October 12, 2020
National Grid has launched net crediting for community solar (CDG) projects receiving value stack compensation and is now accepting applications for enrollment in the program. Net crediting will further simplify the CDG process for both hosts and subscribers, streamlining payments for easier participation in community solar programs. The National Grid Net Crediting Manual offers full details of the program.
What is CDG Net Crediting?
Net crediting offers a consolidated billing approach to community solar. For electricity consumers who subscribe to a distributed generation provider, for either all or some of their electricity supply, the one-bill solution of net crediting simplifies the entire process. Consolidated billing allows for the on-bill recovery of the CDG subscription fee. This fee would have otherwise been remitted directly from the CDG satellite to the CDG sponsor, adding an unnecessary extra layer to the whole process. With net crediting, the community solar subscription process is streamlined for all parties involved. With the adoption of this net crediting approach, National Grid is hoping to further grow the community distributed generation market.
Eligibility for National Grid Net Crediting
Net crediting is available for all CDG projects which are located within National Grid’s New York service territory and receive value stack compensation. As of October 1, 2020, net crediting enrollment is open via the nCAP portal.
How to Apply for National Grid Net Crediting
In order to submit a net crediting application, you must sign into the nCAP portal. An enrollment application is initiated by choosing ‘New Net Crediting Application’ and selecting ‘Enroll’. Once the applicant has submitted sufficient information, a Net Crediting Agreement will be generated. This agreement can be signed within the portal, or sent to the applicant for an offline signature. The applicant must also submit ACH and W-9 forms for vendor set up in National Grid’s accounts payable system, and National Grid will supply instructions for this portion of the enrollment process. Once vendor approval has been secured, National Grid will countersign and return the Net Crediting Agreement. Once the Net Crediting Agreement has been returned by National Grid, you will be advised that net crediting enrollment is approved.
As you move through the enrollment process, there are five different status stages:
Submitted
Awaiting Signature
Awaiting ACH Information
Awaiting Counter-Signature
Approved
The enrollment period could take up to 60 days, so you can expect net crediting to begin within 2-3 host billing cycles from the time of enrollment—as long as the applicant submits the necessary information and documentation in a timely and correct manner.
How to Unenroll from Net Crediting
Unenrollment is also completed via the nCAP portal. You can initiate an unenrollment request by choosing ‘New Net Crediting Application’ and selecting ‘unenroll’. You must submit a termination letter, as well as the original net crediting agreement, as part of the unenrollment request. Once the unenrollment request has been approved, National Grid will let you know upon which host billing cycle net crediting will end.
National Grid is also open to further questions about net crediting and other CDG topics. To submit a question, head to the National Grid website at this link, and navigate to the ‘Contact Us’ tab on the left side of the page. You will be able to enter your query here. For further information about National Grid CDG Net Crediting, check out the National Grid website at this link.
Community Solar: New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts
Community solar is rapidly gaining momentum across the country, with the Northeastern United States looking particularly strong in terms of CDG growth. States like New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts are further embracing community solar projects as they strive towards clean energy futures. You can find further information on community solar for each of these states by clicking on the links below:
In addition to the links above, National Grid CDG has different homepages for each of the aforementioned states:
Community solar is opening up solar for everyone, removing barriers to entry and providing easy access to solar savings—even if you are unable to install panels on your property. Contact YSG Solar today to find a community solar subscription in your area. YSG will guide you through the entire subscription process. Send us an email or call at 212.389.9215 to learn more.
YSG Solar is a project development vehicle responsible for commoditizing energy infrastructure projects. We work with long-term owners and operators to provide clean energy assets with stable, predictable cash flows. YSG's market focus is distributed generation and utility-scale projects located within North America.
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