Effective October 1st, NV Energy proposes switching new rooftop solar customers from monthly net‑metering to 15-minute interval netting. The utility would settle your bill every quarter-hour rather than tallying all your exports and imports over 30 days. NV Energy estimates this change will tack on about $11/month, but the real increase could be far greater in many cases. Here’s a deep dive into what’s coming—and why you should take advantage of net metering before the October 1st changes take place. 

What’s Changing? Five Key Differences

1. Lose the “Monthly Smoothing” Benefit

   • Today: All the kilowatt‑hours (kWh) you send to the grid in a billing cycle are netted against all the kWh you draw. Export 500 kWh one week, import 500 kWh the next—you break even.

   • After October: Each 15-minute window is settled on its own. If your panels underproduce in any quarter‑hour, you pay full retail or TOU (time-of-use) rates for that shortfall, no matter how sunny the rest of the day is.

2. Credits Tied to Each 15-Minute Block

   • Under interval netting, excess production in a midday block earns credits at that block’s (typically lower off-peak) rate. Conversely, any shortfall during a peak block requires you to pay the (much higher) rate for that same interval.

3. Reduced Export Value Without Batteries

   • Peak utility rates usually occur in the early evening, long after your panels have stopped producing. Without batteries to shift your solar into those peak hours, you’ll import at high rates and export at low ones, eroding your net‑metering credits.

4. “Sky‑High” Bills Can Occur in a Single Afternoon

   • Instead of “banking” Winter and Spring solar to offset Summer usage, you’ll see charges and credits flow every 15 minutes. A few cloudy afternoons or high evening loads can trigger bills that a sunny morning’s surplus won’t erase at peak rates.

5. Why Solar + Storage Becomes Almost Mandatory

   • Interval netting rewards self-consumption above all else. By storing midday solar in a battery and discharging it during the 3–6 PM peak, you avoid importing at peak rates and maximize the value of each kWh your system produces.

A Real‑World Example

In this simple scenario, your bill jumps $77.00, not $11.00!

Why NV Energy’s $11 Estimate Falls Short

• “Average” Timing Assumptions: Their model smooths out peaks and valleys—most homeowners export midday (low rates) and import evenings (high rates).

• Ignoring Real‑World Usage: If you charge an EV or run your A/C in the evening, your imports spike at TOU (Time-of-Use) peak rates. Interval netting forces you to settle each spike separately.

Mitigation Strategies to Protect Your Savings

1. Battery Storage

   • How it helps: Store excess solar midday and discharge during peak (3–6 PM). Avoid buying at $0.50/kWh—and preserve the full value of every kWh you generate.

2. Load Shifting

   • How it helps: Run dishwashers, laundry, pool pumps, and EV chargers in late morning or early afternoon, when your panels are producing, minimizing costly evening imports.

3. Slightly Oversize Your Array

   • How it helps: Generate a small surplus so that even with interval netting, you cover more of your evening usage.

Bottom Line

NV Energy’s move to 15-minute interval netting fundamentally favors the utility and penalizes “export‑only” solar systems. To take advantage of net metering’s financial benefits, go solar before these billing changes take effect.  After October 1st, you’ll need to self-consume or store as much of your solar as possible with battery backup, and shift loads into sunlight hours.

Let’s run the numbers together to customize an analysis of how this change will affect your home and explore the right mix of battery storage, load‑shifting, or array sizing.

Matt Kreuz
Realtor/Solar Energy Consultant
📱 702‑216‑1212
✉️ solar@mattkreuz.com.

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