Solar Systems

The City of Hillsboro offers credit to electric customers with a customer-owned solar energy generation facility that meets the City's Interconnection Standards. Customers that generate electricity from solar generation receive credit for the excess power they produce and send back to the grid. The city offers parallel generation credit for customer generated energy but does not offer net metering or a 1 to 1 offset of energy consumed compared to energy generated.

The Parallel Generation Rate Rider allows customers to offset their energy bills and promotes the use of clean energy sources. For approved solar generation systems customers receive a credit for 150% of the system’s average cost of energy, as calculated by the city’s wholesale provider monthly.

The Parallel Generation Rate Rider allows solar installations on a first-come, first-served basis. Parallel generation facilities are capped at 5% of the previous calendar year's electric system peak demand. In computing that 5% amount, the total rated output of all interconnected generation facilities is added together and compared to the system’s peak demand. Individual systems are added together to determine the available capacity.

The appropriately sized generation facility is determined by the City based on the customer-generator's minimum and average monthly demand, minimum monthly and annual energy consumption, and other criteria. All systems must be approved by the city according to the interconnection standards. All parallel generation facilities must complete the application, including the $500 application fee, and must comply with all building codes and requirements.