Service already available in province, but it will take time before it becomes common

A6

BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

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NB Power is already offering some assistance and advice for home and business owners who want to generate their own electricity, but it could take a while before the practice of "net metering" becomes common in New Brunswick.

"It's new technology and a lot of the products aren't readily available to the average consumer yet," NB Power spokeswoman Heather MacLean said yesterday. "We also want to work with electricians so they know what's expected of them."

She said NB Power is already providing meters free of charge to people who want to start generating a bit of their own power through solar panels and home windmills. The power company also has information and advice on its website to help people learn more about it.

So far, she said about 2,300 people have shown interest and a few customers have begun to experiment with alternative technologies. At the same time, there is word that some retailers like Canadian Tire may soon start selling home windmill kits.

Net metering provides a second power meter for homeowners which shows how much electricity are generating and putting into the system.

This is in addition to the usual meter on a house which measures how much is being used by the customer.

MacLean said interest in home-generated electricity is growing thanks to various do-it-yourself shows on TV, but so far most of the hardware is not readily available through local retailers. The Falls Brook Centre, near Hartland, has become a demonstration site for wind and solar power.

Net metering was among the topics of discussion at an alternative energy conference in Fredericton this weekend. The Solar Energy Society of Canada said the provincial government should do more to encourage and promote alternative forms of energy.

Net metering, which has been available in the province for more than two years, allows NB Power customers to reduce their power bills by selling what they produce back to NB Power. The practice is gaining popularity in western Canada and several European countries.