Question 1

I already have solar. Did NEM 3 change my credits?

Accepted Answer

Probably not. Customers who interconnected under NEM 2.0 were told they keep those terms for a set period, commonly cited as about 20 years. Confirm your start date on your interconnection paperwork.

Question 2

Does the state rule apply to LADWP customers?

Accepted Answer

No. LADWP is a municipal utility that sets its own net metering rules. If the city of Los Angeles is your power provider, check LADWP's program directly rather than the state tariff.

Question 3

Do I need a battery now?

Accepted Answer

You are not required to have one. Without it, though, the low export credit makes solar-only payback much longer. Whether a battery pays off depends on your usage pattern and rate plan.

Question 4

Why did the export credits fall in the first place?

Accepted Answer

Regulators shifted credits from near the retail rate to something closer to avoided cost, roughly the wholesale value of that power. Because the grid already has so much midday solar, that value is low at the exact hours most rooftops export.

Analysis archive: every entry, most recent first

NEM 3 Changed the Payback Math. The Market Added a Battery.

Santa Monica went all-electric first. Two years on, what changed?

The school district's roofs and batteries, added up