Net Metering & Utility Rate Structures Course

Lesson 1 • Regulatory Oversight of Utilities

Describes the roles of federal and state regulators in approving rates and interconnection rules. Establishes the policy environment governing net metering programmes.

Lesson 2 • Electricity Measurement and Metering Basics

Introduces kilowatt-hours, demand, and power factor as measured quantities. Builds the quantitative literacy required for reading utility bills and rate schedules.

Lesson 3 • Utility Business Models

Explains how investor-owned, cooperative, and municipal utilities operate financially. Grounds students in the economic incentives that shape rate design.

Lesson 1 • Wind and Other Generation Technologies

Introduces small wind, micro-hydro, and combined heat and power as eligible DER types. Broadens student understanding beyond solar-only net metering contexts.

Lesson 2 • Interconnection Standards and Safety

Covers technical requirements for connecting DERs to the distribution grid safely. Prepares students to navigate utility interconnection applications.

Lesson 3 • Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Covers PV panel operation, inverter types, and system sizing fundamentals. Establishes solar as the primary technology driving net metering adoption.

Lesson 4 • Customer Load Profiles and Self-Consumption

Analyses how load shape determines the ratio of self-consumed to exported energy. Connects consumption patterns to bill savings calculations under net metering.

Lesson 1 • Net Metering Definition and History

Traces net metering from early pilot programmes to widespread adoption. Establishes the policy rationale and legislative origins of the mechanism.

Lesson 2 • Net Metering Policy Variations Across Jurisdictions

Compares programme parameters such as credit rates, caps, and eligible customers across regulatory environments. Builds adaptability for multi-market professionals.

Lesson 3 • Programme Administration and Enrolment

Covers utility application processes, metering requirements, and tariff enrolment. Prepares students to guide customers through programme participation.

Lesson 4 • Eligible Technologies and System Size Caps

Details which technologies qualify and the capacity limits programmes impose. Students learn how eligibility rules shape market development.

Lesson 1 • Anatomy of a Utility Rate Schedule

Breaks down the sections of a tariff document including applicability, rate components, and terms. Gives students a framework for interpreting any rate schedule.

Lesson 2 • Time-Varying Rate Structures

Introduces time-of-use, real-time pricing, and critical peak pricing designs. Establishes how export timing affects credit value under dynamic tariffs.

Lesson 3 • Energy Charges and Volumetric Pricing

Explains flat, tiered, and inclining block energy charge structures. Shows how volumetric pricing interacts with net metering credit calculations.

Lesson 4 • Fixed Charges and Customer Fees

Identifies monthly fixed charges, customer charges, and minimum bills. Explains why fixed costs limit net metering bill savings for low-usage customers.

Lesson 1 • Reading and Interpreting Utility Bills

Walks through each line item on residential and commercial utility bills. Establishes baseline bill literacy before modelling DER impacts.

Lesson 2 • Calculating Export Credits

Quantifies the credit value of energy exported to the grid under various credit rate structures. Connects credit rate policy to actual customer bill outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Modelling Self-Consumption and Export Scenarios

Calculates the bill reduction from energy consumed directly from the DER system. Distinguishes self-consumption savings from export credit value.

Lesson 4 • Time-of-Use Bill Impact Analysis

Models how export timing affects credit value under time-of-use tariffs. Demonstrates the importance of production and load alignment for bill optimisation.

Lesson 1 • Value of Solar and Successor Tariffs

Examines value-of-solar tariffs and post-net-metering successor programmes. Prepares students for markets transitioning away from traditional net metering.

Lesson 2 • Grid Access and Standby Charges

Covers fixed grid access fees and standby charges applied to DER customers. Explains the cost-of-service arguments utilities use to justify these charges.

Lesson 3 • Export Limitation and Zero-Export Configurations

Describes utility-imposed export limits and zero-export interconnection requirements. Addresses how these constraints affect system sizing and bill savings.

Lesson 4 • Demand Charges on Residential Customers

Analyses the growing application of demand charges to residential DER tariffs. Evaluates the economic impact on solar payback and customer adoption.

Lesson 1 • Demand Charge Reduction with DERs

Quantifies how solar and storage reduce peak demand charges for commercial customers. Demonstrates the outsized importance of demand savings in commercial economics.

Lesson 2 • Commercial Rate Schedule Complexity

Navigates multi-part commercial tariffs with energy, demand, and power factor components. Builds the analytical skills needed for non-residential bill modelling.

Lesson 3 • Virtual Net Metering and Aggregation

Explains how credits from a single DER are allocated across multiple meters. Enables students to structure multi-meter and campus-wide net metering arrangements.

Lesson 4 • Industrial Customer DER Considerations

Addresses large-load industrial accounts with complex tariffs and operational constraints. Evaluates DER feasibility under high-demand, low-energy-cost industrial rates.

Lesson 1 • Cost-Benefit Analysis of Net Metering Programmes

Applies cost-benefit frameworks to evaluate net metering from utility and societal perspectives. Equips students to engage in evidence-based policy debates.

Lesson 2 • Future of Net Metering and DER Compensation

Evaluates emerging compensation models including locational value and grid services payments. Prepares students to navigate the post-net-metering policy landscape.

Lesson 3 • Rate Design Reform and DER Integration

Examines how utilities redesign rates to accommodate high DER penetration. Prepares students to anticipate and respond to rate reform proposals.

Lesson 4 • Stakeholder Engagement and Regulatory Advocacy

Covers how to participate effectively in rate cases and net metering proceedings. Builds skills for representing customer or industry interests before regulators.