Commonwealth Edison net metering

Program name and structure

ComEd operates residential net metering under the program named Smart Solar Billing (Rider POGNM). The structural particulars (export-credit mechanism, billing-cycle treatment, monthly versus annual reconciliation, and any production-incentive layered on top) are summarized above and controlled by the active tariff filing.

ComEd transitioned residential customers to Smart Solar Billing effective January 1, 2025, under ICC-approved Rider POGNM . The change replaced the prior 1:1 retail-rate net metering arrangement for all new residential installations. Systems with permission to operate dated before January 1, 2025 are grandfathered to the previous structure for the original term of their interconnection agreement.

Smart Solar Billing distinguishes between two flows of value: production consumed by the home as it is generated (instantaneous offset), and production exported to the grid (net export credit). The two are compensated differently, which is the source of most confusion in sales conversations and the input most often oversimplified.

Eligibility

Residential net metering eligibility under ComEd typically requires the system to be behind the customer’s utility meter (not a standalone grid-tied generator), sized to serve the customer’s own load, and installed by a registered distributed-generation installer. System size limits apply at the residential class; specific kilowatt caps and the dividing line between residential and small-commercial qualification appear in the current tariff filing. Battery storage may participate as part of a paired solar-plus-storage system, subject to the storage-specific interconnection rules.

What gets compensated, and how

Under Smart Solar Billing, production consumed instantaneously by the home, the air conditioner running at midday, the EV charging on solar, the heat pump compensating for an open door, offsets electricity the household would otherwise have bought from ComEd at the all-in delivered rate. That rate currently sits near 16¢/kWh and reflects energy supply plus delivery service, transmission, taxes, and capacity charges.

Production exported to the grid when the home is not consuming it is credited at the supply rate only, not the full delivered rate. The current supply rate is 9.66¢/kWh through May 2026, after which the rate resets following the next supply auction. Net export credits appear on the homeowner’s bill as a monetary credit against the next month’s supply charges, with a carry-forward mechanism for excess credit.

The economic difference matters for system sizing: a system sized so that most production is consumed on-site captures the full delivered-rate value on the majority of its output. A system sized well above the home’s daytime load sends more to export and earns roughly half the per-kWh value on that share.

Interconnection process

Connecting a residential solar system to ComEd follows a sequence the homeowner does not run directly. The installer files the paperwork; the homeowner signs forms and waits. A reasonable timeline runs three to six weeks from install completion to PTO, though specific service areas and submission backlogs can stretch it.

1. Pre-application screening (optional). The installer verifies the proposed system against ComEd’s technical requirements for the residential class. For straightforward 6 to 8 kW residential systems, this step is often skipped.
2. Interconnection application. The installer submits the formal application package with the system specifications, single-line diagram, and equipment certifications. ComEd reviews and assigns a queue position.
3. Bi-directional meter installation. ComEd swaps the existing meter for one that measures flow in both directions, so consumption and export can be tracked independently.
4. Witness test and Permission to Operate (PTO). A utility representative (or qualified installer affidavit, depending on jurisdiction) verifies the install meets requirements. PTO is the date the system is legally producing for the homeowner; production before PTO is not credited.

Legacy NEM customers

Customers whose systems received permission to operate before January 1, 2025 remain on the prior 1:1 retail-rate net metering structure for the original term of their interconnection agreement. Grandfathering is not permanent and the end date is in the interconnection paperwork. A homeowner buying a property with an older installed system should request a copy of the original interconnection agreement before assuming the legacy rate persists through a system transfer. Material modifications (panel replacement, capacity increase) may trigger a new interconnection application and move the system onto Smart Solar Billing.

How to verify the current rate

The published tariff schedule, not a marketing page, is the authoritative source for the current rate. ComEd's rate schedules are filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission and posted publicly. The export-credit component (the figure that drives net export compensation) is the one most likely to revise, and may differ from the figure printed on any proposal more than a few months old.

The Illinois Commerce Commission docket page lists current rate cases and approved tariffs for utilities operating in Illinois. Reading the latest filing is more reliable than reading a marketing summary, and faster than most homeowners expect.

For ComEd customers specifically, the Citizens Utility Board publishes a plain-language annual rate report that tracks the supply-versus-delivered split through the year. Either source is more reliable than the figure an installer printed on a proposal in March.