GENERATE YOUR OWN ELECTRICITY TO SAVE ON UTILITY BILLS AND REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
These days you have more options than ever for generating your own residential electricity – and OPPD wants to assist you in setting up your rooftop solar panels, wind turbine or other customer-owned generation system in the safest and most economical way. If you’re thinking about going green at home, there are some important things to consider. OPPD has a list of Solar Trade Allies that are experienced professionals who have been trained by OPPD on the application process, met a list of qualifications and agreed to standards of conduct. For a list of participating Solar/Customer-Owned Generation Trade Allies, click HERE.
What is customer-owned generation?
You can create much of your household’s electricity using renewable forms of customer-owned generation. The most common types of renewable energy systems are photovoltaic solar panels and wind turbines, but people also use microturbine, fuel cell, biomass and hydro technologies.
Regardless of the type of system being considered, it first must be vetted by OPPD before interconnection with the electric grid. After approval and installation, customer-owners will be able to get credit on their utility bills for the energy they produce.
If customer-owned generation isn’t a good fit for you, but you still want to support renewable energy, check out our Community Solar and Greener Together programs.
What happens when there isn’t enough sun or wind to provide power?
Electricity from the OPPD grid is available at any given time if your home generation system isn’t producing enough power for your needs. Then when your rooftop solar panels, wind turbine or other system is running at capacity, you can sell back the excess energy to OPPD to offset your utility costs. This is called net metering.
How do I go about setting up a home generation system?
There are specific quick start steps you need to take. At the top of the list is contacting an accredited contractor(s) to ensure all electrical codes and OPPD requirements are taken into consideration during the project bids and design of your system. It’s crucial that we work together to ensure the system you’re considering will interface with the power grid. Proper communication with OPPD will help you avoid investing in incompatible equipment or overlooking safety protocols. As with all electrical equipment, safety should come first.
To apply for interconnect to the grid, have your installer complete a Customer-Owned Generation Application. If you are installing your own panels, fill out the following application for approval.
Contact OPPD anytime! We’re your energy partner and we’re here for you.
If you have questions about how to reduce your carbon footprint and save on utility bills with customer-owned generation, email productsandservices@oppd.com or call 531-226-3510. OPPD provides free consultation to ensure you’re on the right path to a successful generation purchase and installation. For business customers, email businesscustomerservice@oppd.com or contact your Account Executive or Senior Account Executive for more information.