity limits for net metering. Residential properties have a net metering cap of 20 kW, and non-residential properties have a cap of 100 kW. The aggregate capacity limit is “1% of utility’s adjusted Virginia peak-load forecast for the previous year.”

Is Dominion Energy net metering the best in Virginia?

Dominion Energy is the largest utility provider in the state of Virginia, and Appalachian Power is the second largest. Together, these two companies service most residential users in the state of Virginia. Dominion Energy is much farther along in developing is solar framework, as it already owns a number of solar facilities to generate power. Appalachian is just starting to acquire solar facilities, but does offer a net-metering program to its customers.

The application process is relatively similar and can be accessed here. General information about Appalachian’s residential solar program can be found here.

What will happen to my Dominion Energy net metering bill credits?

If you generate more power than you use, your power will be sold back to the grid at retail price. If you have unused credits at the end of the net metering period (12 months), you can carry them over into the next net metering period. This money will be credited to your Dominion Energy account that you can use on future bills. The cost per kilowatt of this energy fluctuates and varies with usage and time.

Does Dominion Energy offer other solar incentives?

Dominion Energy used to offer a Solar Purchase Program. In order to be eligible for this particular program, the customer must have had two meters installed, and all electricity generated by the solar system was sold back to Dominion Energy for 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. Net metering, on the other hand, is mostly used to offset electrical usage on the property. Although the customer could receive credit for generating excess energy, net metering is predominantly not for profit.

Dominion Energy solar interconnection policies and costs

To learn about interconnection policies in Dominion territory, check out this form explaining the different procedures based on system type/size.

Dominion Energy offers installation of interconnection equipment in order to connect your solar system to the grid. The cost of interconnecting varies depending on how much time the installation will take and the amount of work necessary in order to complete the interconnection.