Rutherford EMC members: solar and battery backup, step by step

Who Rutherford EMC is

Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation is a not-for-profit cooperative headquartered in Forest City. It serves members in Rutherford, Polk, Cleveland, McDowell, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Lincoln, Gaston and Mitchell counties, organized into Rutherford-Polk, Lincoln-Gaston and Burke-McDowell districts. It is governed by a board of directors elected by its members.

The residential bill has a Basic Facilities Charge that also serves as the minimum bill, a per-kWh energy charge, a Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment that is reviewed monthly and can be a charge or a credit, and an NC Renewable Energy Fee adjusted once a year. The current residential schedule took effect for bills issued on or after July 1, 2023.

Connecting solar to Rutherford EMC

Rutherford EMC's service rules say a member may not run other generation in parallel with the co-op's service without prior written consent. The co-op can disconnect service without notice if outside power is introduced without that consent. Back-fed power is a real danger to line crews. So the first step is always the co-op's approval.

The co-op invites members to contact it about how to start the interconnection process, and it offers a free home energy audit. Its residential rate page does not list a separate solar or net metering schedule, so ask the co-op, or have your contractor ask, how exported energy is credited and what monthly charges apply before you settle on a system size. That one answer changes whether you size for your own use or for export.

Generators and transfer switches

Rutherford EMC asks members who install a generator to tell the co-op so it can be noted on the account. A portable generator needs a double-pole, double-throw transfer switch so it cannot back-feed the lines. A battery system with a proper automatic transfer setup does the same job without fuel or noise.

Helene and backup power

Two days after Helene, power was back for about a third of Rutherford EMC's meters. The co-op's general manager said it had never faced such difficulty reaching parts of its system.

For homes on a well, the pump is the load that matters most when the power is out. A battery sized for the pump surge, the refrigerator and the furnace fan covers most needs during a long outage.

The fastest way to a real answer

Getting a contractor to Lake Lure, Columbus or Marion for a site visit can take longer than it should. On HomeBackupPros you can book a home energy evaluation for $349. It covers an electric audit, a review of your actual usage and a written quote for a system. If you buy the system from that same contractor, the $349 is credited toward the price. Contractors can also offer a free site visit or send an estimate instead, and you choose.

Every contractor is reviewed and approved by our team before they can respond, and we check their NC electrical contractor license number. They are independent businesses. HomeBackupPros does not install anything and is not affiliated with Rutherford EMC.