Surry-Yadkin EMC members: solar, batteries and backup in the Yadkin Valley
Surry-Yadkin EMC is a member-owned co-op based in Dobson. Members can connect home solar under its Renewable Generation rider, which credits exported energy at avoided cost. Here is what that means for system size and backup.
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Who Surry-Yadkin EMC is
Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation is a not-for-profit cooperative headquartered in Dobson. It serves members in Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Wilkes and Forsyth counties. A board of directors elected by its members governs the co-op and approves its rates. The current rate schedules apply to bills rendered on or after May 1, 2025.
How the Renewable Generation rider works
Home systems of 25 kW or less connect under Rider RG. The key points:
- There is no netting of kWh. Solar energy you use in the moment offsets your purchases, and energy delivered back to the co-op is credited separately.
- Exported energy is credited at avoided cost, the purchase rate set by the co-op's wholesale power provider.
- Monthly charges include a small supplemental facilities charge and an interconnection facilities charge tied to the installed cost of the co-op's equipment.
- The rider is available with the standard rate schedules, not the optional time-of-day schedules.
Because of that structure, the best systems here are sized to what the house actually uses during the day. A battery that stores midday output for the evening keeps more of your solar at home.
Interconnection steps
- Register the system with the NC Utilities Commission and get the Report of Proposed Construction.
- Submit the interconnection application with the non-refundable fee.
- Receive engineering approval and sign the interconnection agreement.
- Provide proof of liability insurance, one-line drawings and equipment spec sheets.
- Pass the local electrical inspection. The co-op installs metering.
- Wait for written authorization and the Certificate of Completion before you energize.
Energizing early means the co-op will not refund the energy charges that result, so let your installer finish the sequence.
Rates, time of use and audits
Surry-Yadkin EMC offers Shift-to-Save, a time-of-use rate, and a home energy audit. If you are weighing a battery, ask the contractor to compare the standard rate with solar against Shift-to-Save without it, since the solar rider and the time-of-day schedules do not combine.
Backup power
When Helene came through in September 2024, a fallen tree knocked out one of the co-op's substations. Ice storms and summer wind do the same on rural lines every year. Many homes in the valley run on wells, so the pump is the first thing to plan backup around.
The fastest way to a real answer
Contractors around Dobson, Yadkinville and King stay busy, and quotes can take weeks. 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 Surry-Yadkin EMC.
Where Surry-Yadkin EMC serves in our area
- Surry County
- Yadkin County
- Stokes County
- Wilkes County
- Forsyth County
Questions
Does Surry-Yadkin EMC offer net metering?
Not in the usual sense. Rider RG covers systems of 25 kW or less with no netting of kWh. Energy you send back is credited at avoided cost, the rate set by the co-op's wholesale provider, and a monthly supplemental facilities charge and interconnection facilities charge apply.
Can I use Surry-Yadkin's time-of-use rate with solar?
Rider RG is available with the co-op's standard rate schedules but not the optional time-of-day schedules. Ask your contractor to compare both paths using your own usage before you decide.
When can I turn on my solar system?
Only after Surry-Yadkin EMC gives written authorization and issues the Certificate of Completion. That comes after NCUC registration, an approved application, a signed agreement, proof of insurance, a passed local inspection and new metering.
What should backup power cover on a farm or rural home?
Start with the well pump, refrigeration and heat. Pumps need surge capacity at startup, so the inverter matters as much as battery size. A $349 evaluation on HomeBackupPros lists your critical loads and sizes the system around them.