Customer Owned Generation FAQs

DLC is unable to provide an official stance on which contractor to use for this installation, and is not affiliated with any specific contractor.

You must notify Duquesne Light, by filing an Interconnection Application Agreement, that you plan to install a qualified, renewable energy generating system, so that the proper metering can be installed. Your system must be installed according to the Standards for the Connection of Generating Facilities, which is operated in parallel with Duquesne Light's Standards for Connection.

The following customers, listed by rate classification, are eligible to participate in our Net Metering service, provided approval has been given from Duquesne Light:

• Residential Service (RS)
• Residential Service Heating (RH)
• Residential Service Add-on Heat Pump (RA)
• General Service Small and Medium (GS/GM)
• General Service Medium Heating (GMH)
• General Service Large (GL)

Your rate classification is listed in the top right-hand corner of the first page of your monthly Duquesne Light bill.

For additional information, please view the Rider No. 21 -Net Metering Service of Duquesne Light Company's current tariff under Tariff Resources.

Net Metering is the means of measuring the difference between the electricity generated by a customer connected to our system and the electricity provided by Duquesne Light. Please visit Customer Owned Generation if you have chosen an alternative electric generation supplier. A bi-directional meter is used to measure and record the flow of electricity in both directions. The electricity generated by the customer's alternative energy generating system offsets part or all of the customer's kilowatt-hour usage. Through the Net Metering service, you will receive a credit for the amount of electricity you send Duquesne Light in excess of the power we send you during a monthly billing cycle.

Each month you will receive a credit for the amount of electricity received by Duquesne Light in excess of the power we send you during your billing cycle. If you have chosen an alternative electric generation supplier, please visit www.duquesnelight.com/customergeneration.

If you supply more electricity to Duquesne Light than what you have used in a given billing period, the excess kilowatt-hours will be carried forward and credited against your usage in subsequent billing periods at the current retail rate. During the annual May 31 true-up process, we compensate customers, at Duquesne Light's current price to compare, for any excess kilowatt-hours generated over the amount of kilowatt-hours we delivered. If you have chosen an alternative electric generation supplier, please visit www.duquesnelight.com/customergeneration.

The full retail rate applies to the following charges:

• Generation
• Transmission
• Distribution
• Pennsylvania Tax Adjustment

The price to compare (PTC) applies to the following:

• Generation
• Transmission
• Pennsylvania Tax Adjustment

Duquesne Light Company requires a W-9 form (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification) on file for all customers that participate in our Rider 21 Net Metering Service. During the annual May 31 true-up process — when we compensate customers for any excess kilowatt-hours generated over the amount of kilowatt-hours we delivered — Duquesne Light is required to issue a Form 1099 if you are entitled to a refund that meets or exceeds $600. If you have chosen an alternative electric generation supplier, please visit www.duquesnelight.com/customergeneration.

Yes, you still will be responsible for the customer charge (which covers our costs for meter reading, customer billing, service equipment, implementation of advanced metering technology and other expenses), and any minimum charges that are applicable to your rate classification (your rate classification is listed in the top right-hand corner of the first page of your monthly bill). The Schedule of Rates can be viewed on the Rates webpage. If you have chosen an alternative electric generation supplier, please visit Customer Owned Generation. 

If you select an alternative electric generation supplier, it is your responsibility to alert them of your participation in Duquesne Light's Rider 21 Net Metering Service. Your supplier may require you to sign a contract or provide them with additional information to allow them to properly service your account. Please be aware that the annual true-up payment is the responsibility of the company that supplies your electricity. If you choose another electric supplier, Duquesne Light no longer will provide an annual true-up payment since it is not providing the power supply.

There may be costs to connect, depending on the customer equipment chosen. The customer would have to pay Duquesne Light for any upgrades to our system that may be needed to connect their renewable energy source to the grid. The customer also may have to purchase and install additional equipment other than the renewable energy source based on the equipment and size of system they purchase.

The application fee varies based on the size and type of the proposed generation. Please visit our Customer Owned Generation page for additional information and if you have chosen an alternative electric generation supplier. In the event the project should be cancelled for any reason, the application fees are non-refundable.

Estimated maximum AC power export capacity of your inverter-based system is calculated by adding the maximum AC output capacities of all AC coupled inverters and energy storage systems (ESS) such as a battery. Example scenarios provided below.

There are many different types of renewable energy generation systems, and each one may have their own specific requirements, so please contact the Interconnection Team at interconnection@duqlight.com to discuss specific systems and requirements to connect to the grid.

Duquesne Light will install a net meter at no cost to the customer.

The net meter will be installed once a successful witness test has been completed. This witness test will take place after your contractor has submitted the Certificate of Completion to Duquesne Light and Duquesne Light has received a Wiring Approval from an approved electrical inspector. For the status of your Certificate of Completion submission, please contact your contractor.

Upon successful completion of the witness test, a net meter is typically installed within 7-10 business days.

If DLC chooses to waive the witness test, once both the Part 2 application and Wiring Approval from a certified electrical inspector has been received by DLC, the net meter will be scheduled to be installed, typically within 7-10 business days.

*Please note* Once a customer’s equipment has been installed, it does not necessarily mean that DLC has been made aware that the installation has been completed. DLC can only proceed with the interconnection process once the part 2 application and the electrical inspection has been received.

DLC is unable to provide an official stance on which electrical inspector to use for your installations wiring approval and is not affiliated with any specific contractor. The electrical inspector (whichever you and/or your installer decides to choose) must be DLC approved.

You will receive an energization letter at the email address provided on your application when the net meter has been installed. Customers may turn on their generation once they receive an energization letter.

Energization of your system prior to DLC installing a net meter may result in billing issues.

Please call our Customer Service department at 412-393-7100.

There is no limit to how much generation Duquesne Light will purchase once a system has been installed and all interconnection requirements have been met.

Customers are not allowed to generate power onto the Duquesne Light system during a power outage. The customer's generating system must disconnect from the Duquesne Light system during a power outage for the safety of our employees restoring power to our system.

Customers are allowed to generate power to supply their own house/equipment only if the equipment installed is able to disconnect from the DLC grid and run on a “island mode” setting. These systems will require a witness test or approval by Interconnection to see if they are compliant to our safety standards.

Duquesne Light does not offer, sell or install renewable energy generating systems — the customer must purchase and get engineering support (if applicable) for the specific type of equipment you want to install. Customers must receive approval from Duquesne Light for any system that you want to purchase and install if operated in parallel with or connected to Duquesne Light’s electrical system.

No, this is something you must investigate yourself. Only you can decide which renewable energy generating system is right for you. You may visit the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's website http://www.nrel.gov/ to obtain additional information.

More information can be found in Rider No. 21 of Duquesne Light Company's current tariff under Tariff Resources.

Additional information about renewable energy and tax credits can be found at: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits or http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm.

Duquesne Light does not provide any incentive programs for Customer Owned Generation, however there are third-party resources for federal and state incentives made for the public.

Contact the Interconnection Department via e-mail at interconnection@duqlight.com. If you have chosen an alternative electric generation supplier, please visit our website.

To be “behind-the-meter” (interconnection through DLC grid, ONLY) the system must be less than or equal to 3MW, AC as per Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chapter 75 Code.

Anything greater than 3 MW, AC must go through a queue process in which we work with PJM Interconnection to test and study the proposed customer owned generation. DLC will still interconnect and energize generation to the grid after PJM approval.

DLC will provide what is called a net meter, which will operate normally like a regular meter sending power to your house, but it will also send power back to the grid. This net meter will calculate your load delivered to your property and the power produced by your generation as a offset.

Net-Meters will be part of the interconnection process’s part 2/ and or after witness test and will typically take 5-10 business days for it to be swapped at your property