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Net Energy Metering for Solar PV Systems

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Invest in Renewable Energy

Customers who invest in renewable energy by installing photovoltaic (PV) systems for their home or business can interconnect with the GRU electric system and receive credit for the solar energy they do not use.

Getting Started

Before buying solar panels or beginning construction, contact GRU at gru.com/contactus or 352-393-1413 for the most up-to-date information. 

Program Offer

Customers will be reimbursed for the excess electricity generated by their PV system, measured in kilowatt hours (kWh).

In the event that excess energy is exported to GRU’s electric distribution system, the excess energy will be credited to the customer at GRU’s current fuel adjustment rate.

Regardless of whether excess energy is delivered to the city's electric distribution system, the customer shall pay the applicable customer charge and/or the applicable demand charge for the maximum measured demand during each billing period pursuant to the applicable rate schedules.

Eligibility

  • Open to GRU electric customers.
  • PV modules must be UL- or ETL-listed.
  • Customer must obtain all necessary permits.
  • Final electrical connection must be performed by a licensed electrical contractor.
  • Tier 1 systems may maintain general liability insurance for personal injury and property damage in an amount of not less than $100,000. For government entities, the policy coverage shall not exceed the entity’s maximum liability established by law and proof of self-insurance consistent with law shall satisfy this requirement.
  • Tier 2 systems shall maintain general liability insurance for personal injury and property damage in an amount of at least  $1,000,000. For government entities, the policy coverage shall not exceed the entity’s maximum liability established by law and proof of self-insurance consistent with law shall satisfy this requirement.
  • Tier 3 systems shall maintain general liability insurance for personal injury and property damage in an amount of at least $2,000,000. For government entities, the policy coverage shall not exceed the entity’s maximum liability established by law and proof of self-insurance consistent with law shall satisfy this requirement.
  • Systems must comply with current City of Gainesville guidelines governing interconnection with the electric system and any subsequent revisions to these guidelines. Refer to GRU's Energy Delivery Service Guide for details.
  • Customer must sign an Interconnection Agreement.
  • Program details and rates are subject to change without notice.

Recommendations

  • Customer should consider getting a Solar Pathfinder report from the contractor that demonstrates that the PV system has a solar window of at least 70 percent and will not be shaded by trees, buildings or other structures.

Net Energy Metering (NEM) Process

  1. All email correspondence must be sent to DL_Solar@gru.com and the subject line must be the address where the system is or will be located.
  2. Contractor makes initial contact for new system(s) in an email with a Letter of Intent.  This is to verify that the utility circuit has sufficient capacity for the system and to confirm the proposed PV installation is not oversized.
  3. GRU will respond to the new system capacity requests and let the contractor know if a PV system could potentially be constructed on that circuit. This usually takes one to two business days. Capacity request approvals are honored for one year. After one year of inactivity, GRU will rescind the approval. 
  4. Once approval from GRU is received, contractor can submit an email with the following items (examples available in the Energy Delivery Service Guide, Section 8):
    • One-line electrical diagram (submitted by contractor)
    • Mounting elevation drawing (submitted by contractor) 
    • Location site plan (submitted by contractor) (Tier 2 and 3 only)
    • Solar panel layout (submitted by contractor) (Tier 2 and 3 only)
  5. GRU Engineering and Metering will review the drawings. The technical review of the installation drawings can take on average 4 to 5 weeks. GRU encourages contractors to submit technical drawings right after the capacity request is approved. If there are any issues, they will email you with any comments or concerns. If revisions to the drawings are requested, this step in the process can take longer than the initially stated period.
  6. During step 4, the contractor or customer can submit the following completed documents:
  7. Once GRU has approved all of the drawings (Step 4) and has received all of the completed documents (Step 6), then the Interconnection Agreement is executed.
  8. Contractor installs solar PV system.
  9. The City or County Inspector will inspect the newly installed system and notify GRU. This step usually takes 2-3 business days.
    • Contractor emails a copy of the completed permit to GRU
    • GRU initiates the installation of the NEM meter.
  10. GRU metering will set the new meter and perform an acceptance test. 

Questions?

For additional information, please call our New Services Department at 352-393-1413.

Disclaimer

GRU makes no guarantees as to any savings that may be achieved by installing PV systems. GRU is not a manufacturer, supplier or guarantor of the PV systems or installers. GRU has not made and makes no representations or warranties of any nature, directly or indirectly, express or implied, as to performance of the installer or reliability, performance, durability, condition or quality of the PV system selected and purchased.