Namibia set July deadline for the implementation of net metering rules

The City of Windhoek has announced it will commence implementing net metering rules with effect from 1 July 2017.

According to local media the New ERA, this development follows after the gazetting of the net metering rules in November 2016.

Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. Read

The mechanism allows consumers who generate some or all of their own electricity to use that electricity anytime, instead of when it is generated.

This is particularly important with wind and solar, which are non-dispatchable.

It is reported that the CEO of the Windhoek Municipality, Robert Kahimise, confirmed the City has a database of all customers that have registered their grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) solar installations and have the correct bi-directional electricity meter installed that enables it to implement the rules as gazetted.

“However, there might be other grid connected PV solar installations within Windhoek’s electricity network that are not yet registered with the city,” Kahimise noted.

The Government Gazette noted the objective of net metering including generation of additional power into the national grid, reducing the investment requirements of licensees and conventional independent power producers, media stated.

This is meant to allow customer-generators to reduce their imports from distribution networks through generating for own consumption and to allow customer-generators to export to the distribution network up to the imports of the customer-generators from the distribution network.

Also stated as the objective of the net metering are the promotion of sustainable renewable energy sources, small-scale investments, value addition and electricity market development, and to contribute towards reducing unemployment.

Media further quoted research, which suggests that monthly net metering allows consumers to use solar power generated during the day at night, or wind from a windy day later in the month.

Annual net metering rolls over a net kilowatt credit to the following month, allowing solar power that was generated in July to be used in December, or wind power from March in August.