Solar

Rusk County Electric Cooperative’s Solar Buyback Program

RCEC does allow Solar Generation to be interconnected on our grid. RCEC will buyback the excess generation at the wholesale rate that is set in our tariff and currently at $0.066 per kWh. Our Distributed Generation (DG) members will still only require one meter. Their existing meter will be exchanged for a meter that is programmed to have 2 “kWh” registers, one for their usage from the grid and the other for the excess that was put on to the grid. Each month during the regular billing calculation, RCEC will bill as normal but will apply credit to the account for the generation put back on the grid that was registered at the meter.

Why does RCEC only purchase Excess Generation?

The interconnection is to be made on the member’s side of the meter, where the member will have first access to their generated power. Whatever power is not used at the time of generation will go through the meter and on to the grid.

What Requirements are there to Interconnect with RCEC?

An interconnection agreement between the member and RCEC will be required in all cases.

In addition to the agreement, RCEC will require the following for each system: a single line diagram, a site layout, and a copy of the product specifications.

Are there additional fees for being a DG Member?

There is a one-time Initiation Fee of up to $150 to be paid after your system installation is complete. There are no additional monthly fees after that.

Permission to Operate

PTO will be granted only after all of the requirements are met, the Initiation Fee is paid, RCEC completes a safety inspection on the system, and exchanges the meter.

Saving Money on your Bill

Investing in a Solar Generation System should not be your first option when looking to save money. Evaluating your usage should be the first place you check. Home energy efficiency improvements and small changes in habit in most cases offer a much shorter return on investment.

DISTRIBUTED GENERATION CONTRACT.pdf