Frequently Asked Questions

While adding solar may lower your electric bill, the initial cost may be cost prohibitive to many customers.  One has to ask themselves the following questions: 

1. Have I considered the initial cost?
2. Have I considered the cost for the upkeep of the system? (snow, hail, technology upgrades, removal & re-install for roof replacement, etc.) 
3. How much more will I need to pay for insurance monthly, if any? Get quotes for DER Insurance Requirements (PDF).
4. How much will I need to generate, do I have enough area for panel count needed? 
5. Are my numbers correct for my cost payback analysis, and what if my power provider changes their rate structure? 
6. Have I done everything I already can to lower my electric bill (change bulbs to LED, service my appliances, unplug items when not in use, seal windows/doors, etc.)?

We applaud all customers who want to lower their carbon footprint and green power will certainly help. Make sure to check out the programs that are offered by your power provider. AMU offers all customers the ability to choose how much green power they want to purchase from us. By paying extra for the green power you can designate whether part or all of your power is through renewables and you won’t have the costs associated with upkeep of your system.

Not at this time.  AMU, along with a number of other Public Power providers in the area, already deliver more renewable power than the 25% required by the legislation at this time. In our opinion, it is more cost effective to have a collaborative purchase power agreement with other Public Power providers so that we are better able to maintain the integrity of the Nation’s electrical grid.

When you produce more kW than you use for the month, these overproduction kW are sold back to our utility at the regular electric seasonal Energy Charge rate on our current Utility Rate Sheet (PDF) and are credited back to the customer's utility account. This credit can be used to offset the fixed charge and the next month's additional energy if/when applicable. If credit is in excess of $5.00, it can be paid out via check to the customer on account only, and mailed to the account address once per year, per customer request.

Net metering is available for residential and commercial systems less than 40 kW.

Our Current Utility Billing Rates are posted in our Utility Billing Center on our website and found on our Utility Rate Sheet (PDF).  The distributed energy rate is the "Parallel Distribution" rate.  Current meters installed are bi-directional, therefore the monthly "Fixed Charge" is the minimum monthly payment. As for a production meter, one can be provided by AMU for a fee; they are per utility discretion or by customer request, and usually not required. 

Application, grid, and meter/programming fees and other incurred expenses such as permits and inspections will depend on the Interconnection options selected and the jurisdiction where installation would take place. See  the Interconnection Process Overview page of our website for more details.   

There are several questions we recommend you ask before selecting a solar company: 

1. How long have you been installing solar projects under your current name? 
2. Do you have a professional registered engineer sign off on all submittals?  -OR- Has your design been approved by a registered professional engineer?
3. What kind of warranty do you offer? 
4. If applicable, what is the policy for temporary removal/re-installation of solar panels for re-roofing when necessary.
5. How many installations have you completed? 
6. If I consider a storage system, is there an alarm or venting system included to remove potentially harmful gases?
7. What is the cost per size of capacity? (similar sized systems can vary greatly in price)
8. How long will these panels last, and how are they recycled after their useful life has ended?

To officially start the process, view the Interconnection Process Overview under Solar Panels on the Service Requests tab of our website.

There is a lot of information for several options. The Process Overview is a great place to start on page 4 of our Distributed Generation Policy (PDF). Take a moment to go through and learn more about timelines, cost, insurance requirements*, approval processes, codes and compliance, inspection and more.  

*AMU requires $300,000 general liability insurance from a qualified insurance company. See Insurance Requirements (PDF) for more information. Check with your current homeowner's insurance to see if your policy will cover wind, fire, lighting strikes, hail, and damage caused by a fallen tree.