By Ryan Kennedy
Behind-the-meter solar for homes, businesses, and communities comes with numerous benefits, said a paper from Stanford engineering professor Mark Jacobson.projects can generally be placed in two buckets: they are either large utility-scale ground mounted projects connected to the grid, or they are smaller, distributed projects, typically 20 MW in capacity or less.
In California, and in many other U.S. states, smaller, distributed projects, particularly ones located behind-the-meter, are under attack from utilities and state legislatures, often being scapegoated for high electricity rates. A paper by Mark Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering, Stanford University, explains why we should be supporting behind-the-meter solar installations nationwide.
Distributed, small-scale solar projects are often classified as either behind-the-meter (BTM), or front-of-the-meter (FOM), depending on how they are connected to the grid.
FOM systems are connected to grid distribution lines, they serve buildings directly, minimizing the need for building additional transmission lines. Distribution lines are connected to transmission lines, so FOM solar can also feed its electricity to the transmission system. They are, therefore, subject to the same market and grid connection rules as are utility PV systems.
Behind-the-meter systems are typically smaller than FOM systems, and are often installed on buildings, over parking lots, hillsides, yards, and vacant lots that service buildings directly. Any excess electricity production from these systems can be sent back to the grid, and if the system does not meet 100% of demand, it can draw power from the grid.
“Grid operators generally oppose BTM distributed PV because its first impact is to reduces demand for grid electricity,” said Jacobson. “Utilities claim that the remaining customers must pay a higher cost for the remaining demand, mostly because the fixed cost of the transmission and distribution system is now spread over fewer customers.”