Get the Facts

Want to support green energy? Interested in reducing your carbon footprint? Think you will save on your energy costs? These are the primary drivers leading many homeowners to explore residential solar. However, as attractive and popular as rooftop solar may appear, it is important for our Orange County REMC members to fully understand its true costs, how it really works and what their energy savings might be.

Consider these before proceeding with solar

You must notify Orange County REMC of your intent to install a distributed generation system by initiating an interconnection application and submit a detailed one-line diagram. This is to protect your fellow cooperative consumer-members and to ensure lineworkers and other Orange County REMC employees are not put in harm’s way. There are a number of safeguards that must be put into place with member-owned generation systems.

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You are liable and responsible for your new solar panels

It will be your name on the Application and Agreement, not your solar contractor’s. Make sure you have read and understand how it works and what it means. Do not leave it to your contractor to “handle it.”

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You will still receive an Orange County REMC bill

Your residential solar system will only produce energy when the sun is shining. Cloudy days can result in a 60-70 percent reduction in energy production, and all the way to zero production on rainy days. The electric grid does not act as battery storage for any excess generation your system produces. Therefore, Orange County REMC is your backup power supplier at night or when your system’s energy production does not meet your demand for electricity. Don’t be fooled by promises from your solar contractor that you will no longer receive a power bill.

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Orange County REMC will buy any excess power

Yes, Orange County REMC will purchase any excess power your system generates that you don’t use. However, it is not a one-for-one offset. We will purchase excess power at current wholesale power rates — 4 cents per kWh — not current retail rates.

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Installing solar could be right for you. Call your trusted electric cooperative for realistic savings expectations in order to help you make an informed decision. 

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