Net Meters — Massachusetts

I’m in Mass. and I have a net meter set up… As a matter of fact every one of my neighbors has the same set up. My solar production essentially spins my regular electrical meter backwards during the day when the panels are producing electricity. So I have no wiring from my solar array actually coming into my panel. So there is no real way for me to use Sense to measure my usage vs my production… which I can only rely on the power company to tell me ACK!

Where does your solar system feed into the power grid ? My net metering system here in CA has the solar feed entering the house side (inside of the net meter) in the main breaker panel. I’m guessing that you have to have something similar.

That’s funny because one of the reasons I bought Sense was to get my consumption. I’m on net metering in MA with Unitil. My solar comes into my panel. My inverter can’t tell the difference between what I consume and what goes out the grid, and the grid can’t tell my how much I consume before it gets to the grid. I can do the math with all the numbers each month, but that’d just be a pain.

You’d need to be able to get the solar CTs around the feed lines before they go out to your meter. Do they come by your panel in any way?

I also have a MA Net Meter system. I do have a feed into a breaker in one of my panels from the solar meter. (I have two main panels.) Would that be the feed to meansure with the Sense solar CTs?

Ken, it sounds like you have a backfed breaker from your solar sub panel, so yes, you should be able to just put the solar CTs around those lines. This is my setup and what’s described in the Sense solar install guide.

Luis, I think you’re referring to a line side tap, which is less common but still done in some areas depending on the individual utility policies. You should have a junction box where your solar feeds in to your line side, between your meter and main panel. It may be possible to get your solar CTs in there, depending on the distances and space involved. I would definitely call an electrician for this, because anything on the utility side of your main breaker is hot all the time. Even by shutting off your main breaker and your solar disconnect, there will still be 220v in that junction box.
As Sense recommends… it’s best to call an electrician for any work in or around the main panel.

Thanks!

Adding Sense w/ Solar to that panel next week. I already have it installed in the other main panel. Now, if they could just aggregate the two units into a single account… :wink: