NON-EXPORTING ADD-ON FACT SHEET
Non-Exporting Add-On Fact Sheet
A non-exporting add-on is a separate solar system (often paired with a battery) that powers your home directly but is technologically blocked from sending power back to the grid. This setup allows you to significantly increase your solar capacity without triggering a move to the less favorable Net Billing (NEM 3.0) tariff.
How It Works
● Parallel Operation: Your original solar system continues to function under NEM 2.0, exporting excess energy to PG&E for high-value credits.
● Zero Export: The new add-on system uses a Power Control System (PCS) or a specialized inverter setting to ensure it only serves your "behind-the-meter" load (your house) and charges your battery.
● Separation: Technically, the new panels do not "add" to your NEM 2.0 system's capacity; they are treated as a separate, independent generating facility that is simply not allowed to export.
Key Benefits
● Maintain NEM 2.0 Status: You keep your 20-year grandfathered retail rates for your existing system.
● Unlimited Expansion: Unlike the 10% / 1 kW limit for standard expansions, there is generally no maximum size for a non-exporting system as long as it is sized to your home's annual load.
● Reduced True-Up: By covering more of your real-time usage (like EV charging or AC), you leave more of your original system's power available to export for credits, potentially eliminating your annual True-Up bill.
Critical Requirements
● Certified Equipment: PG&E requires a UL-certified Power Control System (PCS) with an "open loop response time" of 2 seconds or less to guarantee zero export.
● Battery Necessity: While some systems can work without one, most non-exporting setups require a battery to be effective. Without a battery, any solar energy produced by the add-on that your house isn't using at that exact second is simply wasted (clipped).
● Permitting & PTO: Your solar provider (AES) must still file a Rule 21 Non-Export Interconnection request with PG&E and obtain a local building permit.