Renewable Energy Solutions For Businesses

Net Energy Billing and Community Solar | Local Hydropower | Virtual Net Metering | GIS Accounts

Net Energy Billing and Community Solar

A net energy billing (NEB) program allows participants to offset their electric bill through renewable energy resource output. Each month, the utility provides a credit on the participant’s electric bill. The credit value is equal to the amount of energy (kWh) produced by the generator multiplied by the Net Energy Tariff Rate set by the commission each year. Once the generation facility sends power to the utility grid, participating accounts receive monetary credits based on the energy generated on their behalf, resulting in a cost reduction of up to 15%.
Benefits of NEB and Community Solar include:
  • There is no cost to participate.
  • It’s simple. Participants enroll to be off-takers of a local project, receive credits, and then remit a portion of those credits back to the solar developer.
  • NEB directly supports the development of local renewable generation facilities connected to the grid.
  • Participants can save up to 15% on electricity costs, including T&D costs.
  • The is no investment required or use of the participant’s property or rooftop space.
Community Solar programs exist in numerous states throughout the country, although some regions are in earlier stages of development. Freedom Energy works with a variety of solar developers, primarily in the northeast region.
Where available, community solar programs allow clients to participate as an off-taker of locally owned and operated solar facilities, contributing to the local state’s green energy future while also realizing significant budget savings.
Freedom Energy views this as a natural next step as net metering policy evolves, allowing for all clients, mainly those not well suited for onsite solar projects, to realize the benefits. Each solar developer offers various products. Our energy advisors will advocate for the solution and agreement that best suits the client’s business objectives and works in conjunction with your competitive electricity contract, allowing for comprehensive benefits and easy integration.

Local Hydropower

Freedom Energy currently works with several hydro assets providing locally produced green energy for our clients.
As early as 2016, our team finalized an innovative method of electricity supply purchasing. Utilizing research on HB1116, we created a unique power purchasing arrangement between the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and local hydropower generators within the same utility. Dubbed Direct-to-Green, this method is unlike traditional REC (Renewable Energy Certificates) purchasing from wind farms across the nation, now giving clients access to locally produced green energy.
In 2021, Central Rivers Power selected Freedom Energy as the group net metering administrator for four of its hydro assets interconnected in New Hampshire. The portfolio, which produces approximately 40,000 megawatt hours of renewable electricity per year, includes Gorham Hydro, Canaan Hydro, Jackman Hydro, and Hooksett Hydro, each located in the towns of Gorham, Stewartstown, Hillsborough, and Hooksett, respectively.

Virtual Net Metering

Virtual net metering (VNM) allows eligible renewable generators to sell their production to the utility at the default service rate, but to do so; they must partner with virtual off-takers. To entice virtual off-takers to partner with them, they offer a share of the payment they receive from the utility as a rebate. By pledging usage to eligible offsite renewable generators, participants support their contribution to a renewable future and earn rebates. Freedom Energy has renewable generators ready to go with client-friendly contracts and will work with clients to take advantage of available VNM opportunities.
Benefits of virtual net metering include:
  • Make money by using energy
  • Nothing to buy or install
  • Achieve sustainability goals
  • Use electricity, as usual; no modifications in behavior are required
  • Support Local Renewable Generators
  • No disruption of current or future 3rd party electricity contracts

GIS Accounts

The local power pool administers Generation Information System (GIS) accounts. The system tracks renewable certificates from generation and load supplied. A supplier that purchases RECs to satisfy the RPS requirements in each state enters those transactions into their GIS account; with the purpose of tracking and compliance.
Freedom Energy can assist in setting up GIS accounts for clients. A municipal client, for example, could have their own account, as opposed to the supplier purchasing additional RECs through the contract. The supplier would then enter the RECs into their account, showing actual ownership of the RECs.
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