For example, if the electricity you purchase from the grid costs 14 cents per watt, the net metered credits you earn will be worth just under 14 cents per watt. Most towns participate in net metering using a near 1:1 ratio, with the credit differing by only fractions of a cent compared to the retail rate. Net metering is a localized policy -every city or state varies with its net metering caps and rules. Net metering is a policy that allows solar owners who remain grid-tied to earn credits for contributing to the electrical grid. Unlike off-grid living, this lifestyle also provides financial incentives like net metering and warranty coverage. Should your system ever underproduce energy, you use energy from the grid so that there is zero disturbance in your energy supply. While this is an excellent option for those fed up with their big utilities, it doesn’t come without drawbacks.īeing on the grid allows you to produce your own clean energy while remaining connected to your utility company and greater grid system. Homes that are off the grid have no ties to utility companies, like National Grid or Eversource, and therefore have no electric bills. To ensure a consistent power supply, most off-grid homes utilize energy storage.

Through a renewable resource, like solar, an off-the-grid home is responsible for creating all its own energy. Going off the grid refers to living without a connection to any of the major electrical grids that power the country. As the planning begins, you start hearing about on and off-grid living, but which is the better option? Examining the differences between on-grid and off-grid living will help you make the best choice for your lifestyle. After learning of the environmental and economic benefits of going solar, you’ve decided it’s time to go green.

Off grid power