Distributed Generation

Solar

The Littleton Electric Light & Water Departments is accepting customers interested in installing solar and other distributed generation systems on their home or business.

Residential

Customers who are rate 10 are allowed to apply for interconnection.

Commercial

Customers who are rate 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 are allowed to apply for interconnection.

Solar Rebate

$1 per Watt (AC) for residential net metered systems.

Residential

Customers under Rate 10 should read our Rate Schedules and our Standards for Interconnecting a Distributed Geneation System. We cannot recommend installers, but we can recommend you talk to local installers, as they are most familiar to local ordinances and regulations as well as LELWD requirements. When an installer makes a proposal/estimate, make sure they are using LELD rates and charges. There is a $250 application fee that is required when applying for interconnection, and will only be processed when the interconnection application is approved. 

Residential customers must follow the 2022 Interconnection Standards.

Residential customers who apply for net metering are subject to Rate 70 and should read and fully understand that rate.

Net Metering system size calculation– The sum of the 12 month billing cycle (kwh usage) determines system size. If the sum is greater than 10,560 kWh (the cap), then the customer is eligible for the maximum size allowed (8kW AC). Any sum below that is limited to that sum.                                                                  (The annual consumption (kWh) / 110 kWh (industry standard) / 12 (months) = system size in kW AC.)

System Size –The maximum allowable residential interconnection is the lesser of 15 kW (AC Rating) or a system sized estimated not to produce more annual energy than the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills. The lesser of 8 kW (AC Rating) is eligible for net metering.

To apply for interconnection, please submit the following:

  • $250 Application fee (check payable to “LELD”)
  • Interconnection application (2022 Interconnection Standards)
  • One-line drawing
  • Plan View (showing meter, disconnect switch and the production meter outside)

Commercial

Customers under Rate 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 should read our Rate Schedules and our Standards for Interconnecting a Distributed Generation System. We cannot recommend installers, but we can recommend you talk to local installers, as they are most familiar to local ordinances and regulations as well as LELWD requirements. When an installer makes a proposal/estimate, make sure they are using LELD rates and charges. There is an application fee that is required when applying for interconnection, and will only be processed when the interconnection application is approved. This fee is waived for municipal entities.

Commercial customers must follow the Standards for Interconnecting Distributed Generation.

Commercial customers must have net metering and are subject to Rate 70 and should read and fully understand that rate.

System Size –The maximum allowable small business, small commercial, or small industrial (Rate 20 – Customer Demand less than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than a system that annually produces more than 50% of the energy of the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.

The maximum allowable large business, large commercial, or large industrial (Rate 30 and Rate 40 – Customer Demand greater than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than 50% of the highest monthly peak demand from the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.

The maximum allowable municipal (Rate 50 and Rate 60) – interconnection cannot be sized larger than 100% of the previous 12 months of energy consumed.

To apply for interconnection, please submit the following:

  • Application fee (check payable to “LELD”). The fee is waived for municipal entities.
  • Interconnection application (2022 Interconnection Standards)
  • One-line drawing
  • Plan View (showing meter, disconnect switch and the production meter outside)

Solar Rebate

 LELWD is offering a residential rebate of $1.00 per watt (AC), up to 50% of system costs, for approved net metering projects. Rebates will be dispensed on a first come, first served basis until all funds have been spent for solar projects that meet specific requirements. Rebates will be reserved for the term of the applicant’s interconnection application. The rebate is to make solar technology more affordable for our customers to transition to renewable energy.

Applicants must submit the Rebate Application and Participant’s Agreement after receiving Interconnection Application approval to reserve the rebate. After the solar project is complete and receives permission to operate from LELWD, the applicant must submit the Completion Form and a photo of the meter socket to start the rebate payment process.

Please download the program documents and submit them to [email protected], or deliver to LELWD at 39 Ayer Road, Littleton MA 01460.

Rebate Process

  1. Installer applies for interconnection to install with LELWD.
  2. If LELWD issues interconnection approval, the installer and customer can apply for the rebate.
  3. LELWD reviews the rebate application.
  4. If approved, LELWD returns the application with the eligible rebate amount.
  5. The installer and customer completes installation per LELWD’s interconnection standards and submits completion documents.
  6. LELWD reviews and completes final inspection of the project.
  7. Upon completion approval, LELWD will issue the rebate to the customer. 

FAQ

No, an LELD customer must own the property and the distributed generation in order to interconnect to LELD’s distribution system.  Any energy generated from a third party would have to be purchased directly by LELD through a purchased power agreement.

No, energy generated from a solar system must be applied to the meter of the account holder of record.  Applying the energy usage to another account or property is not permitted as that is considered retail wheeling and not allowed in LELD service territory.

The maximum allowable residential interconnection is the lesser of 15 kW (AC Rating) or a system sized estimated not to produce more annual energy than the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills. The lesser of 8 kW (AC Rating) is eligible for net metering.

The maximum allowable small business, small commercial, or small industrial (Rate 20 – Customer Demand less than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than a system that annually produces more than 50% of the energy of the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.

The maximum allowable large business, large commercial, or large industrial (Rate 30 and Rate 40 – Customer Demand greater than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than 50% of the highest monthly peak demand from the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.

The maximum allowable municipal (Rate 50 and Rate 60) – interconnection cannot be sized larger than 100% of the previous 12 months of energy consumed.

Yes, however, if the battery is AC coupled (having it’s own inverter) then it will impact the system size allowed for total interconnection. If the battery is DC coupled, it will have no impact but should still be stated on the application.

LELD uses true bidirectional meters for distributed generation customers, not net meters. Therefore, any surplus energy that is returned to the grid is accounted for at that moment. LELD charges the customer for all of the power that’s purchased from LELD and credit the customer for all that is returned and that energy is captured in separate registers in the meter. Example, if you take 1,000 kWh from LELD in a month and give back 800 kWh, you would be charged for 1,000 kWh and credited for 800 kWh, not simply charged for 200 kWh.