On-site generation is a service offering available to Idaho Power customers who install electricity-generating equipment at their home or business to meet some of their energy needs while remaining connected to Idaho Power’s grid.

Idaho Power customers can install solar or other renewable energy systems to offset some of their energy use. Systems that are connected to the grid are called “interconnected.” With an interconnected system, energy flows two ways between the electrical grid and your home. At times, the solar or renewable system will produce more energy than the home/business needs. At other times the home/business will need to draw electricity from Idaho Power. Alternatively, a system can be designed as “non-export” to prevent excess energy from flowing to the grid.

Idaho and Oregon large general service (Schedule 09), large power (Schedule 19) and irrigation (Schedule 24) customers may connect an exporting system with a total nameplate capacity equal to or less than the greater of: (a) the greatest monthly Billing Demand established during the most recent 12- month period which includes and ends with the current Billing Period, or (b) 100 kW. Customers may also connect energy storage (e.g. batteries).*

 *Energy storage devices do not count toward the maximum allowable capacity noted above; however, AC-coupled energy storage devices will count toward the total capacity for the Feasibility Review. 

For exporting systems over these limits, refer to Generator Interconnection.

• Idaho residential customers – Schedule 06, Residential Service On-Site Generation
• Idaho small general service customers – Schedule 08, Small General Service On-Site Generation
• Idaho large general, irrigation and large power customers – Schedule 84, Large General, Large Power, and Irrigation On-Site Generation Service, and their standard retail service schedule (i.e. Schedule 9: Large General Service).

For Idaho residential (Schedule 06) and large general service (Schedule 09) customers, upon completion of the interconnection process, customers will take service under the Standard Rate option. Customers may request to transition to the Time of Use option if applicable after receiving final permission to operate by contacting the customer service center.

Oregon residential customers 

• Monthly charge values are listed in Oregon Residential Service (Schedule 1). Reference the “Monthly Charge” section.  

• Service terms and Export Credit Rates are listed in Idaho Schedule 6, Residential Service On-Site Generation. (Charges in Schedule 6 apply to Idaho customers only.) 

Oregon small general service customers 

• Monthly charge values are listed in Oregon Small General Service (Schedule 7). Reference the “Monthly Charge” section. 

• Service terms and Export Credit Rates are listed in Idaho Schedule 8, Small General Service On-Site Generation. (Charges in Schedule 8 apply to Idaho customers only.) 

Oregon Large general, irrigation and large power customers 

• Service terms and monthly charge values are listed in the applicable Oregon Large General, Large Power and Irrigation Service (Schedule 9, 19, and 24) 

• Service terms and Export Credit Rates are listed in Idaho Schedule 84, Large General, Large Power, and Irrigation On-Site Generation Service. 

Additionally, Idaho Power’s rules and pricing structures are not contracts and are subject to change at any time with approval from the IPUC. Modifications to the compensation structure could result in changes to how excess energy sent back to the grid by the customer is measured and credited and the value of that credit. Those changes could impact any savings realized from a rooftop solar system and potential payback on the investment.

When an energy storage device is paired with a generating system, the total nameplate capacity depends on whether it is DC-coupled or AC-Coupled. For example, if a battery storage device uses the same inverter as the solar generation system, it is DC-Coupled. If the solar system and battery have separate inverters, the battery is AC-coupled. The total system size for generation systems with energy storage devices will be calculated as follows:

• DC Coupled: For energy storage devices that are DC coupled, the total nameplate capacity of the system is defined by the inverter (kilovoltampere [kVA]).
• AC Coupled:  For AC coupled energy storage with an exporting system, the total nameplate capacity is the total nameplate capacity of the generation system plus the energy storage system on the customers’ side of the interconnection point (i.e., the AC capacity of the solar PV system plus the AC capacity of the battery.)

For exporting systems, energy storage capacity shall not be used to calculate the allowable capacity limits set in Schedules 6, 8 and 84. AC coupled storage will count towards the total nameplate capacity values used for Feasibility Reviews for exporting systems as outlined in Schedule 68.

Energy Storage installed without a generating source must be installed as a non-exporting system under the rules of Schedule 68. (See Non-Export section below for more details).

Export Credit Rate values are listed in Idaho Rate Schedules 6, 8, and 84. Idaho customers’ pricing is listed in the applicable Idaho Rate Schedule 6, 8, 9, 19, and 24. Oregon customers’ pricing is listed in the applicable Oregon Rate Schedule 1, 7, 9, 19, or 24. 

Summer and Non-Summer Seasons
The summer season begins on June 1 and ends on Sept. 30 each year. The non-summer season begins on Oct. 1 and ends on May 31 each year.

Time Periods
The time periods for the export credit rate are as follows. All times are stated in Mountain Time. 

Summer Season
On-Peak: 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except holidays 

Off-Peak: 11 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and all hours on Sunday and holidays 

Non-Summer Season
Off-Peak: All hours Monday through Sunday 

Holidays are New Year’s Day (January 1), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day (December 25). If New Year’s Day, Independence Day, or Christmas Day falls on Sunday, the following Monday will be designated a holiday. 

Export Credit Rate, per kWh
The following rate structure and credits are subject to change upon commission approval: 

• On-Peak
  • Summer, 16.9966¢
  • Non-summer, 4.8365¢
• Off-Peak
  • Summer, 5.6533¢
  • Non-summer, 4.8365¢

On April 1, Idaho Power submitted the annual update to the ECR for energy exported from net billing on-site generation systems to Idaho Power’s electrical grid. This filing is subject to public review and requires approval by the IPUC. The proposed rates are shown below:

Summer and Non-Summer Seasons
The summer season begins on June 1 and ends on Sept. 30 each year. The non-summer season begins on Oct. 1 and ends on May 31 each year.

Time Periods
The time periods for the export credit rate are as follows. All times are stated in Mountain Time.

Summer Season
On-Peak: 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except holidays

Off-Peak: 11 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and all hours on Sunday and holidays

Non-Summer Season
Off-Peak: All hours Monday through Sunday

Holidays are New Year’s Day (January 1), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day (December 25). If New Year’s Day, Independence Day, or Christmas Day falls on Sunday, the following Monday will be designated a holiday.

Export Credit Rate, per kWh
The following rate structure and credits are subject to change upon commission approval:

• On-Peak
  • Summer: 14.0598ȼ
  • Non-summer: n/a
• Off-Peak
  • Summer: 1.7682ȼ
  • Non-summer: 0.9540ȼ

The graph below shows average monthly bill impact of the proposed ECR for customers with non-legacy on-site generation systems.

PVWatts Calculator is an online tool developed by the federal government for estimating solar generation based on geographic location and system design.

To use PVWatts to evaluate different system sizes, input your city, solar size in kilowatts (kW) and the calculator will estimate solar electricity generation by hour for a full year.

Idaho Power also requires an AC disconnect switch on the customer’s side of the meter. Breakers do not meet these requirements.  AC disconnects and meters must be readily accessible to Idaho Power 24/7. An overview of the interconnection requirements and a link to the rules as outlined in Schedule 68 Interconnections to Non-Utility Generation are available at idahopower.com/customerGeneration. The specific requirements for the AC disconnect are listed in Schedule 68.

Making changes to an existing service will require the service to comply with the current Customer Requirements for Electric Service, including requirements for service and panel upgrades and meter accessibility.

The first Idaho Power inspection is conducted at no charge. A return trip charge of $52 may be billed to the customer each time Idaho Power personnel are dispatched to the job site but are unable to conduct the on-site inspection due to one or more of the conditions not being met that had been certified as complete by the customer or installer on the System Verification Form. This charge will appear on the customer’s bill the following month.

Making changes to an existing service requires the service to comply with the current Customer Requirements for Electric Service. There may be additional costs, if you upgrade your service or panel or if your meter does not meet the accessibility requirements.

• The system does not generate. This is usually due to a breaker being off or an issue with the inverters (e.g., inverters were not programmed, were not turned on, or have a fault).
• During the grid outage simulation, the inverter reconnects faster than the required 5-minute delay.
• There is no AC disconnect for the generation system or the AC disconnect does not meet the requirements in Schedule 68.
• The AC disconnect and meter are not accessible (behind a locked gate or in a building).
• A battery storage system was installed but not disclosed on the System Verification Form.
• The battery storage system is not working.
• The generation system installation was not finished.

•  Smart inverters must conform to the latest Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1547 standards and be certified by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 1741 standard, which complies with the latest IEEE 1547 standards. Idaho Power requires inverters that comply with IEEE 1547-2018  and are UL 1741 SB certified.
• System Modifications that (1) do not replace or add inverters, (2) are like for like as the result of warranty inverter replacements, or (3) rely on an inverter that is required to meet the original inverter specifications for the Customer Generator System to properly function, may be considered exempt from the smart inverter requirement.

There are two configurations for energy storage devices (such as batteries): those that share an inverter with a generation facility (direct current [DC] coupled); and those that have a standalone inverter (alternating current [AC] coupled). For exporting systems, both configurations may export power onto Idaho Power’s system once the customer has completed the interconnection process. Energy storage devices not coupled with a generation facility taking service under Schedule 6, 8, or 84 (exporting system) may not export energy onto Idaho Power’s system and must take service under the non-export provisions of Schedule 68.

Modifications to customer generation systems that increase the total nameplate capacity of the system or modify the system in any way (including inverter replacements) that may impact the safety or reliability of Idaho Power’s electrical system are considered system modifications. Customers planning modifications must complete the interconnection process including a new application, $100 fee and system verification form. Common modifications requiring an application include:

• Inverter additions or changes (including like for like and warranty replacements or installing a different inverter model)
• Module replacements or additions that increase the total DC capacity for systems originally approved before May 1, 2020.
• Adding energy storage (batteries)

Some scenarios do not require an application and fee, but Idaho Power does require that customers fill out a new system verification form notifying us of the change. Scenarios include:

• Module changes for systems approved after May 1, 2020
• Battery replacements (like for like) or removal
• Removing inverters (and not replacing)

If you aren’t sure, please reach out to cg@idahopower.com to determine if an application is needed.

Note: Systems applying for modifications must meet the requirements in place today. Modifications may also require a state/city electrical inspection. Be sure to check with your authority-having-jurisdiction to ensure the work complies with all electrical codes.

System Modifications that (1) do not replace or add inverters, (2) are like-for-like as the result of warranty inverter replacements, or (3) rely on an inverter that is required to meet the original inverter specifications for the customer generator system to properly function, may be considered exempt from the smart inverter requirement.

• Customers who interconnected their system by December 20, 2019, or 

• Customers who submitted an on-site generation application on or before December 20, 2019, and provided evidence of a binding financial commitment for the on-site generation system by January 19, 2020, and who completed the interconnection process by December 20, 2020. 

• Residential and Small General Service Legacy status will terminate December 20, 2045. 

Idaho Large Commercial, Industrial and Irrigation (Schedule 84):  

• Customers who interconnected their system by December 1, 2020, or 

• Customers who submitted an on-site generation application on or before December 1, 2020, and interconnected their system as a two-metered system by December 1, 2021. 

Large Commercial, Industrial, and Irrigation Legacy status will terminate December 1, 2045. 

Oregon Customers (Schedule 84): 

• Oregon customers who interconnected their system by June 1, 2024, or

• Oregon customers who submitted an application to Idaho Power by June 1, 2024, and complete the interconnection process by their application’s expiration date. 

• Legacy status will terminate December 1, 2045.  

Not sure if your system is a Legacy system? Call Idaho Power’s customer solutions advisors at 1-800-632-6605 to confirm your system’s status. 

A customer who moves into a property with a legacy net-metering system will inherit the legacy system.

When a customer moves from a property with a legacy system, that customer does not get to take the legacy status of the system with them to their next property.

If a system is offline for more than six months, or is moved to another site, the legacy status of the system is forfeited.

If a customer expands their system, the expansion must be metered separately to retain the legacy status of the original system. If the expansion is not metered separately, the entire system will lose legacy status.

To allow for the replacement of degraded or broken panels, the customer may increase the capacity of their legacy system by no more than 10% of the originally installed nameplate capacity or 1 kilowatt, whichever is greater.

Modifications to Legacy systems are allowed; however, if generating capacity is added, the way in which the new system is connected to the grid could result in forfeiture of the Legacy status of the existing system. The added generation system (i.e. both the new panels and associated inverters) must be metered separately from the Legacy system to retain Legacy status for the existing system. The new portion of the system will not receive Legacy status and will take service under the rules in place at that time and will be subject to future changes in the billing and compensation structure. If the generating capacity increases and the expansion is not separately metered from the Legacy system, Legacy status will be forfeited.

Non-Legacy systems can replace broken panels following the process for modifying systems. For more information, read the FAQ “What if I want to expand or modify my system?”

For Legacy systems, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission allows for replacing degraded or broken solar panels without affecting a system’s Legacy status if specific conditions are met. When replacing panels, customers may increase the Legacy system’s capacity by no more than 10% of the initially installed nameplate capacity or 1 kW, whichever is greater. The total number of panels must remain the same or less than the initially installed system. Customers planning to make system modifications must follow the process for modifying systems. For more information, read the FAQ “What if I want to expand or modify my system?”

Systems that are offline for more than six months will be removed from the on-site generation rate and returned to a standard service rate. The AC disconnect will be locked off and the on-site generation meter exchanged for a standard service meter. If the system is brought back online at a later date or moved to a new location, it must meet the current requirements and complete the interconnection process, including a new application. If a Legacy system is offline for longer than six months, or is moved to another site, the Legacy status is forfeited.

Ensuring your system is operating is your responsibility. Be sure to keep copies of all warranties. Track your monthly energy use and generation (if you have data monitoring) to look for abnormal changes in use. These may indicate an issue.

Idaho Power’s My Account online portal has hourly data and will record the excess energy each hour you push power to the grid.

If you suspect your system is not working, check to see if the system’s AC disconnect is in the on position and that the breaker is on. You may also need to contact a local licensed electrician or installer to have them ensure the inverter is programming is up to date and the inverter is working. For systems that are offline for more than six months, accounts will be moved back to their standard rate schedule and, if applicable, Legacy status will be forfeited.

Existing customers may choose to convert their existing two-meter design to a single-meter option; however, Legacy status would be forfeited. The customer will be responsible for costs to reconfigure the system and must complete the interconnection process, including a new application.

Idaho Power’s My Account tool allows customers to access a wide variety of information including usage data, excess energy delivered to the grid, and even access to past bills. Usage data is provided on an hourly, daily, monthly and yearly basis. Hourly usage data is available for download.

Some systems come with monitors that measure the energy produced by your renewable energy system. These monitors measure the total amount of energy being produced by the system before the energy flows into your home or business.  If your system is producing more energy than the home needs at a given moment, the extra energy flows to Idaho Power. Our meters measure that excess energy only.

For customers with batteries, system configuration and programming will impact how energy is consumed by the home and delivered to grid. Seasonal and time-of-use changes in the ECR will impact the value of exported solar. Work with your installer to determine the best configuration for your goals.

Net Billing (non-legacy) customer transfer requirements:

• Excess generation credits (financial) must be available.
• Meters must be held by the customer and be for the customer’s use.
• Transfers can only occur from a designated meter, defined as the meter connected to an exporting on-site generation system.

Net Energy Metering (legacy) customer transfer requirements:

• Excess generation credits (kilowatt-hour [kWh] credits) must be available.
• Meters must be held by the customer and be for the customer’s use.
• Meters must be on the same contiguous property and be served by the same primary feeder as the customer generation (i.e., on-site generation) meter.
• Transfers can only occur from a designated meter, defined as the meter connected to an exporting on-site generation system.
•  For transfers from Residential and Small General Service accounts, the receiving meter must be on Schedule 1, 6, 7, or 8. For transfers from Large General, Large Power, and Irrigation accounts, receiving meters must be on Schedules 9, 19, or 24.
• If multiple meters are eligible for aggregation, excess generation credits must first be applied to the designated meter, then to eligible meters outlined above.

It is not necessary to apply for transfer if you wish to retain all credits at the existing meter. Credits that are not transferred will remain with the current service agreement.

Follow this link: How to Read Your Bill – Idaho Power to see an illustration of a bill and where this information can be found. Additionally, you can contact a Customer Solutions Advisor for assistance at 1-800-632-6605.

When you complete the Excess Generation Credit Transfer Request form, you can indicate the percentage of your credit you would like transferred to each eligible meter. If you would only like to transfer a portion of your credit, the percentage requested for transfer can total less than 100%.

It is not necessary to apply for transfer if you wish to retain all credits at the designated meter. Credits do not expire. Credits that are not transferred will remain with the current service agreement.

Net energy Metering (Legacy) customers: Credits are non-transferrable if a customer relocates and/or discontinues service at the point of delivery associated with the exporting system. Any unused credits will expire at the time the final bill is prepared.

Net Billing (Non-Legacy) customers: Credits are transferrable if a customer relocates. If the establishment of service at the new point of delivery is not initiated at the time service at the designated meter is discontinued, it is the customer’s responsibility to request the credit transfer when service is established at the new location in Idaho Power’s service area.

If a customer discontinues services at the Point of Delivery associated with the exporting system and does not intend to establish service at another location in Idaho Power’s service area, any unused credits will be paid out following the time the final bill is prepared.

Some customers do not want their generation systems, like solar panels, to export power to the electrical grid and wish to interconnect their system so they consume all energy generated on-site. However, these systems are still grid-connected and, as such, need rules in place to ensure they do not negatively impact the grid. Schedule 68 outlines (1) technical solutions to prevent export; (2) an interconnection and application process so Idaho Power can verify compliance with the interconnection requirements and (3) mitigation efforts should the customer’s system export power beyond the allowable amount, referred to as the inadvertent export limits.

There is no limit to system size for non-exporting systems for large general service (Schedule 09), irrigation (Schedule 24) and industrial (Schedule 19) customers. 

All customer generation applications will undergo a Feasibility Review to determine Idaho Power’s electrical grid’s capability to incorporate the proposed generation system and to determine if upgrades are necessary. In some cases, proposed systems may require an additional Feasibility Study to determine if upgrades or protection equipment is needed. Idaho Power will conduct Feasibility Studies for systems under 3 megawatts (MW) on a case-by-case basis. Systems over 3 MW will require additional study.

1. Advanced Functionality: Use of an internal transfer relay, energy management system or other customer-owned facility hardware or software system(s) to ensure power is never exported across the interconnection point.
2. Reverse Power Protection: Uses a reverse power relay to ensure power is never exported across the interconnection point.
3. Minimum Power Protection: Uses an under-power protective function to ensure a minimum amount of power is consumed at all times, and therefore, power cannot be exported.

Customers whose systems export above the allowed inadvertent export limits (three hours of the distributed energy resource’s total nameplate capacity in any 30-day period) will be notified and expected to take corrective action.

For residential (Schedule 01) and small general service (Schedule 07) customers, the inadvertent export must be rectified within 30 days. After 30 days, the customer may elect to turn off the system or move to Schedule 6 or 8 (exporting service). For Schedules other than 1 or 7, the customer must immediately open the AC disconnect until the issue that caused the export is remedied.