PWP Addresses Shortage of Solar Utility Meters; Residents, Businesses Can Get Solar Systems Operational by March

The Pasadena Water and Power’s General Manager said the department has developed a solution which allows residents and businesses to shift to solar energy despite the current shortage of new utility solar meters.

Bi­-directional utility solar meters that can measure the power flows both to and from a customer based on solar output are essential for the process. These meters allow the utility to properly bill energy usage and provide energy credits.

In a letter to City Manager Cynthia Kurtz, PWP Interim General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said the PWP is purchasing a number of used solar meters and these are currently being delivered and deployed as they arrive.

The PWP made the move pending the arrival of new meters it ordered from vendors. The PWP has orders dating as far back as May 2021 for meters that typically take the vendors 12 weeks to deliver, according to Kightlinger.

Kightlinger said because of the PWP’s action, residents and businesses that already installed solar panels can have their solar systems operational by the end of March.

Kightlinger said when the new solar meters arrive, the PWP will upgrade the used manual meters with modern meters. He noted that in some cases, the used meters are not ideal as it will require PWP to enter a customer’s premises to manually read the meter instead of reading it remotely.

Currently, approximately 45 customers in Pasadena are waiting for their bi-directional solar meter so they can start using their solar systems, according to Kightlinger.