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Micro-generation includes smaller scale (5MW or less) renewable energy installations you see on homes and businesses across Alberta. They include solar panels, small wind turbines, and other energy generating systems intended to meet part, or all, of your electrical needs.
It's your right, under the Alberta Electric Utilities Act, to generate your own electricity and supply it back to the electrical grid. EPCOR is here to support you by working together with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to help ensure that the energy you produce is safe and reliable for you and your neighbours.
Micro-generation in Alberta includes environmentally-friendly, small-scale energy generators such as:
All micro-generation options must be less than five megawatts (5.0 MW) and produce less than 418 kg/MWh of greenhouse gas intensity. If they meet these criteria, they may be connected to the electric distribution system — the grid that delivers energy to homes, businesses, and farms across the province.
Micro-generation can help you save money and protect the environment. You'll receive credits based on the amount of electricity your site provides back to the electricity grid and those credits will show up on your monthly electricity bill based on your retailer's energy rate.
Ready to apply to become a micro-generator? Begin the process here.
The majority of households and businesses that produce their own electricity are considered micro-generators. However, larger operations, or customers who produce 5 MW or more of electricity are considered distributed generators. These larger applications of alternative energy production such as solar or wind turbine fields are examples of distributed generators.
If you are interested in learning more about distributed generation please contact us at distgen@epcor.com.
For homeowners and businesses alike, there is continued and growing interest in finding ways to decrease their impact on the environment and to decrease costs for electricity, heating and cooling, and other utility services. One such method is using different types of renewable energy resources, such as solar panels for your home, to offset traditional energy usage.
Solar power for home or business use continues to become more affordable, and the number of solar installations is increasing. The many benefits of renewable energy, including wind, geo-thermal and other renewable resources, are being realized in new ways all the time.
Under the Electric Utilities Act, Albertans are allowed to take advantage of renewable energy and alternative energy sources in order to generate their own electricity. Most Albertans generate energy under the provisions set forth in the Micro-Generation regulation and AUC Rule 024.
We’re here to support you by working together with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to help ensure that the energy you produce is safe and reliable for you and your neighbours.
Micro-generation in Alberta involves generating electricity in environmentally-friendly ways such as:
Micro-generation can help you save money and protect the environment. Not only do you get the benefits of solar energy, and other alternative energy sources, you will also receive credits based on the amount of electricity your site provides back to the electricity grid. Those credits will show up on your monthly electricity bill based on your retailer's energy rate, helping to reduce your monthly utility costs.
Ready to apply to become a micro-generator in Edmonton? Begin the process here.
Whether you are already taking advantage of the benefits of solar panels, solar and wind energy, or other renewable sources, or not, you may have questions about starting the process, or making modifications to your solar powered house or business and your micro-generation setup. Below are some common questions you may have.
By adding a micro-generation system to your home or business you are changing the electrical system of your home. All modifications to a building's electrical system must go through the City of Edmonton's Permitting process to ensure the systems are being installed in a correct, and safe, manner.
Applying for an electrical permit with your municipality is part of the application process set out by the Alberta Utility Commission (AUC), and is required by law.
Your application should include the following information:
Typically no. The standard power meters used by EPCOR Distribution and Transmission Inc. are bi-directional Advanced Meters capable of measuring the energy used and produced at your site. If you chose to opt out of the advanced metering program, you will need to replace your power meter with a bi-directional meter in order to receive potential generation credits on your utility bill.
In the event you install a large micro-generation system (>150kW), and you are not currently within the Time of Use rate class, you will then be re-classed to a Time of Use meter to allow for an interval meter to be installed at your site as per AUC requirements. For any further questions regarding this, please feel free to contact our Retailer Communications team at (780) 412-7899.
The majority of households and businesses that produce their own electricity are considered micro-generators. However, larger operations, or customers who produce 5 MW or more of electricity are considered distributed generators. Solar farms or wind turbine fields are examples of distributed generators.
If you are interested in learning more about distributed generation please contact us at distgen@epcor.com. There may be special requirements for these larger micro-generation systems that we can help identify early on.
