Net metering allows you to send electricity generated from wind/solar/other green generation installations to the distribution system for a credit towards your electricity costs. Excess generation credits can be carried forward for a consecutive 12-month period to offset future electricity costs. A common term for this is Distributed Energy Resources (DER).
NOTL Hydro attempts to accommodate all requests for Net Metering, however, we must proceed with the OEB regulated process to assess and ultimately bring your installation online.
1 Preliminary Consultation Information Request
The first step is to complete and submit Preliminary Consultation Information Request. NOTL Hydro will respond to this request and provide you with the connection details for the proposed project and outline the available capacity. At this time, NOTL Hydro will also provide details for a Connection Impact Assessment through a Preliminary Consultation Report.
2 Connection Impact Assessment Application
After the preliminary consultation, complete and submit a Connection Impact Assessment Application complete with payment as per the CIA Study Fee Schedule.
3 Connection Impact Assessment
NOTL Hydro and any other affected Utility will perform a Connection Impact Assessment for the proposed generator. NOTL Hydro will then issue the report(s) once they are complete. You will be allocated capacity on the grid upon completion of the Connection Impact Assessment by all Utilities involved.
Please Note: For generators connecting on a Utility shared feeder, that utility maybe required to perform its own Connection Impact Assessment. Details of Utilities involved will be provided during the Preliminary Application stage.
4 Net Meter Connection Agreement/Offer to Connect
NOTL Hydro provides you with a Connection Agreement for your proposed Generator. Included in the Connection Agreement is a Connection Cost Agreement. This Connection Cost Agreement serves as your Offer to Connect and provides a cost estimation specifying the scope of work to be performed either by you, NOTL Hydro, or Upstream Utilities, in order to make the generation connection.
If you decide to proceed with the project, you must sign the Connection Agreement, sign the Connection Cost Agreement, and make the required payments.
5 Detailed Design Review & Contruction
You will be required to submit a Detailed Design Review to ensure all requirements for the connection have been satisfied. NOTL Hydro will review the Detailed Design and provide feedback and/or approval.
Once the final design is approved you must complete the construction of the generation facility and then apply to the Electrical Safety Authority for an electrical inspection.
Concurrently NOTL Hydro and the Upstream Utility (if required) will perform the necessary work required for the connection.
6 Commissioning & Connection
NOTL Hydro will work with you to complete the final commissioning of your project. The cost for commissioning is detailed in the notes of the CIA Study Fee Schedule.
After the Electrical Safety Authority provides us with the electrical inspection “Connection Authorization”, NOTL Hydro will connect the generator to our Distribution System to allow for completion of the commissioning activities.
7 Final Authorization
Once all requirements and commissioning activities have been approved by NOTL Hydro, we will issue an authorization letter that permits the generator to operate within the parameters of their connection agreement.
8 Support
As DER connections vary in scope and complexity, NOTL Hydro will work closely with you during the entire project from application through commissioning.
Technical Requirements
NOTL Hydro follows the most recent version of the Hydro One TIR for technical interconnection requirements of DER:
– https://www.hydroone.com/business-services/generators/technical-requirements