Hi @citygooner,
It sounds like you are a little confused. There are two types of energy meters…
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The standard ‘smart’ energy meter installed on every home so the electricity retailer can monitor your electricity and bill you accordingly. (They are really not that smart though)
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A ‘solar’ energy meter is optional when you purchase a solar system. This meter is installed by the solar company and connected to your solar inverter. It lets you monitor both your energy consumption and solar generation on an app or online. This is the same brand as the solar inverter you use and is provided when you install your solar system.
Now back to the energy meter used for billing. This meter is installed on all new homes in Victoria and technically known as a ‘bi-directional’ meter, meaning it can measure energy flowing both in and out of the home. To enable it to measure solar export (so you can get feed-in credits), the electricity provider will remotely re-program it, this usually costs about $50. Obviously this is done only after you have solar installed.
Pre-wiring for the smart ‘solar’ meter would normally just involve running a simple communications (CAT 5) cable from the main switchboard to where the solar inverter will be located. Any electrician should be able to do this during the house construction. (As long as you know where the inverter will be located?)
Hope this helps.
Jason