Make more than you need
At some sunny moments, solar production exceeds what your home and battery are using.
Net Metering
Give extra solar energy
a useful place to go.
Net metering tracks electricity you take from the grid and electricity you send back. Eligible exports can help offset energy you use at another time.
Send the surplus to the grid
Your approved bidirectional meter records the electricity exported from your property.
Apply your credits
Your utility calculates net energy for the billing period and carries eligible excess forward under your selected rules.
A simple energy example
Imports minus exports.
See the difference.
This example uses grid-meter readings. Solar used directly in your home never passes through the utility meter.
This illustrates kWh accounting only. It does not calculate a bill or include previous credits, time-of-use periods or fixed charges.
200 kWh net import
Your imports exceed exports by 200 kWh, before applying any prior credits.
Worked examples at $0.22/kWh
What net metering looks like
in dollars.
These examples use an illustrative electricity rate of $0.22 per kWh. Your actual rate, fixed charges and credit rules depend on your utility and rate plan.
1. One sunny day
| Daytime solar sent to the grid | 18 kWh · credit worth $3.96 |
|---|---|
| Evening electricity from the grid | 15 kWh · would cost $3.30 |
| Net for the day | 3 kWh credit left · worth $0.66 |
Without solar, the home’s 27 kWh for the day would cost $5.94. With net metering, daytime surplus covers the evening use and a small credit is banked.
2. One monthly bill
| Drawn from the grid | 900 kWh · $198.00 |
|---|---|
| Sent back to the grid | 650 kWh · −$143.00 |
| Net billed usage | 250 kWh · $55.00 |
You pay about $55 instead of $198, a savings of $143 for the month. Fixed monthly service charges still apply.
3. Credits across seasons
| June: sent 1,100 kWh, used 700 kWh | 400 kWh credit carried forward · worth $88 |
|---|---|
| December: sent 300 kWh, used 800 kWh | 500 kWh short · $110 without credits |
| December after applying June credits | 100 kWh billed · $22 |
Summer surplus covers most of the winter shortfall, which is why systems are sized to your yearly usage.
4. Extra credit at year end
| Unused credit after 12 months | 500 kWh |
|---|---|
| Credited at the full retail rate | 500 × $0.22 = $110 |
| Paid at a lower export rate | 500 × $0.12 = $60 |
| If credits expire at true-up | $0 |
That gap is why we size systems to match annual usage rather than exceed it. In Maryland, excess under annual settlement is paid at the generation or commodity rate, not the full retail rate.
Illustrative figures only. Rates, export credit values and settlement rules vary by utility, supplier and state.
Know your credit options
Carry forward or true up.
Know the difference.
Annual settlement
Maryland’s annual option accrues excess for up to 12 months, ending before the end of April. Remaining excess is paid using the applicable generation or commodity rate—not the full retail bill rate.
Indefinite accrual
Eligible customers outside municipal utilities and electric cooperatives may elect indefinite carryover. Switching back requires utility approval. Confirm account-closure treatment and current tariff rules with your utility.
Maryland information reviewed October 19, 2026. Your utility tariff, supplier and rate plan determine billing details. Rules differ in VA, PA, DE and DC.
Net metering is not
physical energy storage.
Credits are billing records. A battery stores electricity at your property. Grid-connected solar alone generally shuts down during an outage; compatible backup equipment is needed to power loads safely.
Learn how solar and storage work →It is also separate
from SRECs.
Net metering accounts for electricity flowing through the utility meter. SRECs represent the renewable attributes of generation. Each follows its own eligibility and ownership rules.
Explore grants & SRECs →