Before comparing a solar proposal described as “NEM 3.0,” confirm which billing arrangement applies to your electricity account. A plan name alone does not establish your export credit, total bill, eligibility or financial return.
The California Public Utilities Commission’s net energy metering and net billing overview explains the Net Billing Tariff, which the large investor-owned utilities call the Solar Billing Plan. The CPUC solar consumer guide also identifies this arrangement as NEM 3. These sources concern California; do not apply that label as a nationwide tariff.
This guide helps you review documents and questions. It does not quote current utility prices or calculate a return for your property.
Confirm the Account and Applicable Documents
Start with your bill, electricity provider, service address, existing agreement and any proposed system changes. Ask the provider to identify the applicable tariff and the documents that establish your account’s treatment.
A neighbour’s system or a general installation date does not establish your eligibility or continued access to an older arrangement. Ask how the particular proposal, account change or system modification would be treated before accepting an estimate.
Keep the document version and effective date with the comparison. Where the answer is unclear, request written clarification rather than substituting an old article’s table.
Existing solar-roof photograph retained for context, not evidence of a Grus installation, a particular billing arrangement or a financial result. Use existing records; do not access a roof or electrical equipment to complete these checks.
Separate Export Credits From the Whole Bill
The CPUC explains that under net billing, compensation for excess generation exported to the grid is applied to the customer’s bill. Do not assume an exported unit has the same financial value as a unit bought from the grid.
Use the account’s actual documents to answer these questions:
| Question | Information to request |
|---|---|
| How are imports charged? | The applicable rate schedule, time periods and other bill components. |
| How are exports credited? | The applicable export schedule, timing and conditions. |
| How are credits settled? | The billing and settlement periods, rollover treatment and any expiry or payout conditions. |
| Are extra credits or incentives included? | The particular programme, eligibility, duration and written terms. |
| What remains payable? | The charges and obligations not covered by the proposed credit calculation. |
A rate table without its applicable period and account conditions is not enough to estimate a household’s outcome. This article does not supply a universal export price, reduction percentage or promise of a zero bill.
Ask What the Estimate Includes
Request the usage record, generation estimate, rate assumptions, comparison period and total project costs behind a proposal. Keep measured information separate from forecasts.
Check whether the comparison includes financing, ongoing charges, maintenance and replacement assumptions where relevant. Ask what happens to the result if usage, generation or prices differ from the forecast.
If the inputs are incomplete, leave the return unresolved. Another household’s result or a generic payback period cannot establish the outcome for your account. For bill-reading questions, use the bill comparison guide.
Evaluate Battery and Backup Claims Separately
If a proposal includes storage, request a comparison with and without it using clearly stated assumptions and costs. Ask how any claimed billing benefit was calculated rather than assuming that adding a battery improves the return.
Treat backup operation as a separate system question. Request the exact equipment documentation, proposed scope and professional confirmation of which functions are included. A billing-plan description does not demonstrate outage operation or establish a particular equipment combination’s suitability.
This guide does not provide installation, wiring, panel-opening or operating-setting instructions.
Choose the Next Source for the Unanswered Question
Use the CPUC overview for the policy framework and your electricity provider for the tariff and account-specific answer. For proposal-review questions, start with the CPUC solar consumer guide.
If you need additional measurements after reviewing existing records, consult the energy monitor buying guide. Confirm the exact model’s documented readings and suitability; a monitoring product is not, by itself, a utility billing meter, a battery controller or proof of a financial benefit.
For missing Grus documents, use Manuals and Downloads or Grus support. Describe the information you need without performing electrical work to prepare the enquiry.
