How CFE Net Metering Works in Los Cabos
Under CFE net metering (medición neta), you get one bill. The energy your panels send to the grid is subtracted from the energy you buy.
Surplus becomes a kWh credit for later bills, for up to 12 months. The utility installs a two-way meter after the interconnection contract. Cabo Solar Experts prepares that application.
Updated November 2026 by Cabo Solar Experts
WhatsApp your power bill for a solar quote: +1 951-577-5097
Medición neta in Mexico at a glance
- Medición neta offsets exported kWh against purchased kWh in the same supply contract, with one bill. (CFE interconnection leaflet)
- Surplus credit applies automatically to later bills for up to 12 months. (DOF, CRE RES/142/2017)
- After 12 months, expired credit is settled at the average local marginal price by bank transfer. (DOF 2017)
- The other two models are net billing and total sale. (CFE leaflet)
- Systems under 0.7 MW need no generation permit under the 2025 Ley del Sector Eléctrico, Art. 19. That exemption is separate from interconnection approval. (Ventanilla de Energía / LSE)
- Contracting is free; a grid study may cost extra. Maximum response: 13 business days, or 18 with a technical opinion, excluding construction. (CFE leaflet)
- A grid-tied inverter shuts off in a grid outage; backup needs a hybrid inverter with batteries.
What is CFE net metering?
This program is a billing arrangement. The power your Los Cabos solar system sends to the grid is subtracted from the power you buy. It all runs under one supply contract and one bill.
Mexico’s power company calls it medición neta. A two-way meter records both directions, so each period ends with one net figure, not two cash sales.
Daytime production first covers loads in the house. Extra production exports through the meter. At night or on cloudy days you import from the grid as usual.
At the end of the billing period, the utility compares kWh delivered and kWh received. If you used more than you exported, you pay for the difference. If you exported more, the surplus becomes a kWh credit on later bills.
Example numbers (illustration only, not a quote): a home uses 1,000 kWh in a period. The solar system makes 600 kWh. About 350 kWh of that is used on-site.
About 250 kWh is exported. The home still imports about 650 kWh from the grid.
The bill depends on that import-versus-export balance under the medición neta contract. It is not a cash sale of every exported kilowatt-hour.
Does the utility pay me for extra solar power?
The utility does not send a monthly paycheck for surplus solar. Surplus becomes a kilowatt-hour credit. It rolls onto later bills for up to 12 months from the period it was generated.
Under the 2017 DOF rules for distributed generation, unused credit is settled after those 12 months. The utility pays the average local marginal price (precio marginal local) by bank transfer.
That price is normally below the retail tariff on your bill. So oversizing a system just to “sell” power rarely pays.
Design for the energy you actually use across the year. Cabo Solar Experts sizes from real power bills, not from a catalogue wattage. Start with solar panel installation in Cabo San Lucas if you want a grid-tied system built around medición neta.
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What are the three interconnection contract types?
The utility’s interconnection contracting leaflet lists three compensation models. Your signed contract decides which one applies—not the meter alone.
| Model (utility name) | How it works | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|
| Medición neta (net metering) | Generation and consumption share one supply contract; energy offsets on one bill | Homes and businesses that use most of what they generate |
| Facturación neta (net billing) | Energy you buy and energy you sell are accounted for separately | Cases where export is treated as a separate sale |
| Venta total (total sale) | All generated energy is sold to the utility; no associated supply contract at that point | Projects dedicated to selling energy |
Confirm the regime on your paperwork before you value exports in a proposal. Claims that “net metering disappeared in Mexico” do not match the published models. Your contract is what counts.
What does the utility ask for to approve a solar interconnection in Los Cabos?
The utility files interconnection requests only at customer service centres (Centros de Atención a Clientes). The contracting leaflet lists documents such as:
- Interconnection application form
- Location sketch of the generating plant
- Single-line diagram
- Generation technology sheet
- Inverter technology sheet plus interconnection certificate
- Latest paid power bill (or RMU details) for the supply point that will share the interconnection
Cabo Solar Experts prepares the single-line diagram and the interconnection application for the systems we install. Track status by calling 071 or visiting a service centre. For the step-by-step meter process, see the two-way meter process.
How long does the utility take to approve solar interconnection?
The utility lists a maximum response of 13 business days for requests without a technical opinion. It lists 18 business days when a technical opinion is required. Those clocks exclude construction time for any network work.
The two-way meter swap follows approval. Cabo Solar Experts does not promise a date that the utility does not publish.
Can medición neta help with high DAC bills?
The utility bills the net energy under medición neta. Daytime solar can offset evening and summer air-conditioning use on that bill. Exported daytime kilowatt-hours become credits that apply later in the credit window.
That does not erase fixed charges. It does not change every tariff rule overnight.
For bill context, read our DAC rate guide for Los Cabos. No savings percentage is claimed here.
Will selling extra power to the grid keep my power on during a blackout?
No. A standard grid-tied inverter shuts off when the grid goes down. That anti-islanding behaviour protects line workers.
Credits on a bill are not the same as backup power in the house. Backup needs a hybrid inverter and batteries sized for the circuits you want to keep on. See solar battery backup in Los Cabos and hybrid vs off-grid solar in Los Cabos.
Net metering, zero export or off-grid: which fits my property?
Homes and full-time residents with stable utility service usually start with a grid-tied system sized to yearly use. Villas and rentals often add battery backup. Guests then keep lights, refrigeration and Wi-Fi during outages, and still use the grid when it is up.
Businesses may need a closer look at net billing or commercial design. See commercial solar in Los Cabos. East Cape and remote properties sometimes need hybrid or off-grid designs when the grid is weak or absent.
Zero export means the system stays connected but limits power sent out. That is not the same as living off-grid.
For cost context without invented numbers, see what solar costs in Mexico. For local utility service context, see power service in Cabo San Lucas.
Is there a size limit for medición neta in Mexico?
Under the 2025 Ley del Sector Eléctrico, Article 19, plants under 0.7 MW are exempt generators. They do not need a generation permit. That exemption is not the same as the interconnection contract.
You still need approval from the utility and a two-way meter before you run in parallel with the grid. Some forms and older manuals still cite a 0.5 MW distributed-generation figure. So confirm the current forms for your project.
Older site text listed 10 kW residential / 30 kW commercial as the cap. Those were earlier small-scale rules, and this page does not use them.
How Cabo Solar Experts helps with interconnection
Cabo Solar Experts designs and installs solar for homes and businesses in Los Cabos and across Baja California Sur. For grid-tied projects we prepare the single-line diagram and interconnection application, then coordinate the path to the two-way meter. We size from your real bills so credits match how you actually use power through the year.
Frequently asked questions
Does CFE pay cash for solar power I send to the grid?
Not each month. Surplus becomes a kWh credit for up to 12 months. After that window, the utility settles expired credit at the average local marginal price. It pays by bank transfer under the 2017 DOF rules.
How long do CFE solar credits last?
Up to 12 months from the period they were generated. Use them on later bills inside that window.
Do I need a bidirectional meter?
Yes. The utility installs a two-way meter after the interconnection contract. It records both imports and exports.
Is there a size limit for net metering in Mexico?
Plants under 0.7 MW are exempt generators with no generation permit under the 2025 Ley del Sector Eléctrico, Art. 19. Check the current forms. Interconnection approval is still required.
How much does CFE charge for interconnection?
Contracting is free, says the utility. A grid evaluation of the distribution network may cost extra if one is required.
How long does approval take?
The utility lists a maximum of 13 business days without a technical opinion, or 18 with one, excluding construction time.
Does net metering work during a blackout?
No. Grid-tied inverters shut off in an outage. Backup needs a hybrid inverter and batteries.
Can I switch from net metering to net billing later?
The 2017 rules allow changing compensation regime only after one year from signing the contract.
Sources
- DOF / CRE RES/142/2017 distributed-generation dispositions (12-month credit; expired credit at average local marginal price): DOF note
- CFE “Contratación de Suministro para Solicitudes de Interconexión” (documents, three models, free contracting, 13/18 business-day maximum): CFE PDF
- Ventanilla de Energía / Ley del Sector Eléctrico Art. 19 (plants under 0.7 MW exempt from generation permit): ficha
Next step
Ready to see whether CFE net metering fits your Los Cabos property? WhatsApp your power bill for a solar quote (+1 951-577-5097). Or review solar panel installation in Cabo San Lucas. Tell us which circuits matter most if you want backup.
