Renewable Energy

Flint Hills REC has a handful of members with renewable energy generation connected to our system, all benefiting from our net metering policy.  Because their electric meters run forward and backward, it’s currently possible for members to “bank” excess power generated and offset power consumption late in the monthly billing cycle.

Flint Hills REC’s net metering policy has a monthly sweep, so any “banked” power is lost at the end of the billing cycle. Therefore, when deciding how big of a renewable generation system to install, it’s important to compare the system’s expected power generation to your home’s monthly power use.

Flint Hills REC’s policy of sweeping excess generation at the end of the month, and our policy on limiting renewable generation installations to what is appropriately sized helps address two issues.  First, it ensures that large renewable generation systems don’t feed excess power onto Flint Hills’s infrastructure and cause power quality issues.  The policies also protect members from installing over-sized renewable generation resources and limit the subsidies that can happen between members that do not have renewable generation and those that do.  Our policy is designed so that everyone has access to the benefits of affordable renewable generation.

Every electric provider is different. Flint Hills REC’s service area is almost entirely rural, with very few members per mile of line.  That makes our issues unique when compared to most power providers.  Flint Hills REC’s net metering policy and monthly sweep is the same policy as the other rural electric cooperatives in Kansas. In fact, the state’s cooperatives all adopted the same policy to make installation uniform for those who install renewable generation systems.  And as a cooperative, our philosophy of carefully addressing the needs of all our members is a priority for us.

A 5-kilowatt PV solar array will generate between 400 and 800 kilowatt-hours each month in this part of Kansas.  Solar and wind systems will have high months and low months and predicting those will be important to a successful installation.  This website (www.nrel.gov/index.html) from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory can help you find out how much power a PV solar array will generate at your location.

The best way to determine your home’s maximum renewable generation size is to call our office and have us determine the best size by looking at your home’s electric usage data.  You can get a rough idea of what size of renewable energy you can install by using the formula below.  Keep in mind, the formula just gives you a “back of the napkin” estimate of your best renewable generation installation size.

Maximum Size Estimate KW = Minimum Monthly kWh / 720 hours / Load Factor

In this formula, Minimum kWh is your home’s lowest monthly kWh usage from the previous 12 months. This month is frequently April, May, September, or October, when the weather is nice and HVAC systems run the least. Divide this number by 720 (which is the number of hours in a month). Then divide this number by your home’s load factor.  For most homes, the load factor is .2 but for businesses with more consistent power use the load factor will be .5 or even .8 if a large electrical load is turned on and runs most of the time.

Please call our office for an examination of your electrical use, and a more accurate calculation of your ideal renewable generation size.

An example of two alternate renewable generation resources, one sized properly and one too big.

For members who install renewable generation significantly more than they expect to use during a typical month, an alternate parallel generation rider can be chosen which pays members for their power generated at a rate of 150 percent of the cooperative’s monthly system average cost of energy.

In the “Properly sized vs oversized solar” graph shown here, we show a home’s monthly kWh consumption (blue bars), along with the monthly output of two possible renewable generation systems. The 6-kW system installation (orange bars) is properly sized. The 10-kW system (gray bars) is too big and overproduces more electricity than the home needs on seven months of the year. Under our net metering policy, Flint Hills REC does not purchase this excess generation.

For members who install renewable generation but aren’t a good fit with our Net Metering policy, an alternate parallel generation rider can be chosen. This pays members for their power generated at a rate of 150 percent of the cooperative’s monthly system average cost of energy. No energy is banked, and there is no monthly sweep.

If you are interested in installing a renewable generation system, your first step is to work with an installer and Flint Hills REC to determine what size solar array is right for you.  The formula in the "How much do i need" section above can help with that. Our staff can help look at your usage to help refine the right renewable generation size. When you and your installer have determined what will be installed, you’ll need to submit an interconnection proposal to Flint Hills REC.  An application form and $500 fee are required for systems 10 kilowatts or smaller. Systems larger than 10 kilowatts have a more complicated approval process due to concerns about the produced power on the cooperative’s infrastructure. For very large systems, members will be required to cover the costs of an analysis conducted by an independent engineer.

Any renewable generation system installed by Flint Hills REC members must be inspected by our staff before they can be interconnected to the power grid. All renewable generation systems interconnected with the power grid must have safety measures in place to make sure power is not put back on the grid during a power outage. An accessible manual disconnect switch must also be included so that Flint Hills REC crews can disconnect the system when working in the area.

No. Member renewable generation systems that are interconnected into Flint Hills REC’s grid are designed to automatically stop producing power during an outage.  This is necessary to prevent backfeeds and ensure the safety of our linemen working to restore power during an outage. The only way a renewable generation system can provide power during an outage is if it is paired with a dedicated battery storage system.

No. Flint Hills REC does not purchase power from members under our net metering agreement. Your renewable installation helps you by reducing the amount of electricity you will purchase from the cooperative.

Your monthly utility bill from Flint Hills REC is made up of two parts. The first is the kWh energy charge, which is based on how much electricity Flint Hills REC provides your home, farm, or business.  Our rates are designed so that this charge covers the cost of wholesale power, its delivery, and equipment related to the delivery of that power.  The second part of your bill is the Service Charge.  This is a fixed monthly amount that primarily goes toward the daily operations of Flint Hills REC and everything that it takes to keep the co-op running, including the trucks, employee salaries, and some basic infrastructure.  It’s the price you pay to have power available, whether you need lots of electricity or almost no electricity. It’s necessary for everyone to pay this fee, because even members with large solar arrays rely on Flint Hills REC linemen to properly maintain our poles, wires, and substations.

If Flint Hills REC needs to make upgrades to the cooperative’s distribution system, you will be expected to cover those costs. When a member’s renewable generation system pushes power back onto Flint Hills REC’s system, it is critical that the system be able to handle that backfed power.  Flint Hills REC’s equipment needs to be able to handle those situations when the renewable generation is producing a lot of power, and you are not using power yourself.

Flint Hills RECA does require a second meter to be installed between the customer's solar array and the cooperative's meter. The cooperative will provide the necessary equipment. Please provide cooperative 24 hour notice to pick up necessary equipment.

We have found that many of our members who have installed renewable generation systems want to know just how much power their equipment is producing. The same meter monitoring your home will monitor your renewable generation system to help you know how much power is being produced by your system and help Flint Hills REC with future planning for future electric system infrastructure upgrades.

Storing power for later use is helpful for many reasons. For those on time-of-use rates, and commercial rates with demand charges, energy storage can help members use less power during those times of day when power is expensive. Members who add battery storage to a renewable generation installation reduce the need for the cooperative to serve as a virtual battery and many battery storage systems can provide power during an outage.

Similar to a whole-house generator, a battery storage system can be installed by a member on their side of the meter. Like a generator, a battery storage system must be installed with proper disconnections to ensure that power is not backfed onto Flint Hills REC’s system during a power outage.

Any renewable generation system installed by Flint Hills REC members must be inspected by our staff before they can be interconnected to the power grid.  A simple application form and an application fee are required for all systems. All renewable systems interconnected with the power grid must have safety measures in place to make sure power is not put back on the grid during a power outage. An accessible manual disconnect switch must also be included so Flint Hills REC’s crews can disconnect the system when working in the area.

For more information, call our office at 620-767-5144 or download Flint Hills REC renewable rate schedules and application below.