Generating
and Selling Your Own Electricity
We work with our
customers to obtain permission from the local District Network
Operator (DNO) to connect a wind turbine to their electrical
infrastructure or grid system. You will also need an agreement with
an electricity supplier (not necessarily the same as the DNO) who
will buy your generated electricity and claim your ROC's.
Electricity generated
from a wind turbine can be used to provide power directly to your
property and essentially displace electricity that you would
otherwise have had to buy in. As the cost of electricity rises then
the real value of this locally generated electricity increases.
If there is a surplus
of electricity over and above the demand on your property then you
can sell that surplus to one of the electricity supply companies. Of
course, there will be times in a day and at various times in the
year when you may not be producing enough power to provide for your
needs. In most cases, therefore, a grid connection is essential to
provide continuity and stability of energy supply.
Finally, your locally
generated electricity has a value (the so-called ROC value) which is
variable in terms of £ per Mw produced but which is given to all
'green energy' produced by a generator regardless of whether it is
used on site or exported to the grid. For more on ROCs
click this link.
There are a number of
electricity suppliers offering a range of schemes. Shop around to
find the one that suits you. There is considerable competition in
this market and new companies are coming into the market all the
time.
In most cases you
should be asking your energy supplier to change your electricity
meter for a so-called Smart meter that measures both import and
export of electricity.
Planning permission
Small-scale wind installations do require planning permission
from the relevant authorities and consultation with any
stakeholders, such as neighbours. For further information on
planning issues regarding turbines, please consult the Planning
Policy Statement on the Communities and Local Government website.
Click here for information.
npower Juice
Information
on their scheme can be found
via this link .
Microgeneration
information
can be found
here.
EDF Energy
EDF
Energy has a small scale domestic renewable energy Power Purchase
Agreement (‘buy back’ arrangement) that is available for EDF
customers with renewable energy installations.
The
agreement covers all types of renewable energy technology in
residential situations up to 10kW of installed load. There are two
payment options are available:-
Option A
– (Metered) The current domestic export rate is
7.64p per unit (kWh) for Wind Power Systems.
Option B
– (Un-metered) £10.00 per kW of installed load
per annum.
For more information visit their
website:
http://www.edfenergy.com
Good Energy
Good
Energy has four generator schemes: Home Generation, Offgrid
Generation, Smart Generation and Commercial Generation.
Details of the schemes can be found on their
Generate Your Own
page.
Good
Energy's Home Generation scheme
is designed to support people with 'microgenerators'
such as solar panels and micro wind turbines, by paying them
for every unit of electricity that they generate. This
includes the units they use themselves.
The government states that 40% of the UK's
electricity could come from microgeneration by 2050. We want to help
make this a reality. Good Energy knows small-scale renewable
generation inside out: it's not only our business, it's our passion.
Is Home Generation right for me?
Good Energy have designed this scheme for
people who use most of the electricity they generate themselves, and
don't 'export'
much electricity back the local electricity grid. This means that Home
Generators do not need an export meter. To join our Home Generation
scheme, your generator will usually have:
Good Energy's
Offgrid scheme is designed for people
whose homes are powered entirely by a renewable generator such as a
wind turbine or solar PV panel, and are not connected to the national
grid system.
Good Energy pays Offgrid Generators 4.5p for
every unit of electricity they generate - even though they use it all
themselves. Offgrid Generators need to have an installed capacity
of less than 10kW
Good Energy's
Smart Generation scheme is set up to
reward large domestic or small commercial renewable generators. Smart
Generators produce significantly more electricity than is used on
site, and so are paid for the excess electricity they export back to
the local electricity grid. We make the whole process simpler which
helps to encourage more people to generate their own electricity.
Is Smart Generation right for me?
This scheme is designed to fill the gap
between
Home Generators
and
large commercial generators. To
join Smart Generation, your generator should have:
Good Energy
Smart Generators are paid for two elements of the electricity
generated:
-
Export Benefit.
Good Energy
pay for every unit of renewable electricity that is exported to the
local electricity grid less an annual charge for metering the
export. Export payments are made every quarter. These payments are
based on monthly export meter readings sent to Good Energy by the
generator and for the transfer of LECs from the Smart Generator to
Good Energy.
-
Renewable Benefit
(ROCs & REGOs). Smart Generators are also paid for every
unit of electricity they generate - including the units used on
site. The
Total Generation Meter records
every MWh of renewable benefit comprised of ROCs and REGOs that are
produced. A minimum number of issued ROCs must be transferred to
Good Energy in a single batch before the Smart Generator can be
paid.
Good Energy's Commercial
Generation Scheme seeks new generators (> 75Kw) to
enter into a tailor-made Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). They can
guarantee generators a fixed price for their power over a long period
if required. They are looking for renewable energy generators capable
of exporting at least several hundred Mega Watt Hours (MWh) per year
Green Energy
For details on selling
energy to Green Energy
click here.
With the cost of an export meter at
£54.75 a year (15 p a day) they estimate that
you’ll need to export 2000kwh or 2
Mw every year just to offset the costs of the meter.
If you are generating less than
2000kwh per year it will probably not be worth registering
to export to the National Grid BUT it is worth
selling the ROC's.
They
pay generators for
both the electricity they generate and where applicable for
the ROC's accumulated. Call on 0845 456 9550 and ask for
the Sell us Energy prices.
If you will be generating
electricity and exporting to the National Grid but your
on-site use is minimal choose
Sell us Energy B
where they buy both the exported electricity and
the ROC's relating to that export. (You may want to do this
if virtually all the electricity generated is sold as it
simplifies meter reading and administration).
If you are selling the ROC's elsewhere but
want Green Energy to sell the electricity you are exporting then
Sell us Energy C would
be the best option.
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