After high prices of electricity prices, Government is also creating hurdles for green meter applicants. This is discouraging for applicants who installed solar panels and applied for solar or green meters.
PPMC (Power Planning and Monitoring Company) has imposed strong restrictions on bi-directional meters.
PPMC has announced a new provision that if a consumer has an inspection certificate then he/she must have a verification certificate too. But for the verification certificate, policies are not announced yet.
This is causing an additional delay of 20-30 days.
What are Bi-directional Meters?
Bidirectional meters, often referred to as “Net Meters” or “Bi-Directional meters,” are electrical meters used to measure and record the flow of electricity in two directions:
- From the electrical grid to a consumer’s property
- From the consumer’s property back to the grid.
These meters are primarily used for renewable energy systems such as solar panels or wind turbines. Which generates electricity on-site.
Here’s how bidirectional meters work:
- Imported Electricity Measurement: When a household or business consumes electricity from the grid, the bidirectional meter measures the amount of electricity being imported. It records this as a positive value on the meter reading.
- Exported Electricity Measurement: If the property generates surplus electricity from renewable sources (e.g., solar panels generate more power than is immediately consumed), the excess electricity can be fed back into the grid. The bidirectional meter measures this exported electricity and records it as a negative value on the meter reading.
- Net Metering: The key feature of bidirectional meters is that they calculate the net electricity usage. This is done by subtracting the exported electricity (negative value) from the imported electricity (positive value). The result is the “Net” electricity consumption, which is what the consumer is billed for.
- Billing: Consumers are typically billed based on their net electricity consumption. If they generate more electricity than they use, they might receive credits or payments from their utility company for the excess electricity fed back into the grid.
Conclusion
Bidirectional meters are crucial for incentivizing the adoption of renewable energy systems, as they allow consumers to benefit from the energy they generate and reduce their reliance on grid-supplied electricity.
They also enable utilities to track and manage the flow of electricity in both directions, which is important for maintaining a stable and efficient electrical grid.