Will a smart meter work with my solar panels?

Home solar panels are an excellent investment. They reduce your monthly energy costs, provide completely clean and renewable energy to power your home, they’re very durable, and they last for decades. With nearly half of all U.S. electricity customers now using smart meters, many people wonder if solar panels are compatible with smart meter systems.

Smart meters measure your gas and electricity usage the same way a traditional meter does. But instead of an employee from the utility company coming to read your traditional meter every so often, or you needing to submit meter readings to your supplier, smart meters automatically send the readings to your energy company. Additionally, smart meters come with a screen called an In-Home Display (IHD) that shows your current gas and electricity consumption in real time, allowing you to keep an eye on your regular usage.

The good news is that solar panels and smart meters are somewhat compatible, but not fully. If you’re drawing any additional energy from the grid, your IHD will show you exactly how much you’re using and how much it costs you so you’ll know exactly how much your monthly bill will be. What your smart meter will not be able to tell you is how much energy you’re generating via your solar panels, and how much energy you’ve generated that you’re able to sell back. 

Energy companies are constantly at work improving their smart meters, so it’s likely that we’ll soon see a smart meter that is fully compatible with home solar panels, meaning you’ll be able to measure exactly how much energy your solar panels are generating to power your home, and you’ll be able to see how much energy you’re selling back to the grid.

Home solar panel installation and maintenance

If you’ve been considering installing a solar system, now is a great time to invest in completely clean and renewable energy for your home. In addition to saving you money on your monthly energy bills, solar panels require minimum maintenance and have an average lifespan of around 30 years. Solar panel maintenance is very affordable and can be carried out once a year by your solar panel installer. 

You can have a smart meter and solar panels in your home, and enjoy the benefits of both. If you’re unsure about the best option for you, we recommend contacting your local solar panel installer, who will be able to tell you what’s best for your situation. 

For more information about home solar systems in Morris County, NJ, or if you have questions about solar panel maintenance, please contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.