Transmission loss from solar to the grid

[driver7]

Has anyone figured what the transmission loss is when we send electricity produced by solar to the grid (e.g., in a net metering setup)? For example, if my utility says it had received 300 kWh from me last month, how much solar was actually used? What I am trying to get at is the % lost from the moment my electrons leave the inverter to the moment they are counted by the utility as part of the 300 kWh.

 

[BrettS]

Has anyone figured what the transmission loss is when we send electricity produced by solar to the grid (e.g., in a net metering setup)? For example, if my utility says it had received 300 kWh from me last month, how much solar was actually used? What I am trying to get at is the % lost from the moment my electrons leave the inverter to the moment they are counted by the utility as part of the 300 kWh.

There should be very little, if anything lost. That number is measured at your meter, so it’s not like it has to go through miles of wire to reach the utility or anything.

 

[gpez]

And likely the utility has nearly 0 losses once the electrons pass through your net meter and become "theirs" because electricity is lazy and it's almost assured the electrons your PV generates just go straight to your neighbors.

 

[dhrivnak]

Yes near 0 as it is your meter reading the the flow and unless most of your neighborhood has also gone solar, the power will flow to the closest neighbor. Overall only about 7% of the power is lost due to transmission losses and that is including all the very long distance transmission.