If you’re a New York City homeowner considering installing solar panels, questions like these may have crossed your mind: How do I store the energy my system produces? What happens at night when there’s no sun?

If these questions are at the top of your mind, these two words are for you: net metering! Simply put, net metering is a billing mechanism that allows you to store your solar energy as retail energy credits to be used at a later date.

FDNY currently does not allow solar batteries in residential settings. However, net metering acts as a virtual battery: When your system produces excess, that extra energy will be exported to the grid and Con Ed credits you for it on your future electric bills. So at night, on a cloudy winter day, or other times of low sunlight, you’ll still be able to utilize your solar power.

Through net metering, the average New York City homeowner can drastically reduce their bills from Con Ed, and save on energy costs for decades.

For information on how to get started on reducing your Con Ed bills, visit the Brooklyn SolarWorks website.

[Photos via Brooklyn SolarWorks]