Integrating Public Utilities with Private Generators

Integrating Public Utilities with Private Generators

On-Grid Connection of Private Generators

From my previous posts Challenges to Solar Power Solution in Nigeria, The Solar Power Solution and Electricity Industry in Nigeria, I have written about the challenges and solutions to Electricity Business in Nigeria; however, there is still an aspect that I am yet to write about.

Currently, all private generation of electricity is for private consumption in Nigeria. While running our private generators for homes and businesses, there are times when these generators are not capable of supplying all our energy needs and other times; these generators generate excess power for our consumption. All the excess power generated is usually wasted while the generators serve their lifetimes. Companies that possess high capacity generators can actually feed-in the excess power generated by them to the local Distribution Company and earn money or energy credits. Also, when private generators cannot generate enough power, it will augment with the power from the Distribution Company.

Smart Grid

There are yet to be policies from the NERC – Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission on integration of public power supply to private power generation. This is I believe is because of lack of constant electricity supply from the grid; thus, integrating private generators with the grid will be a failure. For generators to be integrated into the distribution network the private generators need to be synchronised with the public utility supply so as to maintain the same frequency; and since the public supply is not constant, integrating private generators to public utilities will definitely cause a rundown of these privately owned generators.  Another, problem that can cause failure in this integration is the poor distribution network in Nigeria.

Despite these challenges, it will be good to write about this solution, so that it can be a source of enlightenment for the public before it comes live on the system. When solar power generation becomes a popular choice in Nigeria, this information will come to be appreciated.

Net Metering

Net metering allows residential and commercial customers who generate their own electricity from solar power or any other means of power generation to feed electricity they do not use back into the grid. It is billing mechanism that credits private power generators for the electricity they feed into the grid. This system has being implemented in several countries, the United States of America, Denmark, Canada, India and many more. Net metering is designed to foster investment in renewable energy.

Net Metering

How does it work?

Net metering can be achieved with one or two electricity meters. For the one-meter system, it requires a meter that runs both forward and backward; this is to account for electricity consumed by the customer (forward) and the electricity fed into the grid by the customer (backward). The two-meter system, it requires two meters to measure separately the electricity consumed by the customer and the electricity fed into the grid by the customer, and then a calculation is done to determine the net position of the energy.

The advantage of net metering is that it gives utility customers a control over their energy bill. A solar powered home or business produce more electricity than they consume, this excess electricity can be exported to the grid during the day and consume electricity from the grid at night, thus eliminating the use of many energy storage systems such as bank of batteries. The customer can actually be feeding electricity into the grid without consuming from it if it has enough storage capacity to provide it own power at night; this will inevitably put the customer in a money making position.

Another advantage of net metering is that it provides substantial economic benefits in terms of business establishments - entrepreneurs and jobs as well - the installers, electricians, and manufacturers who work in the solar supply chain.

I hope this will come on stream soon in Nigeria; it will be of a great benefit to us as a nation.

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