If your commercial, industrial, or agricultural operation spans multiple utility meters, you may be leaving money on the table by not taking advantage of meter aggregation. This powerful tool – available through California utilities like PG&E and SCE – allows you to apply solar energy credits across multiple meters on your property, even if they’re not physically connected to your solar system.
Here’s what you need to know about how it works, why it matters, and how Coldwell Energy can help you make the most of it.
What is Meter Aggregation?
Meter aggregation is a billing arrangement that allows customers to offset electricity usage across multiple meters using a single solar energy system. Under California’s Net Energy Metering Aggregation (NEMA) program, eligible customers can install solar on one part of their property and apply the credits to other meters as long as all meters are on contiguous parcels and under the same ownership.
This is especially beneficial for:
- Farms and ranches with multiple irrigation pumps and buildings
- Wineries with separate meters for production, tasting rooms, and residences
- Commercial operations with distributed facilities
How are Solar Credits Allocated?
When your solar system generates electricity, the utility applies credits to your primary meter first. Any excess credits are then distributed to your aggregated meters based on a pre-approved allocation schedule.
You can choose how to allocate credits: equally across meters, weighted by usage, or prioritized to certain meters. This flexibility allows you to maximize the value of your solar production.
Why does Value Vary Across Meters?
Not all meters are created equal. The value of solar credits depends on:
- Rate schedules: Some meters may be on higher-cost agricultural or commercial rates.
- Time-of-use periods: Credits are more valuable when offsetting peak-period usage.
- Load profiles: Meters with consistent daytime usage benefit more from solar generation.
Why Work with Coldwell Energy?
Meter aggregation can be complex, but Coldwell Energy’s energy experts make it simple. Coldwell Energy helps you analyze your usage patterns and rate structures to design an allocation strategy that delivers the greatest financial return.
Here’s how we help:
- Expert analysis of your utility bills, rate schedules, and load profiles
- Custom solar system design to match your energy needs and site layout
- Strategic credit allocation to maximize savings across all meters
- Turnkey project management, from permitting and interconnection to operation
- Ongoing support to monitor performance and adjust allocations if needed
We’ve helped hundreds of California commercial, industrial, and agricultural businesses across every major utility territory unlock the full value of their solar investment through meter aggregation totaling over $620M in economic impact to customers.
Ready to Learn More?
If you have multiple meters and are considering solar, now is the time to explore meter aggregation. Contact Coldwell Energy today to schedule a free consultation and see how much you could save at www.coldwellenergy.com/contact.