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RESIDENTIAL AND NON-RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS CAN APPLY FOR NET METERING ONLINE.

FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL NET METERING APPLICATIONS BETWEEN 250 KW AND 1000 KW (“MIDSIZED NEM PROJECTS”), PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

On August 30, 2023, in Case No. PUR-2023-00097, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (“SCC”) issued an injunction that, among other provisions, “suspends the imposition of the (NEM DER Interconnection) Parameters (Manual) on Midsized NEM Projects and suspends the requirement of SGIAs for Midsized NEM Projects at least until the Commission has completed its investigations and rulemaking in Case Nos. PUR-2022-00073 and PUR-2023-00069 and has ruled definitely on such issues." This Order also directed that “Dominion should continue to take the actions necessary to maintain the immediate safety and reliability of its system; this may include, but need not be limited to, seeking specific authority from this Commission in one or more formal proceedings.”

In response to this injunction order, Dominion filed a Motion for Interim Authority on September 15, 2023 seeking authority to continue to require direct transfer trip (“DTT”) communications systems and/or DG Panels for Midsized NEM Projects under certain circumstances for safety and reliability reasons. On November 6, 2023, the SCC Hearing Examiner issued an order granting Dominion’s motion and directing that:

  1. The Company, Staff and stakeholders are specifically to address and establish study and engineering requirements necessary to safely and reliably interconnect Net Metering DERs as part of the proceedings in Case No. PUR-2023-00069;
  2. The Company is hereby granted interim authority to (A) continue to require either a fiber optic or cellular-based DTT communication system, at the customer’s election; and (B) require installation of a DG Panel under certain conditions. Such interim authority may be exercised by the Company only where: (i) the project fails to meet the 3:1 light load to generation ratio screening, where the load to generation ratio is less than 3:1; or (ii) when the net metering DER is requesting connection to a substation bus with greater than 1 MW of aggregate generation; and
  3. When Dominion Energy elects to use its interim authority to require DTT and/or a DG Panel, the vendor or customer shall have the right to appeal the Company’s requirement of DTT and/or a DG Panel by petitioning the Commission for an evidentiary proceeding in which Dominion Energy shall bear the burden of proving the necessity and reasonableness of such requirement(s).

Overview

Net Metering is a special metering and billing agreement between Dominion Energy and participating customers. Residential and Business customers who choose to participate in Net Metering agree to have a renewable energy source on their property that connects to the Dominion Energy power grid. Interconnection requirements can be found in the NEM DER Interconnection Parameters Manual and Dominion Energy Blue Book. See Links Below.  

Net Metering encourages Dominion Energy customers to consider a small-scale renewable energy system, while ensuring they always have a reliable source of energy from the grid even during times when their own generator isn’t producing energy.

Net Metering Virtual Agent

How Net Metering Works

Net Metering allows customers to interconnect approved renewable generation systems (such as solar, wind, and geothermal) to the electric grid and provide electricity to their own residence or business facility.

That electricity offsets the electricity that would have otherwise been delivered by Dominion Energy. And when you generate more energy than your residence or facility needs, you’ll receive credit from Dominion for the electricity your generator produces and delivers onto the grid.

Several types of renewable energy are potentially eligible for net metering:

  • Solar energy (photovoltaic)
  • Wind energy
  • Biomass (landfill gas or methane)
  • Hydroelectric power
  • Waste heat
  • Geothermal energy
  • any other renewable generation that meets state guidelines

Before Installation:

Apply Here Download PDF Version*

*In order to use full functionality of the form and sign it electronically, please download the PDF and open it in Adobe Acrobat.

Complete Sections 1 through 4 of the Notification form at the bottom.

NOTE: Submit the Notification form, along with Proof of Insurance at generation facility, to Dominion Energy either by scanning and sending via email, or send by US mail to:

Dominion Energy Virginia
Net Metering
600 Canal Place, 11th Floor
P.O. Box 26666
Richmond, VA 23261

We will send return confirmation that the Notification form was received.

We will review the specifications of the proposed generating system and determine if the system is compatible with the electric distribution grid and the existing electric distribution facilities serving the interconnection point.

When the review of specifications and proof of liability insurance is completed, we will return a signed copy of the Notification form along with any additional system protection requirements and/or required upgrades to the existing electric distribution facilities serving the interconnection point to enable completion of the interconnection.

Note: A Net Metering Applicant is solely responsible for compliance with all applicable local zoning requirements, building codes, electrical codes, or any other codes or restrictions governing installation and operation of a generation system. Dominion Energy does not review or approve the system equipment selection, installation method, or installation location. Dominion Energy only reviews the proposed interconnection for compatibility with the electric distribution system, based on UL1741/IEEE1547 standards.

After Installation:

Complete Section 5 of the Notification form and resubmit to Dominion Energy . In cases where the applicant or a licensed Virginia Class A or B General Contractor has installed the generation system, a copy of the final electrical inspection signed by the inspection authority may be provided as an alternative to the completion of this section of the Notification form. See the Net Metering FAQs for additional information.

We will complete the required metering work and return a separate written authorization to energize and operate the system.

General Information

Net Metering rules in Virginia are administered by the Virginia State Corporation Commission and published in the Virginia Administrative Code under 20VAC5-315.
The Virginia Administrative Code Section 56-576 defines renewable energy as “… energy derived from sunlight, wind, falling water, biomass, sustainable or otherwise, (the definitions of which shall be liberally construed), energy from waste, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, wave motion, tides, and geothermal power, and does not include energy derived from coal, oil, natural gas, or nuclear power…”

Batteries may be included as part of a renewable generation system, but do not qualify as a renewable generation source by themselves.
The Third Party PPA (Renewable Energy) Pilot Program is administered by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. View details about the program or visit the Commission’s web site.
Dominion Energy does not sell or install renewable generation systems. Interested customers should contact a qualified electrical contractor or renewable energy contractor. These contractors can provide the necessary structural engineering analysis, equipment specifications, installation costs, and energy production estimates.

Customers should keep in mind that they are solely responsible for compliance with all applicable zoning requirements, building codes, electrical codes, and any other codes or restrictions applicable to the installation, operation and maintenance of a renewable generation system including, but not limited to any real property restrictions affecting the use of the property on which the generation system is located.

Dominion Energy does not review or approve the suitability of the generation system’s capacity, equipment specifications, installation method, or installation location.
Yes. There are a number of entities that will buy your power output. If you want to sell your power, you can explore the options available to you. The options include, but are not limited to, selling power into the PJM Market and selling it to Dominion Energy. However, selling power requires additional metering and interconnection equipment, which is an additional cost you will want to consider.

No. Due to safety reasons, if the electric service to your home is out, your renewable energy facility will be forced offline. This precaution is to prevent your generation system from feeding excess electricity onto the grid, which would put utility line workers at risk as they repair electrical lines. The only way to supply power to your home with a distributed generation during power outages is to invest in an energy storage system and a transfer switch.

We will continue to Net Meter and transfer the Net Meter to the next owner. Until Dominion Energy is advised that the system has been removed, the premise is considered a Net Metering premise.
You can cancel at any time by calling 866-366-4357. This will require disconnecting the renewable generation and removing the interconnection from Dominion Energy’s system.

Under the typical net metering arrangement, the amount you are charged for the energy you consume is equal to the amount you are credited when your system feeds back to the grid.

Under the Off-Peak Plan, the amount you are charged or credited will correspond to the cost associated with that season, day and time. For example, if your system is generating at 1pm, you’ll be credited off-peak hour rates instead of basic residential rates.

The credits you receive when your system is sending electricity back to the grid can only be applied to the tier in which they are accrued. So if you build credits during on-peak hours, they can only be applied to future on-peak hours.

Application Requirements

Often there are no charges for interconnection of small residential systems. Interconnection charges for larger systems can vary substantially depending on the amount of equipment and construction work necessary to complete the interconnection. Dominion Energy will review the existing service capacity to the premise to determine if existing facilities are adequate to support the proposed generation load, and if additional protective equipment is required.

Net metering Terms & Conditions XXV.B.1.b requires a certificate of insurance or other proof of insurance be included with company notification.

Liability insurance requirements per generator size:
10 kW and under – at least $100,000
Over 10 kW – at least $300,000

System Requirements

An interconnected generation system will operate in parallel with the utility system and must have “grid tie” capability. The system and associated inverters must be certified by a national testing laboratory, conforming to UL1741/IEEE 1547 specifications for grid tied systems.

All interconnections under Net Metering must comply with the requirements in the Dominion Energy Blue Book and the Net Metering Interconnection Parameters Manual including the installation of approved disconnects.

Knife blade disconnect unit

Knife blade disconnect

Breaker disconnect unit

Breaker disconnect

In general, any residential, or commercial customer who is served on a non time-of-use rate schedule, or a demand charge-based time-of-use rate schedule which allows a parallel generator interconnection, may participate in Net Metering. For other rates not shown below, send questions to the net metering team.

Net Metering Virginia Jurisdictional Compatible Rate Schedules

Schedule Rate
Schedule 1 100
Schedule 1S 101
Schedule 1G 260

Non-Residential Net Metering Compatible Rate Schedules

Schedule Rate
Schedule GS-1 110
Schedule GS-2T 114
Schedule GS-2 227
Schedule GS-3 117
Schedule GS-4 120
Schedule 6TS 126
Net Metering is intended to allow a customer to offset a portion or all of the electrical energy requirements of their home or business. The system must be sized so that it does not reasonably produce more energy than 150% of the expected annual electrical consumption.
A net metering interconnection request can still be submitted for the new location as long as a Dominion Energy Work Request number has been established. In this case, the Work Request Number should be used in lieu of the account number on the interconnection request form.

Maximum renewable generator sizes (AC capacity):

  • Virginia Residential - 25 kW
  • Virginia Non-residential - 3000 kW

These system sizes are based on the maximum expected AC output of the system after all losses have been applied including panel orientation, shading, and inverter losses.

Billing

The energy you produce and consume offsets the energy you would normally purchase from Dominion Energy and can be valued at the amount you would pay for your next kilowatt-hour. The value will vary with individual usage patterns and you should refer to your previous electric bills to determine the appropriate value. Any excess energy returned to the grid is recorded as a credit and used to offset future electric energy delivered to the home or business.
You will receive a bill that is similar to your normal electric bill. However, you can expect that your bill amount will be lower than usual, since all or part of your electricity needs will be provided by your own renewable energy generation system and not provided or billed by Dominion Energy. If you generate more electricity than is needed for your home or business in a given month, the amount will be used to offset future electricity you would receive from Dominion Energy.
Your electric bill does not show all of the energy your system produced. The energy you produce that is consumed by your home does not pass through the Dominion Energy meter.

The net meter measures electricity that is delivered from Dominion Energy to you, and any electricity that is produced by you and returned to the electric grid.

The standby charge only applies to Net Metering customers served on Virginia Residential Schedule 1, Schedule 1S and Schedule 1G with a generation system size greater than 15 kW AC. If you are subject to Standby Charges, you will no longer be able to view your bills online.

Refer to links above for more details on each schedule and how standby fees are calculated, see sections II.A.4 and II.B.2.b.

Metering

The renewable generation system is interconnected at a point on the customer’s side of the Dominion Energy metering equipment. The system may not be interconnected anywhere within the metering equipment cabinet (typically a meter base or current transformer compartment) without prior approval from Dominion Energy.

Once Contingent Approval is granted, a bi-directional meter will be installed at your home/business.

Power Purchase Agreements (PPA)

A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is an agreement for Dominion Energy to purchase any net excess energy production that remains at the end of each 12 month net metering period.

If you have a smaller renewable generator, and you expect to use most if not all of the renewable energy you generate throughout the year, a Power Purchase Agreement is not necessary. If you have a large generator with consistent excess renewable energy, you may want to consider a Power Purchase Agreement. Refer to Section F of the Net Metering Terms and Conditions for additional information about a Power Purchase Agreement with Dominion Energy.
The amount is based on the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy you exported and the PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) DOMZONE day-ahead annual simple average locational marginal price (LMP) as published by the PJM Market Monitoring Unit for the most recent calendar year. The price changes annually. Here are the historical values.
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