Some of our environmentally-minded members consider installing and interconnecting distributed renewable generation equipment (such as wind turbines or solar panels) behind their retail service meter to offset a portion of their electricity usage.
Menard Electric encourages member-owned generation (also known as distributed generation) if installed in a safe, cost effective, and environmentally-friendly manner.
We offer two settlement options - Net Metering and Net Billing*
Our Net Metering Program allows members to install member-owned generation until the total percentage of installed capacity equals 5% of our annual demand (kW) coincident with our Power Supplier's annual demand during the previous calendar year. The percentage of installed capacity as of 9/5/24 is 3.5%.
If you are considering installation of distributed generation, see these 5 steps below.
Please contact us as a first step if you are interested in installing distributed generation (i.e. wind or solar). Our Engineering team can be reached by phone at 800-872-1203 or by email at info@menard.com.
We will give you information on our policies and answer any questions you may have. As with any construction decision, we suggest you perform a complete analysis of all the associated costs to determine if a return on your investment is plausible.
To facilitate an independent financial analysis, please see this Capital Cost Analysis Tool. We are happy to share your average cost per kilowatt-hour for energy purchased.
For those specifically interested in solar, check out Touchstone Energy's 10 Steps to Take Before Considering Solar.
The policies our Engineering team will assist with are located here:
Interconnection and Parallel Operation of Distributed Generation Policy
**This policy incorporates several Attachments that are provided in the Steps below
Interconnection of and Service to Qualifying Facilities under PURPA
Once you feel comfortable with how the system will integrate with Menard Electric, and have researched all the costs involved, you’ll be well prepared to find an installer.
Applying to interconnect to the Menard Electric distribution system is a key step in the process as it provides you a position in our queue. During this phase, our Engineering team will gather the specific characteristics of your project to use in performing an impact analysis of your system operating in parallel with our system.
With your authority, our Engineering team will gladly work directly with the developer you’ve chosen to design and install your system.
Be sure to fill out and return your Interconnection Application when ready.
Now that we know all the specifics of your system, we can assess its impact to ensure it interconnects correctly and safely with our system.
Our Engineering team will discuss any final details with you, or your developer if authorized. Based on the size of your system and the location of interconnection, we may need to include our Power Supplier in the analysis and approval process.
We will contact you when approval of your application is complete. We will also provide you with a written cost estimate of any equipment necessary to accommodate the interconnection, including the need for possible upgrades, improvements or operational restrictions.
Thereafter, your developer may commence installation of the system at any time.
Feel free to contact our Engineering team as your system is being installed if any questions arise. The recommended specifications for proper wiring and locating the required lockable disconnect device at the point of interconnection are available in this Diagram. It is imperative this disconnect remain open and locked until the Cooperative performs its final inspection.
Once installation is complete, BEFORE the system is energized, contact our Engineering team to make an appointment for inspection of the system.
This is also an ideal time to perform a final review of our Agreement for Interconnection and Parallel Operation of Distributed Generation to assure you are ready for interconnection.
Agreement for Interconnection between Member and Co-op (Attachment B)
The day has finally arrived! A member of our Engineering team and an Area Serviceman will meet at your service location to inspect the point of interconnection; we refer to this as performing the Witness Test. Provided you have satisfied the conditions precedent in the Interconnection Agreement and provided the Cooperative finds the system safe, reliable and operationally functional, a dual-register meter will be installed and your system will be energized.
While on-site, the Engineer will collect all charges and obtain signature(s) on the Agreement for Interconnection. A fully-executed copy of the Agreement will be returned to you, along with an Authorization to Energize Letter for your files.
Authorization to Energize Letter sample (Attachment C)
You are now a proud distributed generation member of the Cooperative. Congratulations!
For those members Net Metering and Net Billing their electric service, your future bills will look different as you begin generating energy.
Analogous to the dual-register meter installed at the service location, Menard Electric billing statements for distributed generation service locations provide 2 kilowatt-hour readings – Kwh usage “Delivered” and Kwh usage “Received.” It’s important to remember, the terms “Delivered” and “Received” reflect the Cooperative’s perspective. Delivered Kwhs represent the energy we deliver to the service location for your load. Received Kwhs represent the excess kilowatt-hours your generation system produced at the service location.
Net Meter Services
For a system that is Net Metered, the net of Kwhrs Received minus Kwhrs Delivered, if positive, is Banked for the billing period. We display on the front of each net metered billing statement the usage Banked for the period, in addition to the cumulative energy Banked for the calendar year. Energy charges are assessed on the net of kWhs Delivered minus kWhs Received, if positive, at the retail rate and in accordance with our Net Metering Policy.
Find here an Attestation of Net Metering if you or your SREC Program require.
Here are two examples of how your Net Metered bill might appear:
1) Jane Doe has a large system that generated more energy than she used during the month. See her sample bill here.
2) John Doe has a smaller system that offset only a portion of his energy usage during the month. See his sample bill here.
Net Bill Services
For a system that is Net Billed, energy charges are assessed during the billing period at the member's respective retail rate for kWhs Delivered, whereas the member is provided a credit at our avoided cost for kWhs Received in accordance with our Net Billing Policy.
An example of how your Net Billed monthly bill might appear can be seen here for James Doe. See his sample bill here.