What is a meter reading? What is a monthly net?
Solar energy production can be reported in two different ways, depending on your system setup and reporting method.
What is a lifetime meter reading?
A lifetime meter reading is the cumulative total amount of electricity your solar system has produced since it began operating.
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Typically displayed on a physical solar meter
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The reading only increases over time
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Each month’s reading will be higher than the previous month’s reading
What is a monthly net reading?
A monthly net represents the amount of electricity your system produced during a single month.
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Commonly used by remote monitoring platforms
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Values may increase or decrease month to month due to seasonal weather patterns
Which reporting method should I use?
Customers are strongly encouraged to use the same reporting method consistently when self-reporting.
Regardless of the method used:
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All production must be reported in kilowatt-hours (kWh) for SREC purposes
Important tip about “net” readings
Some solar meters—such as LGate 120 meters from Locus Energy—may label the lifetime cumulative reading as a “Net” value.
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These readings only increase over time
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They are not monthly net readings
Be careful not to confuse a lifetime “net” reading with a monthly net production value.