Lesco installs net metering system

LAHORE

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has started initiative of net metering where domestic and industrial consumers can buy and sell electricity to the power utility while generating it at his or her premises through solar energy.

Wajid Ali Kazmi, Lesco chief executive, spearheaded installation of the first ever net metering system in the country, having capacity of 135 kilowatt at an industrial unit on Thursday. Talking about the new system, he said net metering was a system that allowed the customers to sell their surplus rooftop solar power back to the Lesco besides using power from national grid whenever required.

These specialised electricity meters can run in the reverse direction and the power companies credit the owners for the electricity they add to the grid. At the end of every month, consumers will get net bill after calculating volume of imported and exported electricity.

Kazmi added that net metering technology would eventually help reduce intensity of loadshedding in the country. At the same time, he maintained, consumers would be able to reduce their power bill or earn additional income from their own power generation while selling it to the power utility.

He said that domestic consumers would also be asked to install solar panels in their home and get benefit from the initiative of net metering system. He said that the staff of the company had been given special training in this regard.

It may be noted that Pakistan is ideally located for harnessing solar energy through installing the solar power systems. The prices of solar systems have also reduced significantly in the last a few years and now it has becomes an attractive option for all consumer categories.