Recording usage and generation
Australia's largest potential energy source
How does the metering work?
There are two methods of metering a grid connection, 'gross' and 'net'. With gross metering, all the energy produced feeds directly into the grid. The net metering option powers your home first, reducing or replacing your grid consumption. Then, if you're producing more than you're consuming, the excess will feed back into the grid and be recorded as 'export' on your bi-directional meter.
In order to accurately record the energy you return to the grid your current meter will be replaced with a ‘Smart Meter’ programmed to record energy flows in both directions. This records the energy you use from the grid (imported) and the energy you put into the grid (exported).
The Country Energy bi-directional meter?
Country Energy is currently installing the ‘A11’ model for single-phase connections and the ‘Q4’ model for three-phase connections. Both models record the energy you consume and export it in the same way a Smart Meter would.
Your energy use is classified according to the time period it’s used in – the three periods are Peak, Shoulder and Off-Peak. By monitoring this information, you can keep an eye on how much electricity you’re contributing to the grid and how much you’re taking out, instead of waiting for a bill to analyse your consumption patterns. By using the information recorded on your inverter and the bi-directional meter you’ll also be able to work out how much energy your home uses in total, not just how much you’ve imported from the grid.