Solar 101: Buying and Selling from the Grid
When most people think about going solar, they imagine sunlight hitting panels, electricity flowing into their home, and lower bills at the end of the month. That’s true — but the real magic of solar happens in how your home interacts with the grid.
Solar isn’t just about producing power; it’s about buying and selling it intelligently. And thanks to Alberta’s net billing system, your home can act like a miniature power plant — drawing power when you need it, and selling it back when you don’t.
Let’s break down how it works, what net metering really means, and how seasonality, batteries, and new rate structures make this system even more powerful.
🔁 What Is Net Billing?
Net billing is the simplest way to understand your relationship with the grid as a solar homeowner.
When your panels generate electricity, your home uses it first. If your system makes more than you need in that moment — for example, on a bright summer afternoon when you’re at work — the excess power flows back to the grid.
Your utility company tracks that flow both ways using a bi-directional meter — one that measures what you draw from the grid and what you send to it.
At the end of the month, you’re billed (or credited) only for the net difference between what you used and what you produced.
Think of it like a bank account for energy: you deposit power during the day, withdraw it at night, and at the end of the month, your “energy balance” determines whether you owe money or get credits.
⚙️ How Net Billing Works in Alberta
Alberta’s Microgeneration Regulation makes this system possible. Homeowners can connect solar systems up to 5 MW in size (that’s enormous — most homes are under 20 kW) and automatically receive credits on their bill for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) they export.
Most providers give you credit at the same retail rate you pay per kWh. So if you’re paying 18¢/kWh, you’ll also earn 18¢ for every kWh you export. These credits roll over month to month. If you overproduce in June and July, you’ll draw on those credits during the darker winter months when production dips.
At Intricate Renewables, we size every system with this balance in mind — maximizing annual offset rather than simply peak production. The goal isn’t to “give away” electricity for free; it’s to smooth out your energy flow across all seasons so you stay close to net-zero consumption over the year.
🌤️ The Rhythm of the Seasons
One of the most common questions we get is:
“What happens when my system produces more in summer and less in winter?”
Great question — and it’s completely normal.
Solar energy production in Alberta follows the sun’s path through the seasons:
May to August: Long, sunny days mean you’ll often overproduce. Your system may generate 120–140% of your household needs during these peak months.
September to October: Shoulder season — still productive, but gradually balancing out.
November to February: Short days, low sun angles, and snow mean underproduction. You’ll use more power from the grid and lean on your banked summer credits.
March to April: The sunlight starts returning fast — panels wake up, snow reflection boosts output, and credits rebuild.
If you visualize your year as a curve, you’re a buyer in winter and a seller in summer.
It’s a bit like being a farmer: you “harvest” energy during summer and live off your stored value during winter.
This is where smart system design and proper sizing matter. At Intricate Renewables, we analyze your utility history, roof orientation, and Alberta solar irradiance data to right-size your array — large enough to offset your annual usage, but not so large that you permanently overproduce and lose credit rollover value.
🏠 Buying from the Grid — Your Invisible Backup
Even the best solar systems need a helping hand at night or during cloudy stretches.
When your panels aren’t producing, your home automatically draws power from the grid. You don’t need to flip switches or change settings — it’s seamless.
The grid acts as your infinite backup battery.
It’s the perfect partnership: you produce clean energy locally and reduce your draw when the sun’s out, while still having access to reliable power whenever you need it.
Think of it like growing your own food in the summer and shopping at the grocery store in winter — you’re not off the grid, you’re just more self-sufficient.
☀️ Selling to the Grid — When You’re the Power Plant
During the middle of the day, especially in summer, your solar array might produce more power than your home can use.
Instead of wasting that electricity, it automatically feeds back to the grid — helping power your neighbours’ homes and earning you credits in return.
Example:
In June, you produce 800 kWh.
You use 600 kWh.
The extra 200 kWh flows to the grid.
On your July bill, you’ll see 200 kWh credited.
When you hit darker months later in the year, those credits apply automatically to offset what you draw back.
🧮 What Happens When You Overproduce?
If your solar system consistently generates more power annually than your home consumes, you’ll end up with leftover credits at the end of the year.
Most Alberta retailers reset credits annually, so while you don’t lose value mid-year, you won’t get paid out cash either — the system is designed for self-sufficiency, not profit-making.
That’s why Intricate Renewables always designs with “annual balance” in mind. We aim for roughly 95–105% annual offset — enough to cover your lifestyle and consumption changes without overshooting into excess production that goes unused.
🔋 How Batteries Fit Into the Equation
Net metering already helps you “store” value on the grid, but batteries let you store energy directly at home — physically, not virtually. We unpack this even more in our post Batteries - Why Bother? but provide a summary below.
Here’s why that matters:
Time-of-Use Rates: When Alberta transitions to time-based pricing, battery systems can discharge during expensive peak hours (late afternoon and evening), while solar recharges them during the day.
Export Limits: If your utility restricts how much power you can export, a battery can soak up the extra energy instead of capping your system.
Reduced transmission and distribution charges: Every kWh you import has an energy charge and distribution and transmission charge associated even if you just exported the same energy earlier in the day. By storing on site, you save these extra costs.
Outage Protection: Batteries keep your essential loads running even if the grid goes down — something net metering alone can’t do.
Grid-tied + battery systems turn you from a passive participant into an active energy manager.
⚖️ The Future of Buying and Selling Power
Alberta is already moving toward time-of-use (TOU) pricing, where electricity costs vary throughout the day. This is like surge pricing with airlines or your rideshare app.
In this future, when you buy or sell power matters as much as how much you use.
Midday solar exports will coincide with lower wholesale rates.
Evening consumption will align with peak grid strain and higher costs.
Batteries and smart inverters will automatically optimize energy flow to minimize costs and maximize value.
Homes with solar and storage will be able to “play the market,” charging up when rates are low and discharging (or selling) when rates peak — automatically, through software.
This shift transforms homeowners from consumers into prosumers — producers and consumers combined.
The next phase of Alberta’s energy evolution isn’t just green — it’s intelligent.
📈 Trends We’re Seeing
At Intricate Renewables, we’re watching a few major trends unfold:
Bigger systems meeting export caps. Utilities limiting grid export (e.g., 8 kW max) are driving homeowners toward hybrid solar + battery systems that use the excess locally.
Shift toward “energy independence.” Homeowners increasingly want control — not just savings.
Smarter inverters and microgrid capabilities. New hybrid inverters can automatically switch between grid-tied and off-grid operation.
Seasonal balancing strategies. Clients are asking for systems designed to overproduce in summer and coast through winter with stored energy and rollover credits.
Policy momentum. AUC’s movement toward TOU pricing will make timing as important as generation.
We’re engineering every system today with those tomorrow-conditions in mind — making sure what you install now stays relevant for decades.
🧾 The Fine Print — Meters, Connections, and Agreements
Getting set up for net metering in Alberta is simpler than most people think.
Here’s what’s involved:
Bi-directional meter: Installed or reconfigured by your utility to measure both import and export.
Interconnection agreement: Paperwork filed with your Wire Service Provider (WSP) to confirm system size and safety compliance.
Electrical inspection and approval: Intricate Renewables handles this for every project, ensuring compliance with Alberta’s Microgeneration Regulation.
Once your system passes inspection, it’s turned on — and from that point, your meter starts “counting both ways.”
🧠 Wrapping It Up
Solar power isn’t just about energy generation — it’s about energy management. You’re not disconnected from the grid; you’re participating in it. You buy power when you need it, sell it when you can, and over the course of a year, you find balance.
At Intricate Renewables, we design every solar system to make that balance work for you — engineered by Professional Engineers (P.Eng.), optimized for Alberta’s sunlight and seasons, and tailored to your energy profile.
Because solar isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s personal — to your roof, your lifestyle, and your goals.
Curious how much you could offset or earn in credits each year? Let’s design a system that makes the grid work for you — not the other way around. Contact us today to GO SOLAR.
