Net metering is what turns a rooftop solar plant from a partial saving into an almost-zero bill. It is also the part most customers understand least, which makes it easy to be misled about how much you will really save.
What net metering actually does
Your solar panels produce the most electricity in the middle of the day, which is usually when a home uses the least. Instead of wasting that surplus, a bi-directional meter sends it into the JVVNL grid and records it. At night, when your panels produce nothing, you draw from the grid as usual.
At the end of the billing cycle, JVVNL bills you only on the net difference — units imported minus units exported. That is why a correctly sized system can bring a ₹5,000 bill down to a few hundred rupees.
Under net metering, exported units offset your imported units almost one for one, which is the most valuable arrangement. Under net billing, you are paid a fixed rate for what you export while paying full tariff for what you import. Rajasthan currently pays ₹3.26 per unit under net metering and ₹3.65 under net billing, against a domestic tariff that can reach ₹7 to ₹8. This is precisely why sizing your system to match your own consumption beats oversizing it to sell power.
The JVVNL net metering process in Jaipur
- Feasibility application. Before installation, an application goes to JVVNL to confirm your connection and transformer can take the system. Approval usually takes 7 to 15 days.
- Installation and testing. The plant is installed and internally tested, and the installer submits the commissioning report with panel and inverter serial numbers.
- DISCOM inspection. A JVVNL engineer visits to verify earthing, safety cut-offs and that the installed capacity matches the approved capacity.
- Bi-directional meter installation. Your old meter is replaced with a meter that records both import and export. This is when net metering actually begins.
- Agreement and activation. You sign the net metering agreement with JVVNL, after which your bills start reflecting net consumption.
Reading your bill after solar
Your JVVNL bill will now show separate readings for import and export. If you exported more than you imported in a cycle, the surplus units are carried forward and adjusted against future months rather than paid out immediately. At the end of the settlement year, any remaining surplus is settled at the applicable rate.
One thing that surprises people: fixed charges do not disappear. JVVNL still levies its fixed charge based on sanctioned load, so even a perfectly performing system leaves a small monthly bill of a few hundred rupees. Any installer promising a literally zero bill is overselling.
JVVNL will not approve a system larger than your sanctioned load. If you have a 3kW sanctioned load and want a 5kW plant, you must apply for load enhancement first, which adds two to three weeks. Check the sanctioned load printed on your bill before finalising any system size.
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