FPL Guidelines for Customer-Owned
Renewable Generation Grid Interconnections
The goal of Net Metering is to offset all or part of the customer's energy use at the Customer's metered service account. To offset your energy use at the retail rate (the highest rate) the output from your renewable generator must be used behind the meter where it is connected. Any energy not consumed behind the meter will be sent to the grid and will be accumulated in a "bank" to be drawn on every month as needed to offset future energy used from FPL. In the last billing cycle month of each calendar year (December) all excess energy (accrued as kilowatt-hours or kwh) in the "bank" will be settled to your account as a credit. The kwh in the bank will be multiplied by the annual average "as available rate" to calculate the dollar amount of the credit. Since the "as available rate" is variable and is less than the retail rate, we advise customers to install a renewable generator system that produces up to the amount of energy the customer uses in a year.
Guidelines:
1) Renewable generator systems connected to the grid without batteries are not a stand by power source during an FPL outage. The system must shut down when FPL's grid shuts down in order to prevent dangerous back feed on FPL's grid. This is required to protect FPL employees who may be working on the grid.
2) The gross power rating or the alternating current (AC) rating for the System is the array direct current (DC) rating multiplied by 0.85. The AC rating also determines the Tier that the system falls under for agreement purposes. There are three Tiers by system size; Tier 1 is 10 kW and below, Tier 2 is above 10 kW up to 100 kW and Tier 3 is above 100 kW up to 2,000 kW (2 megawatts). Customer generation is limited to 90 percent of the FPL service capacity. FPL will upsize facilities for customer generation at the customers expense. FPL will not increase the size of the distribution equipment greater than required for a renewable energy system designed to offset all of the customer's annual energy use.
3) The customer on the account must complete an application, interconnect agreement, obtain a building permit, and for Tier 2 and 3, obtain proof of insurance and pay an application fee to FPL before FPL will install the bi-directional meter and the system can be operational.
4) All work must be completed by a licensed contractor and a permit must be issued and proof of inspection by the local authorities must be presented to FPL prior to FPL installing a bi-directional meter.
5) Operation of the renewable generation system, except for testing and inspection, prior to the new bi-directional meter being installed by FPL is strictly prohibited. Operating your renewable system without the bi-directional meter can result in an inaccurate meter reading causing your bill to increase.
6) Tier 2 and Tier 3 installations require a manual, visual load break disconnect switch (knife blade or fused type) per the Net metering Rule. The disconnect switch should disconnect only the renewable source and not the entire customer service and it should be mounted separated from, but adjacent to the meter. It is important that the switch is easily accessed by FPL (it should not be locked in a meter room), and that it is capable of being locked in the open position with a padlock by FPL.
If the switch is separate from the meter, it should be close to and readily accessible from the meter location. A sign noting the location of the disconnect switch should be installed at the meter to enable FPL employees to easily locate the disconnect switch. The disconnect switch should also have a warning sign indicating that both sides of the switch may be energized.
Renewable Generation Grid Interconnections
The goal of Net Metering is to offset all or part of the customer's energy use at the Customer's metered service account. To offset your energy use at the retail rate (the highest rate) the output from your renewable generator must be used behind the meter where it is connected. Any energy not consumed behind the meter will be sent to the grid and will be accumulated in a "bank" to be drawn on every month as needed to offset future energy used from FPL. In the last billing cycle month of each calendar year (December) all excess energy (accrued as kilowatt-hours or kwh) in the "bank" will be settled to your account as a credit. The kwh in the bank will be multiplied by the annual average "as available rate" to calculate the dollar amount of the credit. Since the "as available rate" is variable and is less than the retail rate, we advise customers to install a renewable generator system that produces up to the amount of energy the customer uses in a year.
Guidelines:
1) Renewable generator systems connected to the grid without batteries are not a stand by power source during an FPL outage. The system must shut down when FPL's grid shuts down in order to prevent dangerous back feed on FPL's grid. This is required to protect FPL employees who may be working on the grid.
2) The gross power rating or the alternating current (AC) rating for the System is the array direct current (DC) rating multiplied by 0.85. The AC rating also determines the Tier that the system falls under for agreement purposes. There are three Tiers by system size; Tier 1 is 10 kW and below, Tier 2 is above 10 kW up to 100 kW and Tier 3 is above 100 kW up to 2,000 kW (2 megawatts). Customer generation is limited to 90 percent of the FPL service capacity. FPL will upsize facilities for customer generation at the customers expense. FPL will not increase the size of the distribution equipment greater than required for a renewable energy system designed to offset all of the customer's annual energy use.
3) The customer on the account must complete an application, interconnect agreement, obtain a building permit, and for Tier 2 and 3, obtain proof of insurance and pay an application fee to FPL before FPL will install the bi-directional meter and the system can be operational.
4) All work must be completed by a licensed contractor and a permit must be issued and proof of inspection by the local authorities must be presented to FPL prior to FPL installing a bi-directional meter.
5) Operation of the renewable generation system, except for testing and inspection, prior to the new bi-directional meter being installed by FPL is strictly prohibited. Operating your renewable system without the bi-directional meter can result in an inaccurate meter reading causing your bill to increase.
6) Tier 2 and Tier 3 installations require a manual, visual load break disconnect switch (knife blade or fused type) per the Net metering Rule. The disconnect switch should disconnect only the renewable source and not the entire customer service and it should be mounted separated from, but adjacent to the meter. It is important that the switch is easily accessed by FPL (it should not be locked in a meter room), and that it is capable of being locked in the open position with a padlock by FPL.
If the switch is separate from the meter, it should be close to and readily accessible from the meter location. A sign noting the location of the disconnect switch should be installed at the meter to enable FPL employees to easily locate the disconnect switch. The disconnect switch should also have a warning sign indicating that both sides of the switch may be energized.