Renewable energy plays a key role in fighting climate change.
Renewable energy projects are environmentally friendly and have financial benefits for customers. Whether you are a small business owner, large manufacturing company or residential customer, GrandBridge Energy offers several Renewable Energy Generation programs that fit your needs.
Net metering lets you earn credits for the electricity you generate from renewable sources, and that generation will offset your home/business electrical usage.
A Net Metering program reads your bi-directional meter hourly.
It measures the electricity you generate and use within your home/business in a monthly billing period. The kilowatt hours you generate, but do not consume while generating, are sent back to the grid and are credited against your electricity usage as a net metering credit. If you use the electricity as you generate it, that electricity is not credited to you, but it is also not billed to you, instead reducing your home/business load.
If you generate more electricity in a monthly billing period than you have used, you are only credited for the kilowatt hours you consumed that month. The excess credit is stored for up to 12 months and will be applied against future usage. After 12 months, your credit bank is depleted. It cannot be transferred, redeemed for cash or used as payment for other services.
You’ll receive two monthly statements: one for your home/business and one for your Net Metering account. Your monthly credit is calculated based on the same price plan you’ve selected for your home/business. You can select your preferred rate plan: Time-of-Use, Ultra Low Time-of-Use or Tiered Pricing. You can access your ‘My Account’ to compare price plans and select a plan that best suits your household needs.
Net metering customers are still subject to service charges on their electricity bills. View a breakdown of our commercial/residential rates on the Rates page to find out what charges are kilowatt-based and what charges are fixed monthly (not eligible for credit).
Net Metering is a multi-step process that requires careful consideration. Applicants are cautioned NOT to incur any expenses until GrandBridge Energy approves the connection to the proposed generation facility and issues a service layout. Projects are not to be energized without ESA authorization and the installation of a bidirectional meter.
This application form is required to notify GrandBridge Energy of your intention to start a generation net metering project. It will help identify the scope of work and determine the next steps.
GrandBridge Energy’s Offer to Connect provides a cost to connect the Net Metering project to the local distribution grid. The fee outlined on the Offer to Connect must be paid by cheque or money order before a service layout is issued. Please ensure you submit a copy of your offer to connect with your payment for ease of processing.
After the offer to connect is paid, GrandBridge Energy will issue a service layout that outlines the scope of the project. You arrange for a qualified electrical contractor to install the net metering system, adhering to the information on the layout.
Please do not turn on the system until GrandBridge Energy has installed a bidirectional meter AFTER it has passed ESA inspection, and a Commissioning Verification Form is received.
An ESA inspection, called an Authorization for Connection, as well as a Commissioning Verification Form (CVF), is required to energize the project.
Complete the CVF onsite during the ESA inspection.
Once GrandBridge Energy receives a copy of the ESA inspection and the completed CVF, our Customer Service team will co-ordinate the bidirectional meter installation with our metering department.
The CVF is available through online submission to our Micro Generation Department or can be downloaded as a fillable PDF and emailed to [email protected]
Congratulations! You have successfully connected your net metering generation to GrandBridge Energy’s distribution system. We offer sample bills to help you understand your new Net Metering billing.
Certain generation restrictions apply to Brantford customers who want to connect a generation project greater than 10kW due to Hydro One restrictions on the Brantford Transformer Station Z bus.
The restricted feeders are the 64M22, 64M24, 64M26, 64M28 and 64M30. Contact our Renewable Generation Team for more details about the restricted feeders in Brantford.
For feeders affected by the Hydro One restriction, please see Brantford Transformer Station Z bus restrictions. Note that all even-numbered Brantford Transformer Station feeders are included in the restriction.
A Distributed Energy Resource project follows a multi-step process that requires careful consideration. Applicants are cautioned NOT to incur any expenses until GrandBridge Energy approves the connection to the proposed generation facility and issues a service layout.
You must submit a connection request to GrandBridge Energy by completing the Preliminary Consultation Application for DER greater than 10kW form. GrandBridge Energy will review your application and provide connection information within 15 business days.
After you download and complete this form, email it to [email protected]
If you decide to proceed with the project, the next step is to complete the Connection Impact Assessment Form. The Connection Impact Assessment (CIA) fee varies according to the feeder ownership and size of the project. We will complete the CIA review and reach out with next steps.
After you download and complete this form, email it to [email protected]
Our CIA Report will provide you with feasibility information about your net metering project, including a connection cost estimate. You will review the connection cost estimate and if you agree to proceed, you will request a connection cost agreement (see step 6).
Once you’ve reviewed the connection cost estimate and if you agree to proceed with the project, you will request a connection cost agreement.
The New Generation form will be used to update your existing electricity account and create your new Distributed Energy Resource Account.
After you’ve paid the costs associated with the project, GrandBridge Energy issue a layout that outlines the scope of work. You arrange for a qualified electrical contractor to install the net metering system. Please do not turn on the system until GrandBridge Energy has conducted and passed all witness testing and after GrandBridge Energy has received ESA inspection.
The ESA’s guidelines for safety and generation are available to ensure correct installation. Once ESA has passed the inspection, contact our Generation Department to arrange for witness testing and the commissioning template.
Congratulations! You have successfully connected your net metering generation to GrandBridge Energy’s distribution system. Your first generation statement (where applicable) will be emailed/mailed approximately six weeks after your connection date.
Load displacement refers to behind the meter generation.
The output of the generation facility is used or intended to be used exclusively for the customer’s consumption. It allows the customer to use renewable and non-renewable generation, including battery storage to offset their load consumption and enable them to be in control of their energy requirements.
Load displacement only offsets your current power usage without any credit for excess power.
To begin a load displacement project, follow the steps provided above for your applicable project size.
For more information on load displacement and how we can help, email our Generation Team.
The MicroFIT program was discontinued in December 2017. New applications are no longer accepted. To change the name, mailing address or contacts on your MicroFIT or FIT account, please submit the change request directly to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).
GrandBridge Energy can only make these account changes once the IESO acknowledges and authorizes your request.
If you’ve purchased a home or sold a home with solar panels, your next step should be to contact the IESO and our Customer Service Team to provide details about the transfer of ownership for the property.
The Ontario Energy Board has approved an increase in the MicroFIT fixed monthly charge from $4.55 to $5.00, effective January 1, 2025.
Suppose you are the property seller (Assignor). In that case, you must contact GrandBridge Energy to schedule a final meter read on the property and the existing generation (microFIT) account before the legal closing date. Contact Us to arrange or complete the GrandBridge Energy Move Out Application form.
If you are the property’s purchaser (Assignee), you must also contact GrandBridge Energy before the legal closing date to create two new accounts – a residential account and a generation account (microFIT). You can do this by completing the New Application for Service form. The IESO will request the purchaser to provide both unique account numbers as part of the reassignment process.
The property purchaser (the Assignee) must register for an IESO microFIT registrant ID and create an IESO online account.
The purchaser (the Assignee) must provide the seller their microFIT registrant ID and legal name. This step is between the two parties and does not involve GrandBridge Energy or the IESO.
Suppose the seller (the Assignor) does not have access to the IESO online account (the contract was grandfathered from the former Ontario Power Authority). In that case, they must create an IESO online account before the contract can be reassigned.
The seller and purchaser will each be notified by the IESO that the contract has been executed and reassigned.
The purchaser (the Assignee) must complete and submit the following documents to GrandBridge Energy to activate the new generation account. Contact Customer Service if you have questions about completing and submitting these documents:
