Updated 2 months ago
Going solar with Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed) in 2024
Written by
Catherine Lane
Find out what solar panels cost in your area
Installing home solar panels can help reduce your Metropolitan Edison bill by hundreds of dollars each month, thanks to some of Pennsylvania’s solar-friendly policies. But, like any big project, there is much to consider before installing solar panels! That’s why we put together this guide of everything you need to know about going solar with Met-Ed, from electricity bill savings to solar incentives!
Key takeaways
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Pennsylvania’s full retail net metering rule can eliminate Met-Ed customers' energy costs, but there are some mandatory fees that solar cannot offset.
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Met-Ed does not offer any solar incentives or rebates to customers at this time, but local and national incentives are available.
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Met-Ed’s solar interconnection process requires various agreements, plans, inspections, and site visits that can take a few weeks to a few months to complete.
Can solar panels save money on my Met-Ed bill?
Yes, solar panels can provide significant savings for Met-Ed customers thanks to net metering.
Net metering is the billing structure that allows solar homeowners to fully offset their energy costs with the solar power their panels generate.
Here’s how it works: Your solar panels will generate electricity that is first used by your home. Any solar energy you don’t use will be sent to Met-Ed. At the end of the billing period, Met-Ed will compare how much energy you sent to the grid versus how much you used from it. You can watch the following video to get a better understanding of net metering:
If you produced enough solar energy to cover your energy usage - congrats! You won’t have to pay energy charges. If you didn’t generate enough to cover all of the electricity you needed, you will be billed for what isn’t offset.
Excess energy credits
Met-Ed only provides credits up to your monthly usage. For example, if you used 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy and produced 150 kWh, you would fully offset the cost of 100 kWh of energy.
The remaining 50 kWh will be paid out to you at the end of the year at the “price-to-compare” rate which is just slightly lower than the full retail rate of electricity.
Solar Photovoltaic Requirements Charge
Met-Ed does add a small charge to energy delivered, but it’s unclear if that is energy delivered from Met-Ed to the homeowner or solar energy from the homeowner to Met-Ed.
The charge equals $0.006 per kWh and is non-bypassable, meaning that net metering credits cannot cover it. This small charge has little impact on when your solar panels will break even.
Choosing a retail electric provider. Pennsylvania has a deregulated electricity market that allows homeowners to shop around for different electricity rates. If you don’t currently purchase your energy from Met-Ed, check with your solar installer and energy provider how installing solar panels could impact your rate plan.
Does Met-Ed offer solar panel incentives or rebates?
Met-Ed does not provide utility-specific solar panel incentives or rebates. However, there are federal and local incentives that Met-Ed customers can take advantage of to help lower the cost of solar panels!
Incentive | About |
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A federal income tax credit equal to 30% of solar installation costs. | |
A performance-based incentive worth around $35 per megawatt-hour of solar energy produced |
The most significant incentive for solar homeowners is the 30% federal solar tax credit, which can lower income taxes by thousands of dollars. Pennsylvania also has a Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program that allows homeowners to earn extra cash for the solar energy they generate!
Steps to going solar with Met-Ed
Switching to solar isn’t as easy as getting the panels on your roof and turning them on. There is an application and inspection process that ensures your solar system operates safely on your home and with the grid. Here are the steps of Met-Ed’s solar interconnection process:
Step 1: Submit your application. The application for your system includes a preliminary site design and technical diagram, appropriate application paperwork, and an application fee. The application fee varies by system size, but most homeowners will pay between $100 and $275.
Step 2: Met-Ed engineering review. The utility’s engineering team will review the application to determine if it meets the necessary requirements. Met-Ed will contact you when the application is approved or if more information is needed.
Step 3: Installation. When your application is approved, the solar company can move forward with the installation. Depending on the design, a solar installation can take less than a day or about three days.
Step 4: Inspections. Once the installation is finished, a certificate of completion, an interconnection agreement, and evidence of an electrical inspection and other permitting requirements will be submitted to Met-Ed. Met-Ed will review all documentation and possibly perform a site inspection if necessary. If everything is satisfactory, Met-Ed will provide permission to operate.
Step 5: Meter installation. Met-Ed requires a bidirectional electric meter to participate in net metering. When the system is approved, Met-Ed will install the appropriate meter at no cost to you. According to Met-Ed, this can take several weeks.
There you have it - those are the essential steps of the interconnection process for Met-Ed. The entire process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on how responsive Met-Ed is. Your solar installer will likely give you a more detailed timeframe of how long it will take.
Use SolarReviews to find the right installer to lower your Met-Ed energy bills
Installing solar panels has the potential to save you lots of money on your Met-Ed bills. But you can’t just think about your utility company when going solar. You also have to consider the solar company.
Finding the right solar company can be daunting - there are hundreds of solar installers, and sometimes, it can be hard to decide which one is right for you.
That’s where SolarReviews comes in. We’ve helped thousands of homeowners find reliable, local solar installers just this year. You can use our free solar calculator below to get an estimate of how much solar could cost and save you, and connect with our pre-vetted solar partners.
Going solar with Met-Ed FAQs
Catherine has been researching and reporting on the solar industry for five years and is the Written Content Manager at SolarReviews. She leads a dynamic team in producing informative and engaging content on residential solar to help homeowners make informed decisions about investing in solar panels. Catherine’s expertise has garnered attention from leading industry publications, with her work being featured in Solar Today Magazine and Solar ...
Learn more about Catherine Lane