{ "updated": "2026-10-04", "assumptions": { "systemKw": 6.0, "tilt": 20, "azimuth": 180, "losses": 14, "arrayType": 1, "moduleType": 0, "costPerWatt": 2.85, "federalItcPct": 0.0, "retailShareByNetting": { "instantaneous": 0.65, "monthly": 0.85, "annual": 0.95 }, "degradationPerYear": 0.005, "rateInflation": 0.03, "omPerYear": 150, "inverterReplaceYear": 12, "inverterReplaceCost": 1800, "analysisYears": 30 }, "coverage": { "published": 50, "totalStates": 50, "awaitingVerification": [] }, "sources": { "production": "NREL PVWatts v8 (developer.nlr.gov), NSRDB TMY", "electricityRate": "EIA API v2, retail-sales, residential, latest month", "exportRate": "State PUC rule and serving utility tariff, per state (see sourceUrl)", "incentives": "DSIRE, reviewed manually", "installCost": "EnergySage / SEIA, H1 2026", "federalItc": "Section 25D expired 31 Dec 2025" }, "states": [ { "code": "HI", "name": "Hawaii", "lat": 21.31, "lon": -157.86, "annualKwh": 9730, "retailRate": 0.48, "exportRate": 0.1536, "exportFactor": 0.32, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 4.25, "grossCost": 25500.0, "netCost": 19012.5, "incentives": 6487.5, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 4193.89, "paybackSimple": 4.5, "paybackAccurate": 4.5, "netReturn25": 118413.0, "verdict": "excellent", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://tax.hawaii.gov/geninfo/renewable/", "checked": "2026-08-26", "note": "NEM closed to new customers in 2015; new systems join Smart Renewable Energy Export (from Oct 2024). Oahu export credit is time-of-day: 13.5c 9am-5pm, 18.9c 9pm-9am, 32.9c 5-9pm evening peak. A PV-only system exports almost entirely in the 9am-5pm window, so 13.5c against a residential retail rate near 42c gives exportFactor 0.32. A battery that shifts export into the 5-9pm peak roughly doubles the export value - the single biggest lever in Hawaii. Legacy CGS+ credits 10.08c on Oahu. Rates differ by island and are reset every 3 years. KIUC (Kauai) is a separate co-op. RETITC 35% capped at $5,000. Installed cost is set to $4.25/W here, not the $2.85 national median: island shipping, permitting and labor make Hawaii one of the most expensive US markets to install in, and using the national figure produced an implausible sub-3-year payback.", "rank": 1 }, { "code": "NY", "name": "New York", "lat": 40.71, "lon": -74.01, "annualKwh": 7748, "retailRate": 0.299, "exportRate": 0.299, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 3.3, "grossCost": 19800.0, "netCost": 13650.0, "incentives": 6150.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 101.52, "extraFixedAnnual": 101.52, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 2215.16, "paybackSimple": 6.2, "paybackAccurate": 6.2, "netReturn25": 57241.0, "verdict": "excellent", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/NY-Sun", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "Modeled on Con Edison Phase One net metering, the option a typical rooftop takes: credits near full retail, about 28.5-31.6c, locked for 20 years from interconnection. The alternative is the VDER Value Stack, where credits are built from wholesale price, capacity, environmental, demand-reduction and locational components and average a little below retail at 20-24c - better suited to storage, larger systems and community solar than to a plain roof. THE CATCH IS THE CUSTOMER BENEFIT CONTRIBUTION: $1.41 per kW DC per month on Phase One net metering at Con Edison, about $102 a year on a 6 kW system, billed whatever your production and explicitly non-bypassable - no amount of export credit reduces it. It is modeled here as an annual cost. Choosing VDER halves it to $0.71/kW. Systems interconnected before 1 January 2022 are exempt for their whole 20-year term. Other utilities charge $0.91-$1.67/kW. The state income tax credit is 25% of net cost, capped PER PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE rather than per installation - a separate cap applies on moving to a new principal residence in New York. All equipment on a single net meter counts as one system, so later expansions draw on the same cap. The cap has historically been $5,000 and reported as rising toward $10,000 for systems placed in service from 2026; at 25% of a $19,800 installed price the credit reaches $4,950 either way, so the 6 kW figure here is unaffected, though larger systems would be. Non-refundable with a five-year carryforward. Unusually, it covers qualifying 10-year leases and PPAs as well as purchases. NY-Sun Megawatt Block pays an upfront per-watt rebate through the contractor, around $0.20/W depending on region and block fill - modeled at $1,200 on 6 kW, and worth confirming for your own block before relying on it. Sales tax exemption and a 15-year property tax exemption also apply. Installed cost $3.30/W (state range $2.76-$3.52).", "rank": 2 }, { "code": "IL", "name": "Illinois", "lat": 41.88, "lon": -87.63, "annualKwh": 7851, "retailRate": 0.1922, "exportRate": 0.0846, "exportFactor": 0.44, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 3.06, "grossCost": 18360.0, "netCost": 7420.0, "incentives": 10940.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1213.26, "paybackSimple": 6.1, "paybackAccurate": 6.5, "netReturn25": 28392.0, "verdict": "excellent", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://illinoisshines.com/", "checked": "2026-09-04", "note": "Modeled on ComEd. Systems interconnecting in 2026 no longer receive full retail net metering: the credit covers the SUPPLY portion of the bill only, at ComEd's Price to Compare of 10.399c against an all-in residential average of 23.85c, about 0.44 of retail, with delivery charges no longer offset. Systems with Permission to Operate before the transition keep legacy full-retail rules. Credits roll month to month but any balance at the 12-month true-up is zeroed; customers choose an April or October cycle, and April is usually better because the spring bank then carries into summer cooling. TWO INCENTIVES DO THE HEAVY LIFTING, AND TOGETHER THEY ARE THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY. Illinois Shines buys fifteen years of the system's projected RECs under a fixed-price contract: $80.77 per REC for 0-10 kW systems in ComEd's Group B, plus a $20 customer-owned adder available where the owner does not claim the federal tax credit - which, with Section 25D expired, now describes every purchasing homeowner. The gross contract value is not what reaches the homeowner: an Approved Vendor must submit the application and retains roughly 15%, covering administrative fees and a 5% collateral held against underproduction, so the net figure for a 6 kW system in ComEd territory is about $9,140. ComEd's separate Distributed Generation rebate adds $300/kW, or $1,800, arriving about 90 days after energization. The $10,940 total is modeled as a reduction in purchase price, which is optimistic on timing: 50% of the Shines value arrives roughly a year after installation and the remaining 50% in quarterly installments across the following six years, so the real break-even is somewhat later than shown. Ameren territory pays $70.37 per REC, netting closer to $7,517. Under a lease or PPA the vendor keeps the incentive entirely and passes value back through a lower monthly payment instead. Illinois also exempts the added value from property tax assessment. Installed cost $3.06/W (state range $2.97-$3.15).", "rank": 3 }, { "code": "MA", "name": "Massachusetts", "lat": 42.36, "lon": -71.06, "annualKwh": 7811, "retailRate": 0.3049, "exportRate": 0.3049, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 3.15, "grossCost": 18900.0, "netCost": 17900.0, "incentives": 1000.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 30, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 2616.0, "paybackSimple": 6.8, "paybackAccurate": 6.8, "netReturn25": 63265.0, "verdict": "excellent", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.mass.gov/info-details/smart-program-details", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "Modeled on Eversource. Residential Class I systems up to 25 kW AC get a 1:1 credit at the FULL retail rate - and full here really means full: basic service supply, distribution, transmission and transition components are all covered, not just the supply half as in Ohio or Illinois. Credits roll month to month and are reset at the annual true-up, April for Eversource, March for National Grid and Unitil; a standard residential balance does not carry into the next cycle, so oversizing beyond your own annual use is wasted. Once interconnected, the credit framework is locked for 25 years from the placed-in-service date, which is the longest protection of any state on this site. SMART 3.0 pays a flat $0.03/kWh on top of net metering for residential systems 25 kW and under, locked for 20 years from enrolment, with $0.06/kWh for income-qualified households and a further $0.04/kWh for an eligible battery. That is modeled as $30/MWh of ongoing production income - note the model runs 30 years while SMART runs 20, so years 21-30 are slightly overstated; break-even lands well before that, so the payback figure is unaffected. The state tax credit is 15% of net expenditure with a LIFETIME cap of $1,000 per principal residence under 830 CMR 62.6.1 - not an annual credit, and any amount claimed for earlier work on the same home is deducted from it. Since 15% of $6,667 already reaches the ceiling, almost every installation exhausts it immediately. Non-refundable, carried forward up to three years, claimed on Schedule EC. Solar hardware is exempt from the 6.25% state sales tax, which is already inside the installed price. Installed cost set to $3.15/W (state range $2.80-$3.50; Boston and Cambridge run at the top of it, Springfield and Worcester below). Class II and III and non-exempt commercial systems get market net metering credits at 60% of retail instead - not relevant to a house. DPU 25-200 is reviewing export rate design, so this is a state to re-check.", "rank": 4 }, { "code": "ME", "name": "Maine", "lat": 43.66, "lon": -70.26, "annualKwh": 7912, "retailRate": 0.3241, "exportRate": 0.3241, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 3.05, "grossCost": 18300.0, "netCost": 18300.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 2564.12, "paybackSimple": 7.1, "paybackAccurate": 7.0, "netReturn25": 63565.0, "verdict": "excellent", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.maine.gov/mpuc/", "checked": "2026-08-19", "note": "Modeled on Central Maine Power's Net Energy Billing. A true 1:1 credit at the whole retail rate - delivery plus the 12.721c standard offer supply, about 27c all in - not a supply-only slice. That, against one of the highest retail rates in the country, is what carries Maine. Credits roll month to month for up to twelve months and are cleared at an annual true-up, usually in March; nothing banks past it, so sizing beyond your own annual use is wasted. Versant Power customers pay nearer 32c and do slightly better again. WORTH KNOWING: Efficiency Maine has NO solar rebate - its cash-back programs cover heat pumps, water heaters and weatherisation only, and several roundups wrongly imply otherwise. Maine has no state solar tax credit either. The 100% property tax exemption is the only other statewide protection, and it is an avoided cost rather than cash off. Installed cost $3.05/W (state range $2.88-$3.19).", "rank": 5 }, { "code": "NJ", "name": "New Jersey", "lat": 40.74, "lon": -74.17, "annualKwh": 7833, "retailRate": 0.2519, "exportRate": 0.2519, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.98, "grossCost": 17880.0, "netCost": 17880.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 77, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 2576.18, "paybackSimple": 6.9, "paybackAccurate": 7.0, "netReturn25": 58041.0, "verdict": "excellent", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://njcleanenergy.com/renewable-energy/programs/successor-solar-incentive-susi-program", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "Modeled on PSE&G. Straightforward 1:1 net metering at the full retail rate - around 27c all-in for PSE&G against a 23.3c state average - with monthly rollover and a 12-month true-up on the utility's anniversary date, at which any remaining balance is cleared and paid at wholesale avoided cost, roughly 3-5c. NJBPU sizing rules are the strictest here of any state on this site: annual generation may not exceed your historical on-site consumption at all, so there is no room to build a bank you cannot use. The SuSI Administratively Determined Incentive pays $77.00/MWh for applications registered on or after 27 July 2026, down from $85.00 for those registered before; the rate then locks for 15 years from interconnection and is paid quarterly on actual output, so the application DATE decides fifteen years of income. Modeled at the current $77 - note the model runs 30 years while SuSI runs 15, overstating years 16-30, though break-even arrives long before that. Solar equipment and installation labor are exempt from the 6.625% state sales tax, and the added home value is exempt from property tax; both are already reflected in the installed price rather than counted again as cash. Installed cost set to $2.98/W (state range $2.75-$3.20). JCP&L is cheaper all-in at about 21c and Atlantic City Electric dearer at up to 30c, so PSE&G sits mid-range. Published New Jersey payback estimates run 7-9 years.", "rank": 6 }, { "code": "MD", "name": "Maryland", "lat": 39.29, "lon": -76.61, "annualKwh": 8351, "retailRate": 0.2141, "exportRate": 0.2141, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.88, "grossCost": 17280.0, "netCost": 17280.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 56, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 2255.63, "paybackSimple": 7.7, "paybackAccurate": 7.7, "netReturn25": 49141.0, "verdict": "excellent", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.psc.state.md.us/", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "Modeled on BGE. Full retail net metering - credits match the whole retail structure, roughly 16.5-19.2c, not a supply-only slice. THE SETTING THAT DECIDES YOUR RETURN: under the Net Metering Flexibility Act you choose between the default April true-up, which cashes out leftover credit at a low commodity-only rate, and indefinite rollover, which keeps every kilowatt-hour banked at full retail for future use. Indefinite rollover is NOT automatic - you have to ask your utility for it - and it is worth materially more than the default. This model assumes you have opted in. Fixed connection and meter charges are never offset by credits. SRECs are unusually good here: standard certificates trade around $40-43, and the Brighter Tomorrow Act applies a 1.5x multiplier to certified residential systems of 20 kW AC or smaller, taking them to roughly $55-57.50 - modeled at $56, since a 6 kW house qualifies. The state Solar Alternative Compliance Payment ceiling is $45 for energy year 2026, which caps how high the market can run. The Maryland Solar Access Program pays $750/kW to $7,500, but only to income-eligible households on a first-come basis, so it is not modeled as a general rebate. Installed cost $2.88/W; Pepco areas run nearer $2.57 and Baltimore/BGE $2.84-2.94.", "rank": 7 }, { "code": "DE", "name": "Delaware", "lat": 39.74, "lon": -75.55, "annualKwh": 8182, "retailRate": 0.1848, "exportRate": 0.1848, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.7, "grossCost": 16200.0, "netCost": 12000.0, "incentives": 4200.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1512.02, "paybackSimple": 7.9, "paybackAccurate": 8.0, "netReturn25": 33997.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://depsc.delaware.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on Delmarva Power. Full retail 1:1 net metering, credited in kilowatt-hours rather than dollars, for residential systems up to 25 kW sized to no more than 110% of the previous twelve months' consumption. Credits roll through a 12-month annualized billing period; under 26 Del. Admin. Code 3012 anything left at the end reverts to the utility, and utilities are prohibited from paying for it. Credits cannot offset fixed connection or distribution charges. THE CHOICE THAT MATTERS: the Green Energy Program pays an upfront grant of $0.70 per watt, capped at $6,000 for Delmarva customers and at 50% of project cost - $4,200 on a 6 kW system, which is what is modeled - but accepting it requires assigning the SRECs to the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility. The alternative is to decline the grant, keep the SRECs and sell them at roughly $30-40/MWh, worth perhaps $280 a year. The upfront grant is normally the better of the two for payback, though not for total lifetime return. Delaware Electric Cooperative pays $0.35-0.50/W instead. Production bonuses of 10% each are available where at least half the equipment is manufactured in Delaware or three-quarters of the installation is done by a state-certified workforce. There is no state sales tax. Installed cost $2.70/W (state range $2.30-$3.11).", "rank": 8 }, { "code": "RI", "name": "Rhode Island", "lat": 41.82, "lon": -71.41, "annualKwh": 7762, "retailRate": 0.2829, "exportRate": 0.2263, "exportFactor": 0.8, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 2.92, "grossCost": 17520.0, "netCost": 17520.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 2129.86, "paybackSimple": 8.2, "paybackAccurate": 8.1, "netReturn25": 49540.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://ripuc.ri.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on Rhode Island Energy net metering. Systems installed after 15 April 2023 are credited for exports at 80% of the retail rate, roughly 23c against a retail rate near 29c; systems installed before that date keep full 1:1 crediting, so the installation date matters here as it does in Arkansas and Indiana. Power consumed on site still offsets at the full retail rate. Annual production may not exceed 125% of on-site consumption. Credits roll month to month and any balance at the annual reconciliation is cashed out at the wholesale or ISO-NE clearing price rather than at retail. THIS FIGURE IS CONSERVATIVE: the Renewable Energy Fund grant is available alongside net metering and reportedly pays up to $1.65 per watt, but the current rate and cap could not be established with confidence and no grant is modeled, so the real payback for a household receiving REF is shorter than shown. The separate Renewable Energy Growth program is an alternative rather than an addition - it pays a fixed 31.55c/kWh for 15 years on systems of 15 kW or less, and choosing it excludes both net metering and REF. Rhode Island exempts solar from the 7% sales tax and from property tax for 20 years. Installed cost $2.92/W (state range $2.75-$3.10).", "rank": 9 }, { "code": "NH", "name": "New Hampshire", "lat": 42.99, "lon": -71.46, "annualKwh": 7551, "retailRate": 0.266, "exportRate": 0.1835, "exportFactor": 0.69, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 3.03, "grossCost": 18180.0, "netCost": 18180.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1977.37, "paybackSimple": 9.2, "paybackAccurate": 8.9, "netReturn25": 43681.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.puc.nh.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on Eversource under NEM 2.0. The export credit is built from 100% of supply, 100% of transmission and 25% of distribution, which comes to about 69% of the full retail rate, roughly $0.20/kWh against an all-in rate of 26-29.6c. That formula is locked by statute through 1 January 2041 - the longest rate certainty of any state on this site. Credits roll month to month and, unusually, DO NOT EXPIRE at an annual reset; a balance of $100 or more can be cashed out once a year on request. Eversource reconciles in April, Liberty and Unitil in March. CORRECTION: New Hampshire's Residential Renewable Electrical Generation Rebate, which paid $0.20/W up to $1,000, was permanently repealed by SB 303 and no longer exists; several roundups still list it. No state rebate or tax credit is modeled. Installed cost $3.03/W (state range $2.80-$3.30).", "rank": 10 }, { "code": "NM", "name": "New Mexico", "lat": 35.08, "lon": -106.65, "annualKwh": 10674, "retailRate": 0.1609, "exportRate": 0.1609, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.88, "grossCost": 17280.0, "netCost": 15552.0, "incentives": 1728.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1717.48, "paybackSimple": 9.1, "paybackAccurate": 8.9, "netReturn25": 37449.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-19", "note": "Modeled on PNM. Systems of 10 kW or less get a true 1:1 credit at your own retail rate, and excess kilowatt-hours roll over month to month INDEFINITELY under PNM's tariff - one of very few states where the bank does not reset annually. Leftover credit is only cashed out, at the avoided-cost Rate 12, if you close the account. Systems ABOVE 10 kW are treated completely differently: no cumulative banking at all, with excess paid monthly at avoided cost - so crossing 10 kW in New Mexico costs far more than the extra panels. NMPRC Rule 17.9.570 also sets a $50 threshold, above which a monthly balance owed to the customer can trigger a payout rather than accumulate, and it leaves each utility discretion over whether to bank kWh or cash them out - so El Paso Electric and Xcel customers should check their own tariff. The New Solar Market Development Tax Credit is 10% of equipment, materials and labor, capped at $6,000 per taxpayer per year, and it is REFUNDABLE - unusual, and worth more than a non-refundable credit of the same size. The cap is PER TAXPAYER PER TAXABLE YEAR rather than per installation or lifetime. The credit is fully refundable - any excess over state tax liability is paid out rather than carried forward - and the certificate may be sold or transferred at full value, which is unusually generous. It runs first-come first-served against a $30 million annual statewide cap, is authorized for systems installed through 1 January 2032, and certification must be obtained from EMNRD before the credit is claimed. Installed cost $2.88/W (state range $2.60-$3.15). New Mexico averages over six peak sun hours a day, the best production in this list.", "rank": 11 }, { "code": "PA", "name": "Pennsylvania", "lat": 39.95, "lon": -75.17, "annualKwh": 8156, "retailRate": 0.2172, "exportRate": 0.1216, "exportFactor": 0.56, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 2.93, "grossCost": 17580.0, "netCost": 17580.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 28, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1960.79, "paybackSimple": 9.0, "paybackAccurate": 8.9, "netReturn25": 41310.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.puc.pa.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "Modeled on PECO under 52 Pa. Code Chapter 75. Two tiers: monthly excess is credited 1:1 at the FULL retail rate, about 21c, and rolls forward indefinitely; only the balance still sitting there at the annual true-up - the year runs 1 June to 31 May - is cashed out, and that happens at the generation-only Price to Compare, 11.76c, roughly 0.56 of retail. So the export factor here bites only on an annual surplus, which is why sizing to 100-110% of your own use beats overbuilding. PECO resets the Price to Compare quarterly. If you close the account, leftover credit is generally forfeited rather than paid. Pennsylvania SRECs trade at only $22-35 because the AEPS solar carve-out is 0.5% and the market is heavily oversupplied; certificates stay valid three years from vintage. Modeled at $28. The pending PRESS Act would raise the carve-out to 5.5%, which would move that number a long way - but the 2026 market runs on the old rules, so do not price it in. Pennsylvania is deregulated and applies 6% sales tax to residential solar, unlike most states here. All-in rates range from about 17c at West Penn Power to 23c at PECO. Installed cost $2.93/W (state range $2.70-$3.16).", "rank": 12 }, { "code": "CA", "name": "California", "lat": 34.05, "lon": -118.24, "annualKwh": 10063, "retailRate": 0.3361, "exportRate": 0.0403, "exportFactor": 0.12, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.45, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "nem3", "costPerWatt": 2.8, "grossCost": 16800.0, "netCost": 16800.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1744.96, "paybackSimple": 9.6, "paybackAccurate": 9.4, "netReturn25": 37138.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "NEM 3.0, the Net Billing Tariff. Exports are paid at the Avoided Cost Calculator rate, which averages 5-8c across the year - but that average is misleading for a battery-less system. The ACC collapses to roughly $0.00-0.03 at midday, precisely when a PV-only roof is exporting, and only rises into the 4-9pm window, when a PV-only roof has nothing left to send. Self-consumption is set to 45% here rather than the 65% used for other instantaneous-netting states: with exports worth so little and no battery, a Californian household simply sends more of its midday output to the grid than the default assumes, and leaving it at 65% produced a payback well short of the 9-11 years commonly published. Exports modeled at about 4c against a 33-35c retail average, so an export factor near 0.12 - among the worst in the country against one of the highest retail rates. THIS IS WHY CALIFORNIA IS A BATTERY STATE: storage that shifts export into the evening peak can multiply that credit several times over, and adds roughly $10,000-15,000 to the project. Netting is instantaneous and billing is monthly - unlike NEM 2.0 you cannot defer charges across a year; imports, fixed charges and non-bypassable fees are due every month, and export credits cannot offset the non-bypassable or fixed portions. An annual true-up on the interconnection anniversary converts any leftover to Net Surplus Compensation at a lower rate again. Interconnecting early earns a temporary ACC-plus adder for nine years, worth a fraction of a cent to a few cents. SGIP's general market budgets closed at the end of 2025; only the Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget remains, for households at or below 80% of area median income, in high fire-threat or disadvantaged areas, or with electric medical equipment - and most regions are waitlisted, so nothing is modeled as a rebate. Installed cost $2.80/W (state range $2.40-$3.50).", "rank": 13 }, { "code": "VT", "name": "Vermont", "lat": 44.48, "lon": -73.21, "annualKwh": 7329, "retailRate": 0.2375, "exportRate": 0.2375, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.94, "grossCost": 17640.0, "netCost": 17640.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1740.66, "paybackSimple": 10.1, "paybackAccurate": 9.8, "netReturn25": 36152.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://puc.vermont.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on Green Mountain Power. Vermont credits exports at a blended retail rate plus an adjustor, and for Category I residential systems of 15 kW or less the adjustor is positive: +$0.01/kWh as a base, plus a further +$0.03/kWh where the Renewable Energy Certificates are transferred to the utility. Against a blended benchmark of $0.1839 that produces an effective credit near $0.215-0.22, close to or slightly above the GMP retail rate, so the export factor is treated as 1.0. The $0.03 is compensation for giving up the RECs, not a bonus. The Category I adjustor locks for 10 years from interconnection, and regulators have reduced adjustor values in consecutive years, so the commissioning date determines which vintage applies. Credits expire 12 months after the month in which they were earned under PUC Rule 5.100 and are forfeited to the utility without payment; they also cannot offset the fixed customer charge or efficiency charges. Vermont has no state solar rebate or tax credit. The 6% sales tax exemption sits inside the installed price, and the property tax exemption is an avoided future cost. GMP's Bring Your Own Device battery program pays $850-950/kW up to $10,500, and a battery lease is offered at $55 a month - both storage incentives rather than solar ones. Installed cost $2.94/W (state range $2.77-$3.73, most quotes $2.80-$3.08).", "rank": 14 }, { "code": "CO", "name": "Colorado", "lat": 39.74, "lon": -104.99, "annualKwh": 9570, "retailRate": 0.17, "exportRate": 0.17, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.75, "grossCost": 16500.0, "netCost": 16500.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1626.9, "paybackSimple": 10.1, "paybackAccurate": 9.9, "netReturn25": 33413.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.xcelenergy.com/programs_and_rebates/residential_programs_and_rebates/renewable_energy_programs/net_energy_metering", "checked": "2026-08-14", "note": "Modeled on Xcel Energy, the largest Colorado utility. Genuine full-retail net metering: excess kilowatt-hours are credited 1:1 at your own retail tier and roll forward month to month indefinitely. At the close of the calendar year you choose - carry the balance on, or take a cash payout at the utility's avoided/incremental cost. Carrying it on is almost always better, which is why the export factor here is 1.0 rather than an avoided-cost figure. Systems can be sized to 120-200% of historical annual consumption, unusually generous. WHAT YOU GIVE UP: net metering here comes with assigning your Renewable Energy Credits to Xcel, so there is no separate SREC income on top - the retail credit is the whole compensation. Solar*Rewards has NO standard upfront per-watt rebate for ordinary residential customers; upfront incentives exist only for income-qualified households and disproportionately impacted communities, so nothing is modeled. Pairing with a battery opens Renewable Battery Connect at $250-350 per kW AC of continuous discharge, which is a storage incentive, not a solar one. Time-of-use is optional here rather than mandatory as in South Carolina; on TOU the credit follows the band the power was generated in. Co-ops and municipal utilities set their own reconciliation dates and buyback rates and are outside these rules. Installed cost set to $2.75/W (state range $2.50-$3.41). Published Colorado payback estimates run 9-12 years, which is where this model lands.", "rank": 15 }, { "code": "AZ", "name": "Arizona", "lat": 33.45, "lon": -112.07, "annualKwh": 10531, "retailRate": 0.1538, "exportRate": 0.0631, "exportFactor": 0.41, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.5, "grossCost": 15000.0, "netCost": 14000.0, "incentives": 1000.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1285.32, "paybackSimple": 10.9, "paybackAccurate": 10.7, "netReturn25": 24269.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.azcc.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-13", "note": "Modeled on APS. Arizona uses NET BILLING, not net metering: consumption is billed at retail and exports are bought at a separate Resource Comparison Proxy rate, currently 6.171c against a 15.0-15.4c residential average, so about 0.41 of retail. Nothing cancels at retail the way it does under a real net metering tariff - only power used as it is made is worth the full rate, which is why netting is treated as instantaneous here. TWO THINGS THAT MATTER MORE THAN THE RATE ITSELF. First, the RCP you get is LOCKED FOR TEN YEARS from final interconnection, so unlike every other state on this site your export rate does not rise with inflation for a decade - the model applies the standard rate inflation to it, so Arizona's figure here is slightly optimistic in years 1-10 and uncertain after. Second, the offer for NEW adopters is re-set annually and may fall up to 10% a year: APS has proposed 5.554c from 1 September 2026, down from 6.171c. Interconnecting before the annual reset locks the higher rate, which makes timing worth real money here. The state credit is 25% of installed cost with a cumulative LIFETIME cap of $1,000 PER RESIDENCE, confirmed against Form 310: additional systems installed at the same address in later years cannot take the combined total past $1,000, so effectively any installation over $4,000 exhausts it at once. Non-refundable, carried forward up to five years, and ownership is required - leases and PPAs do not qualify. Installed cost set to $2.50/W (state range $2.20-$2.77), below the national median. TEP and SRP customers are on different tariffs.", "rank": 16 }, { "code": "CT", "name": "Connecticut", "lat": 41.76, "lon": -72.69, "annualKwh": 7515, "retailRate": 0.2416, "exportRate": 0.2416, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.88, "grossCost": 17280.0, "netCost": 17280.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 302.09, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0.0402, "yearOneSaving": 1513.46, "paybackSimple": 11.4, "paybackAccurate": 10.7, "netReturn25": 31949.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://portal.ct.gov/pura", "checked": "2026-08-19", "note": "Modeled on the Eversource Residential Renewable Energy Solutions Netting tariff, Option A - the option a typical owner-occupier takes. Exports earn the full retail rate, around 29c, locked for 20 years from approval. THE CHARGE THAT UNDOES PART OF IT: 2026 enrollees pay a non-bypassable Solar Energy Adjustment of $0.0402 on EVERY kilowatt-hour the system generates - not just the exported ones, the self-consumed ones too - which on a 6 kW roof is roughly $275 a year, and it is modeled here as an annual cost. It is a separate line item, it went up for 2026, and it is easy to miss when comparing Connecticut's headline retail credit against other states. The REC adder for standard residential applicants approved in 2026 is $0.00; income-qualified households get $0.035/kWh and distressed municipalities $0.0175/kWh. The alternative Buy-All option exports 100% of generation at a fixed $0.3289/kWh locked for 20 years and is EXEMPT from the Solar Energy Adjustment, while you buy all your own power at retail - usually chosen for leases and PPAs, and worth pricing against the Netting tariff rather than assuming Netting wins. Connecticut exempts solar from the 6.35% sales tax and from property tax assessment. Energy Storage Solutions pays $30/kWh standard, $130/kWh in outage-prone areas, plus annual performance incentives - a storage incentive, not a solar one. Installed cost $2.88/W (state range $2.77-$2.98).", "rank": 17 }, { "code": "FL", "name": "Florida", "lat": 28.54, "lon": -81.38, "annualKwh": 9266, "retailRate": 0.1503, "exportRate": 0.0376, "exportFactor": 0.25, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.45, "grossCost": 14700.0, "netCost": 14700.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1340.51, "paybackSimple": 11.0, "paybackAccurate": 10.8, "netReturn25": 25450.0, "verdict": "good", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.floridapsc.com/", "checked": "2026-08-13", "note": "Modeled on FPL, which serves more Florida homes than every other utility combined. Two tiers, like Virginia: monthly excess is credited 1:1 at the FULL RETAIL rate and rolls forward indefinitely through the year, and only the balance left at the calendar-year true-up is bought out - at the COG-1 as-available avoided-cost rate, roughly 2-5c against an FPL retail rate near 14c, so an export factor of about 0.25 on that residual alone. A system sized to the household's own use therefore sees almost everything at full retail; FPL also caps sizing at 115% of historical annual usage, which is designed to stop a large annual surplus arising in the first place. Credits offset energy charges only, never the fixed monthly customer charge, and any balance is cashed out at avoided cost if you close the account or move before true-up. Duke Energy Florida and TECO follow the same PSC framework at slightly higher retail rates (15-17c); municipal utilities and cooperatives are exempt and may pay less or nothing. Installed cost set to $2.45/W (state range $2.17-$2.70), below the $2.85 national median - Florida's 6% sales tax exemption on certified solar equipment is part of why. A 100% property tax exemption also means the system does not raise the assessed value of the home; neither is modeled as a cash incentive here, since one is already inside the installed price and the other is an avoided future cost rather than money off the purchase.", "rank": 18 }, { "code": "MN", "name": "Minnesota", "lat": 44.98, "lon": -93.27, "annualKwh": 7998, "retailRate": 0.1745, "exportRate": 0.1745, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 3.11, "grossCost": 18660.0, "netCost": 18660.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 30, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1635.49, "paybackSimple": 11.4, "paybackAccurate": 12.1, "netReturn25": 29018.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/216B.164", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "Modeled on Xcel Energy. Minn. Stat. 216B.164 mandates a true 1:1 credit at your own retail rate - exported kilowatt-hours cancel imported ones outright, whatever tariff you are on. Credits roll month to month, and a balance over $25 can be paid out rather than banked. True-up timing is set by each utility rather than by statute - calendar year end, system anniversary, or a set winter month - and whether leftover credit expires or cashes out depends on that tariff, so monthly netting is the conservative reading here. Net metering covers systems under 1,000 kW at investor-owned utilities and under 40 kW at municipals and cooperatives. Xcel's Solar*Rewards adds a performance payment of $0.03/kWh on actual output for 10 years on systems from 0.5 to 20 kW DC, modeled as $30/MWh - note the model runs 30 years against Solar*Rewards' 10, overstating years 11-30, though break-even arrives before then. Higher upfront amounts exist for low- and moderate-income households. Solar is exempt from the 6.875% state sales tax and from added property tax assessment, both already inside the installed price. Battery rebates up to $370/kWh capped at $5,000 exist for paired storage. Installed cost $3.11/W (state range $3.00-$3.22).", "rank": 19 }, { "code": "VA", "name": "Virginia", "lat": 36.85, "lon": -75.98, "annualKwh": 8564, "retailRate": 0.1755, "exportRate": 0.0649, "exportFactor": 0.37, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 17100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1455.64, "paybackSimple": 11.7, "paybackAccurate": 12.4, "netReturn25": 26975.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "http://www.dominionenergy.com/en/Virginia/Renewable-Energy-Programs/Net-Metering", "checked": "2026-08-13", "note": "Modeled on Dominion Energy Virginia, two tiers. Monthly excess generation is credited 1:1 at the FULL RETAIL rate and rolls forward; only what is still unused at the end of the 12-month true-up is cashed out, at an export rate of 5.829c reflecting avoided cost plus compliance values - roughly 0.37 of a 14.0-17.6c retail rate. So exportFactor here applies only to the annual residual, which is why nettingPeriod is annual: a system sized to the household's own use sees almost all of its output at full retail, and only a deliberately oversized array hits the 5.829c tier. An SCC ruling preserved both the full retail value and the 12-month true-up; the utility had sought short-interval netting, which would have gutted the value of summer surplus. The SCC approved a Dominion NEM 2.0 in May 2026 that closely resembles NEM 1.0. Residential cap 20 kW (25 kW in some classifications), $1/month administrative fee. Above 10 kW AC, standby charges of $2.79/kW distribution and $1.40/kW transmission apply - not modeled at the 6 kW baseline, but they matter when sizing larger.", "rank": 20 }, { "code": "WI", "name": "Wisconsin", "lat": 43.04, "lon": -87.91, "annualKwh": 8005, "retailRate": 0.1906, "exportRate": 0.0343, "exportFactor": 0.18, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "monthly", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 3.05, "grossCost": 18300.0, "netCost": 15900.0, "incentives": 2400.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1338.08, "paybackSimple": 11.9, "paybackAccurate": 12.6, "netReturn25": 24167.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://psc.wi.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-13", "note": "Modeled on We Energies, the largest Wisconsin utility. PSC rules require investor-owned and municipal utilities to offer net metering up to 20 kW residential and to credit generation at the full retail rate up to the customer's monthly usage; electric cooperatives are exempt. Anything beyond monthly usage is bought back at an avoided-cost rate of about 3.6c against a 2026 residential Rg-1 rate of 19.342c plus a 0.199c fuel adjustment, so 19.541c total - an export factor of 0.18. CRITICAL: the PSC has allowed We Energies to move from an ANNUAL to a MONTHLY true-up, so spring and autumn surplus no longer banks against winter usage; unused monthly credit expires or pays out at avoided cost. That single change costs a Wisconsin owner more than the export rate itself does. Other utilities (Xcel, Alliant, MGE) have their own true-up schedules - verify before quoting a figure to someone outside We Energies territory. Installed cost set to $3.05/W (state range $2.99-$3.11), above the $2.85 national median. Focus on Energy pays a residential rooftop rebate of $600/kW capped at $2,400, so a 6 kW system hits the cap. Funds are limited and awarded first-come, first-served each year, and the system must be grid-tied, installed behind the meter by a participating utility, use new components and carry at least a five-year warranty - so treat the $2,400 as available rather than guaranteed.", "rank": 21 }, { "code": "AK", "name": "Alaska", "lat": 61.22, "lon": -149.9, "annualKwh": 5532, "retailRate": 0.2883, "exportRate": 0.0721, "exportFactor": 0.25, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 17100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1415.4, "paybackSimple": 12.1, "paybackAccurate": 12.7, "netReturn25": 25603.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://rca.alaska.gov/RCAWeb/", "checked": "2026-08-11", "note": "RCA net metering regulation (3 AAC 50.900): consumption billed at the retail rate, monthly net excess credited in dollars at the utility's non-firm power rate. Chugach Electric (Anchorage, largest) adjusts that rate quarterly, roughly 5.5-6c against a residential retail energy rate of 21-24c, giving exportFactor about 0.25. Dollar credits never expire and carry into future bills, which matters in Alaska: summer surplus funds winter bills - but it is banked in dollars at the low rate, not in kWh. Enrollment caps: CEA, MEA and GVEA 5%, HEA 7% of average retail demand. Rural village rates differ enormously from the Railbelt.", "rank": 22 }, { "code": "OH", "name": "Ohio", "lat": 39.96, "lon": -82.99, "annualKwh": 7777, "retailRate": 0.1945, "exportRate": 0.1089, "exportFactor": 0.56, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 2.9, "grossCost": 17400.0, "netCost": 17400.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 3, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1436.1, "paybackSimple": 12.1, "paybackAccurate": 12.7, "netReturn25": 25763.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://puco.ohio.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-13", "note": "Modeled on AEP Ohio. THE POINT PEOPLE MISS: Ohio credits exported power at the GENERATION component of the standard service offer only - the Price to Compare, 10.97c/kWh for residential Rate RS in Q3 2026 - not at the full retail rate. Distribution, transmission and riders are excluded, and those are most of an Ohio bill: the all-in residential rate is 17-19.5c against a 10.8-11c generation component. So this looks like full net metering and pays about 56% of retail. Monthly excess carries forward as a kWh credit; at the 12-month true-up most PUCO-regulated utilities zero the balance, and whether anything is paid out depends on the individual tariff, so banked credit is best treated as use-it-or-lose-it within the year. Systems are capped at 120% of average annual historical consumption. Ohio is deregulated - if you buy generation from a competitive supplier rather than the standard offer, your export credit terms come from that supplier's contract instead, and can differ. SRECs are worth about $3/MWh here, roughly $30-60 a year on a residential system and far below neighboring states; the Ohio market is authorised only through January 2028, so it is modeled but should not be leaned on. Ohio also exempts residential solar from state sales tax (about 5.75%), which is already inside the quoted installed price, and Cincinnati and Cleveland offer local property tax abatements that are not statewide and are not modeled. Installed cost set to $2.90/W (state range $2.71-$3.19).", "rank": 23 }, { "code": "SC", "name": "South Carolina", "lat": 32.78, "lon": -79.93, "annualKwh": 8725, "retailRate": 0.1547, "exportRate": 0.0248, "exportFactor": 0.16, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 13600.0, "incentives": 3500.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1179.74, "paybackSimple": 11.5, "paybackAccurate": 12.7, "netReturn25": 21069.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://dor.sc.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-13", "note": "Modeled on Duke Energy's Solar Choice program, which replaced full retail net metering for new South Carolina customers. Generation offsets on-site consumption first; monthly net excess rolls forward and is reconciled at an annual true-up, where any remaining balance is cashed out at avoided cost - about 2.7c for Duke Energy Carolinas and 2.3c for Duke Energy Progress, against a state residential average of 15.0-16.2c. Credits never bank from one year to the next. CAVEAT WORTH KNOWING: Solar Choice makes a time-of-use rate MANDATORY, and this model prices self-consumption at the state average rather than the TOU band it actually falls in. Solar produces at midday, when TOU rates are low, while the household's own peak is in the evening, when they are high - so the real return here is somewhat worse than the figure shown, and a battery that shifts evening use off the grid matters more in South Carolina than in most states. A non-bypassable minimum monthly bill also cannot be offset by credits. The state tax credit is 25% of purchase and installation cost, claimed on Form TC-38, but the $3,500 limit is ANNUAL and is further restricted to 50% of state tax liability in the year claimed, whichever is lower; the lifetime cap is $35,000. Unused credit carries forward up to ten years, so a household with sufficient liability eventually receives the full 25% - $4,275 on a $17,100 system. It is modeled here at the $3,500 first-year figure, the conservative reading, since the model treats incentives as reducing the purchase price rather than arriving over several years. Non-refundable. Santee Cooper customers may also qualify for a separate performance rebate of about $0.95/W; that is utility-specific, not statewide, and is not included. Installed cost $2.59-$3.10/W, so the $2.85 national median is used as-is.", "rank": 24 }, { "code": "IA", "name": "Iowa", "lat": 41.59, "lon": -93.62, "annualKwh": 8218, "retailRate": 0.1599, "exportRate": 0.1599, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 17100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1314.12, "paybackSimple": 13.0, "paybackAccurate": 13.6, "netReturn25": 22150.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.midamericanenergy.com/customer-interconnection", "checked": "2026-08-11", "note": "Modeled on MidAmerican Energy inflow/outflow (rate code IO) under SF 583: inflow billed at the full retail volumetric rate including riders, outflow credited at that SAME full retail volumetric rate, netted in 15-minute intervals. Credits carry forward but expire at the chosen annual billing year (January or April). Because netting is 15-minute rather than monthly, less production is absorbed at retail than in monthly-netting states even though the export rate itself is 1:1. Alliant (IPL) customers differ: kWh banking with an annual cash-out at avoided cost. VALUE-OF-SOLAR CLIFF: Iowa Code 476.49 requires the IUC to set a value-of-solar rate at 5% statewide DG penetration, or on utility petition after 1 July 2027 - systems installed before then are expected to keep current terms.", "rank": 25 }, { "code": "NV", "name": "Nevada", "lat": 36.17, "lon": -115.14, "annualKwh": 10515, "retailRate": 0.1277, "exportRate": 0.0958, "exportFactor": 0.75, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 17100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1292.46, "paybackSimple": 13.2, "paybackAccurate": 13.8, "netReturn25": 21412.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://puc.nv.gov/Renewable_Energy/Net_Metering/", "checked": "2026-08-11", "note": "Tier 4 net metering (AB 405, 2017): monthly netting, excess credited at 75% of the then-effective retail rate, locked for 20 years at the installation address, no capacity limit, credits roll forward. NV Energy uses a tiered residential rate so the dollar value of a credit moves with the tier, but the 75% ratio holds regardless. Southern and Northern Nevada are separate rate jurisdictions. Valley Electric Association and other non-NV Energy utilities may offer net billing instead.", "rank": 26 }, { "code": "MI", "name": "Michigan", "lat": 42.33, "lon": -83.05, "annualKwh": 7744, "retailRate": 0.2305, "exportRate": 0.0807, "exportFactor": 0.35, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 3.13, "grossCost": 18780.0, "netCost": 18780.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1378.89, "paybackSimple": 13.6, "paybackAccurate": 14.0, "netReturn25": 22678.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.michigan.gov/mpsc", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "Modeled on DTE Energy's Distributed Generation Program, Rider 18. Michigan replaced 1:1 net metering with inflow/outflow billing: everything you draw is billed at the full retail rate, while everything you export earns a monetary credit at the POWER SUPPLY component only - about 7.75c against a state residential average of 22.01c, so roughly 0.35 of retail. Rider 18 cut export value by around 45% against the old Rider 16 by stripping out distribution and transmission components. Netting is instantaneous, not monthly: outflow credits are money rather than a kWh offset, so nothing cancels at retail and only power used as it is generated is worth the full rate. Credits do at least roll into a bank that never expires and can offset every charge except state-approved securitization surcharges and the fixed monthly customer charge, but no cash is paid out unless you leave the program. Legacy net metering customers were grandfathered for 10 years from enrolment, so pre-transition systems are on far better terms than anything installed now. Systems are capped at 110% of average annual consumption; Public Act 235 lifted the aggregate program cap from 1% to 10% of utility peak load, with half reserved for systems under 20 kW, so capacity is no longer the binding constraint it was. No statewide cash rebate exists - Lansing Board of Water & Light offers $500/kW up to a cap, and some cooperatives have their own, but none apply statewide, so nothing is modeled. Solar is exempt from the 6% state sales tax and from added property tax assessment; both sit inside the installed price. Installed cost set to $3.13/W (state range $2.92-$3.34).", "rank": 27 }, { "code": "MO", "name": "Missouri", "lat": 39.1, "lon": -94.58, "annualKwh": 8596, "retailRate": 0.1609, "exportRate": 0.0418, "exportFactor": 0.26, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.73, "grossCost": 16380.0, "netCost": 16380.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1229.51, "paybackSimple": 13.3, "paybackAccurate": 14.0, "netReturn25": 19986.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://psc.mo.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-26", "note": "Modeled on Ameren Missouri. Excess generation is credited at an avoided-cost rate - 3.84c June to September and 3.39c October to May - not at the retail rate, against a state average of 13.68c. Credits roll month to month and are cleared at a 12-month true-up, where any leftover is settled at the avoided fuel cost rather than refunded in cash; credits also cannot offset fixed customer charges or minimum fees. Ameren's upfront solar rebate ENDED on 31 December 2023 - the final rate was $0.25/W capped at 25 kW - so nothing is modeled, and roundups still listing a Missouri utility rebate are out of date. Missouri has no state solar tax credit. Statute RSMo 386.890 and Missouri PSC rules bind investor-owned utilities like Ameren and Evergy, with a 100 kW residential cap; rural cooperatives and municipal utilities set their own caps and rates and are outside it entirely. Ameren serves eastern Missouri at about 12.8c and Evergy the west at about 13.2c. Installed cost $2.73/W (state range $2.52-$2.93).", "rank": 28 }, { "code": "KS", "name": "Kansas", "lat": 37.69, "lon": -97.34, "annualKwh": 9156, "retailRate": 0.1527, "exportRate": 0.0244, "exportFactor": 0.16, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 17100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1221.98, "paybackSimple": 14.0, "paybackAccurate": 14.5, "netReturn25": 19009.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.kcc.ks.gov/electric/net-metering", "checked": "2026-08-11", "note": "Net Metering and Easy Connection Act (K.S.A. 66-1263 to 66-1271). Consumption netted at retail over the billing period; monthly net excess generation credited at the utility system average cost, 2.4c/kWh against a residential retail rate of 14.5-15.13c. Credits expire 31 March each year. From 1 Jan 2026 generating capacity is capped at 50% of export capacity. Investor-owned utilities only (Evergy, Empire District); municipal utilities and co-ops are not required to offer it. Modeled on Evergy.", "rank": 29 }, { "code": "MS", "name": "Mississippi", "lat": 32.3, "lon": -90.18, "annualKwh": 8481, "retailRate": 0.1454, "exportRate": 0.0596, "exportFactor": 0.41, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "none", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.77, "grossCost": 16620.0, "netCost": 13120.0, "incentives": 3500.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 978.49, "paybackSimple": 13.4, "paybackAccurate": 14.7, "netReturn25": 14688.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.psc.ms.gov/", "checked": "2026-09-04", "note": "Modeled on Entergy Mississippi. The Mississippi PSC does not permit one-to-one or monthly energy netting: generation offsets on-site load strictly on an instantaneous, real-time basis, and anything exported is paid immediately at avoided cost plus an approved adder. That comes to 6.1c/kWh for standard residential accounts against a state average of 14.88c, about 0.41 of retail - better than several states with formal net metering, because the adder lifts the avoided-cost floor. There is no rollover and no annual true-up, so a surplus in one hour cannot offset consumption in another. Qualifying low-to-moderate-income households, at or below 250% of the federal poverty line, receive 8.1c instead. The state rebate is a one-time payment of up to $3,500 made directly to the installer at project completion, and it is modeled here; at least half the program's funds are reserved for low-income customers and the money is finite, so it should be treated as available rather than assured. Mississippi Power runs its own low-to-moderate-income program paying around $3,000. PSC rules bind investor-owned utilities only; rural cooperatives set their own terms. Installed cost $2.77/W (state range $2.40-$2.90).", "rank": 30 }, { "code": "AR", "name": "Arkansas", "lat": 34.75, "lon": -92.29, "annualKwh": 8478, "retailRate": 0.1433, "exportRate": 0.0401, "exportFactor": 0.28, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.54, "grossCost": 15240.0, "netCost": 15240.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1083.65, "paybackSimple": 14.1, "paybackAccurate": 14.9, "netReturn25": 16153.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.apscservices.info/", "checked": "2026-08-26", "note": "Modeled on Entergy Arkansas. THE INTERCONNECTION DATE IS EVERYTHING HERE. Systems connected on or before 30 September 2024 keep full 1:1 retail net metering until 2040. Anything connected after that falls under net billing and earns roughly 4c - the wholesale avoided cost, recalculated annually - against a residential average near 14.2c, about 0.28 of retail. Two identical roofs on the same street can therefore be worth very different amounts depending on which side of that date they landed. Act 464 of 2019 set the framework and authorized third-party leasing; Act 278 of 2023 pushed new systems onto net billing. Credits roll month to month and are trued up annually, with any remaining balance expiring rather than being cashed out at retail. Arkansas has no state tax credit and no statewide rebate. Residential solar equipment is generally exempt from state sales tax, which is already inside the installed price; there is no broad statewide property tax exemption, though some local abatements exist. SWEPCO and the rural cooperatives set their own terms. Installed cost $2.54/W (state range $2.38-$2.70) - among the cheapest in the country, which partly offsets the weak export rate.", "rank": 31 }, { "code": "NC", "name": "North Carolina", "lat": 35.23, "lon": -80.84, "annualKwh": 8679, "retailRate": 0.1516, "exportRate": 0.0379, "exportFactor": 0.25, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.78, "grossCost": 16680.0, "netCost": 16680.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1167.69, "paybackSimple": 14.3, "paybackAccurate": 14.9, "netReturn25": 17578.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.ncuc.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on Duke Energy's Net Metering Bridge Rate, the option available to residential customers applying during 2026. Generation offsets consumption on a monthly netting basis and the month-end surplus is credited at avoided cost, roughly 3.4-4.0c against a state residential average of 15.09c. THE DEADLINE IS THE STORY IN NORTH CAROLINA: the Bridge Rate closes to new applicants on 31 December 2026, and an interconnection application submitted before then locks the terms for up to 15 years, subject to annual capacity caps. From 1 January 2027 new adopters go onto Residential Solar Choice, which makes time-of-use billing and Critical Peak Pricing mandatory; evening peak and critical event rates can exceed 40c/kWh, and solar generates at midday rather than in the evening peak, so the two are badly matched. The Bridge Rate also carries a monthly minimum bill of about $22 at Duke Energy Carolinas and $28 at Duke Energy Progress plus non-bypassable charges scaled to system size; credits cannot reduce a bill below that floor, which is not captured in this model and makes the figure here slightly optimistic. Duke's PowerPair program pays $0.36/W up to $3,600 for solar, but only where a qualifying battery is installed alongside, so it is not modeled here. Residential solar equipment is exempt from state sales tax and most of the added home value is excluded from property tax. Installed cost $2.78/W (state range $2.35-$3.21).", "rank": 32 }, { "code": "MT", "name": "Montana", "lat": 45.79, "lon": -108.5, "annualKwh": 8063, "retailRate": 0.1499, "exportRate": 0.1499, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.94, "grossCost": 17640.0, "netCost": 17640.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1208.67, "paybackSimple": 14.6, "paybackAccurate": 15.0, "netReturn25": 18015.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://psc.mt.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on NorthWestern Energy. Montana retains genuine full-retail 1:1 net metering for residential systems up to 50 kW, one of the few states on this site that has not moved to net billing. The Public Service Commission has agreed to maintain it until rooftop solar reaches 5% of the utility's peak load, so the policy has a defined end condition rather than a date. Credits roll month to month and reset to zero at an annual settle-up with no payment; the customer chooses January, April, July or October as the settle-up month, and choosing April allows summer and autumn surplus to offset the heating season before the reset. Montana has no state solar tax credit and no rebate. The Renewable Energy Systems Exemption shields up to $20,000 of added property value for 10 years, and the Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program lends up to $40,000 at 3.5%. Neither reduces the purchase price, so neither is modeled. Installed cost $2.94/W (state range $2.66-$3.22).", "rank": 33 }, { "code": "OK", "name": "Oklahoma", "lat": 35.47, "lon": -97.52, "annualKwh": 9163, "retailRate": 0.1435, "exportRate": 0.0316, "exportFactor": 0.22, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "none", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 17100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1161.14, "paybackSimple": 14.7, "paybackAccurate": 15.2, "netReturn25": 16935.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://oklahoma.gov/occ/divisions/public-utility/energy/electric-utility/netmetering.html", "checked": "2026-08-11", "note": "17 O.S. 156 and OAC 165:40:9: production netted against consumption at the full retail energy rate up to the consumption level; the utility must purchase any billing-period excess at its avoided energy cost. OG&E credits that excess in dollars on the next bill at its on-peak or off-peak Avoided Energy Cost. Avoided cost runs 2.0-3.8c/kWh against a residential retail rate of 13.07-13.38c, so exportFactor is the 2.9c midpoint over 13.2c. 300 kW cap, 125% peak-load sizing limit. Co-ops and municipals set their own terms.", "rank": 34 }, { "code": "UT", "name": "Utah", "lat": 40.76, "lon": -111.89, "annualKwh": 8902, "retailRate": 0.1312, "exportRate": 0.042, "exportFactor": 0.32, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.78, "grossCost": 16680.0, "netCost": 15080.0, "incentives": 1600.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1048.77, "paybackSimple": 14.4, "paybackAccurate": 15.3, "netReturn25": 15124.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://psc.utah.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-26", "note": "Modeled on Rocky Mountain Power, which serves most of Utah. Net billing, not net metering: exports earn 4.855c from June to September and 4.030c from October to May, against a state residential average near 13.5c - roughly a third of retail. The Public Service Commission resets the export credit rate every 1 March, so the number is not fixed the way Nevada's or Arizona's is. CREDITS EXPIRE EVERY MARCH: unused balance is wiped at your March meter read with no cash payout, so a bank built through summer and autumn has to be spent by winter's end or it is simply lost. Utah's residential renewable tax credit has been phased out and is $0 in 2026, and with Section 25D gone there is no federal credit for a purchased system either. What remains is Rocky Mountain Power's Wattsmart solar rebate of up to $1,600, modeled here - it is a utility program rather than a statewide one, so customers of other Utah utilities should not count on it. A separate Wattsmart battery rebate runs $1,000-$2,000. Third-party leases and PPAs can still access the 30% federal credit through the system owner, which is why TPO is growing here. Installed cost $2.78/W (state range $2.40-$3.15).", "rank": 35 }, { "code": "WY", "name": "Wyoming", "lat": 41.14, "lon": -104.82, "annualKwh": 9198, "retailRate": 0.1436, "exportRate": 0.1436, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 3.35, "grossCost": 20100.0, "netCost": 20100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1320.78, "paybackSimple": 15.2, "paybackAccurate": 15.3, "netReturn25": 19377.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://psc.wyo.gov/", "checked": "2026-09-04", "note": "Modeled on Rocky Mountain Power under Schedule 135. Wyoming retains genuine 1:1 full retail net metering for renewable systems up to 25 kW: excess generation carries forward as KILOWATT-HOUR credits at the retail rate, not as discounted dollar credits, and only the balance still unused at the calendar-year true-up is bought out at the utility's filed avoided cost. State law also prohibits utilities from setting minimum bills higher for net-metered customers than for others in the same class, which rules out the kind of solar-specific fee Alabama charges. THE COURT DECIDED THIS: the Public Service Commission had allowed High Plains Power to pay avoided cost monthly instead of allowing kWh credits to roll, and the Wyoming Supreme Court overturned that in September 2024, holding that compensation follows the statute and protecting the higher value of rollover until the annual true-up. Wyoming has no state rebate and no state income tax credit; several guides still list a 30% federal credit, which expired at the end of 2025. Installed cost $3.35/W (state range $3.15-$3.55), above the national median - a small installer market and long travel distances.", "rank": 36 }, { "code": "WV", "name": "West Virginia", "lat": 38.35, "lon": -81.63, "annualKwh": 7390, "retailRate": 0.1578, "exportRate": 0.1262, "exportFactor": 0.8, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 2.95, "grossCost": 17700.0, "netCost": 17700.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1154.48, "paybackSimple": 15.3, "paybackAccurate": 15.7, "netReturn25": 16108.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://psc.state.wv.us/", "checked": "2026-09-04", "note": "Modeled on Appalachian Power. West Virginia has just passed a transition point: applications approved on or before 1 March 2026 locked in full retail 1:1 crediting, while systems installed after that receive approximately 12.4c/kWh for residential exports against a state average of 15.45c, about 0.80 of retail. Commercial systems get roughly 10c. Sources still describing West Virginia as a full-retail net metering state are describing the grandfathered position rather than the terms available now. Credits roll month to month through the annual billing cycle and any balance remaining at the end is forfeited rather than paid out, so sizing beyond annual consumption is wasted. System caps are 25 kW residential, 500 kW commercial and 2 MW industrial under West Virginia Code 24-2F-8. There is no state rebate and no state income tax credit; the property tax exemption on added home value is an avoided future cost rather than a reduction in purchase price. Mon Power and Potomac Edison operate under separate PSC orders with their own rates, reported between about 9.1c and 12.4c. Installed cost $2.95/W (state range $2.60-$3.36).", "rank": 37 }, { "code": "NE", "name": "Nebraska", "lat": 41.26, "lon": -95.93, "annualKwh": 8541, "retailRate": 0.1378, "exportRate": 0.0303, "exportFactor": 0.22, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.95, "grossCost": 17700.0, "netCost": 15700.0, "incentives": 2000.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1039.18, "paybackSimple": 15.1, "paybackAccurate": 15.8, "netReturn25": 14177.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.oppd.com/", "checked": "2026-08-26", "note": "Modeled on Omaha Public Power District under Rate 483, the Net Metering Service Rider. Nebraska is the only state on this site with NO private utilities at all - it runs entirely on public power, so there is no investor-owned utility and no PSC net metering docket in the usual sense. Generation that offsets your own use during the billing cycle is worth the full retail rate; only net excess generation left at the end of the month is bought at OPPD's avoided cost. That monthly netting is what carries Nebraska, because the avoided-cost rate itself is low. CAVEAT: the exact cents figure in Rate 483 was not obtained and is modeled at roughly 3c against a 13.59c state average; because monthly netting means the export rate touches only about 15% of output, a sizeable error there moves break-even by months rather than years - but it is an estimate, not a tariff reading. OPPD retail runs about 8.7-10.2c, below the state average. Systems are capped at 25 kW, with an aggregate program cap near 1% of a utility's average monthly peak. OPPD pays a one-time $2,000 rebate through an approved installer, modeled here - it is an OPPD program, so NPPD, LES and REC customers should check their own. Nebraska has no state income tax credit for solar. Dollar and Energy Saving Loans offer up to $125,000 at 3.5-5% for up to 15 years. Installed cost $2.95/W (state range $2.85-$3.04).", "rank": 38 }, { "code": "TX", "name": "Texas", "lat": 29.76, "lon": -95.37, "annualKwh": 8528, "retailRate": 0.1588, "exportRate": 0.0794, "exportFactor": 0.5, "exportFactorRange": [ 0.19, 0.81 ], "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 17100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1117.32, "paybackSimple": 15.3, "paybackAccurate": 15.8, "netReturn25": 15441.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/facts/factsheets/elecfacts/Solar.aspx", "checked": "2026-08-13", "note": "Texas has NO statewide net metering. The export rate is a retail plan you choose, not a tariff you are given, so it varies more than in any other state: fixed solar buyback plans run 3c to 12.5c/kWh depending on the Retail Electric Provider, and return-to-wholesale plans track ERCOT at roughly 2-7c with spikes. Against a 14-16.99c residential average, that is an export factor anywhere from 0.19 to 0.81 - the single widest spread in the country, and it means the REP you sign with matters more to your payback than your roof does. Modeled at the 7.75c midpoint of the fixed-plan range. Netting is INSTANTANEOUS: a Texas buyback plan is not net metering. Imports are billed at the plan's energy rate and exports are credited separately at the buyback rate, so nothing cancels at retail the way it does under a real net metering tariff - only power consumed as it is made is worth full retail. The TXU Buyback Bank rolls DOLLAR credits month to month, which is a rollover of an already-discounted credit, not retail netting; those credits have no cash value, do not cover TDU delivery or base fees, and are typically forfeited if you switch provider or cancel. Not every plan has a credit bank - check the Electricity Facts Label. Municipal utilities are outside all of this: Austin Energy pays a 9.91c Value of Solar credit plus a $2,500-$4,000 upfront rebate, while CPS Energy in San Antonio has phased out its residential rebate and buys back at roughly 3-4c. No statewide rebate exists, so stateRebate stays 0.", "rank": 39 }, { "code": "KY", "name": "Kentucky", "lat": 38.25, "lon": -85.76, "annualKwh": 8131, "retailRate": 0.1381, "exportRate": 0.0718, "exportFactor": 0.52, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 2.66, "grossCost": 15960.0, "netCost": 15960.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1042.05, "paybackSimple": 15.3, "paybackAccurate": 16.0, "netReturn25": 14015.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://psc.ky.gov/", "checked": "2026-09-04", "note": "Modeled on LG&E under the NMS-2 tariff, Sheet No. 58, which applies to systems placed in service on or after 24 September 2021. Senate Bill 100 of 2019 ended the mandatory 1:1 retail offset, and in Case No. 2021-00397 the Kentucky PSC set the successor export rate at 6.9c/kWh for LG&E and 7.4c/kWh for KU. THE COMMISSION REJECTED THE UTILITIES' PROPOSAL of 2.3c, the wholesale rate, holding that customer-owned generation is worth more than avoided cost alone - which is why Kentucky sits mid-table here rather than near the bottom with Alabama and Tennessee. Credits are dollar-denominated rather than kilowatt-hour offsets: they reduce retail ENERGY charges only, never the fixed customer or base service charge, and any unused balance carries forward to the next billing cycle rather than expiring. Against a state residential average of 13.24c the export rate is about 0.52 of retail; LG&E's own all-in rate is reported lower than the state average, which would make the effective ratio for its customers somewhat better than modeled here. Systems energized before the transition are grandfathered on 1:1 crediting for 25 years, and SB 100 raised the eligible system size from 30 kW to 45 kW. Kentucky has no state tax credit and no rebate. Installed cost $2.66/W (state range $2.34-$2.98).", "rank": 40 }, { "code": "GA", "name": "Georgia", "lat": 33.75, "lon": -84.39, "annualKwh": 8410, "retailRate": 0.1627, "exportRate": 0.0748, "exportFactor": 0.46, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "medium", "costPerWatt": 2.95, "grossCost": 17700.0, "netCost": 17700.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1109.57, "paybackSimple": 16.0, "paybackAccurate": 16.3, "netReturn25": 14577.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://psc.ga.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-19", "note": "Modeled on Georgia Power. Georgia has NO statewide net metering mandate. Georgia Power runs instantaneous net billing under its Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources tariff: exports are bought at avoided cost of 3.2188c plus a PSC-approved 4c adder, so 7.22c against a state residential average of 15.84c - about 0.46 of retail. The adder is the only reason Georgia is not near the bottom of this list. Netting is instantaneous, so nothing cancels at retail and only power used as it is generated is worth the full rate; monetary credits do roll month to month but there is no annual bank of retail credits. Residential systems are capped at 10 kW AC. Georgia offers NO state tax credit and NO state rebate - one of the few states here with neither. Georgia's 41 Electric Membership Corporations and the municipal utilities set their own buyback terms entirely outside PSC jurisdiction, and some pay considerably less than 7.22c, so check yours before assuming this figure. Installed cost $2.95/W (state range $2.60-$3.30).", "rank": 41 }, { "code": "OR", "name": "Oregon", "lat": 45.52, "lon": -122.68, "annualKwh": 6768, "retailRate": 0.1597, "exportRate": 0.1597, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.85, "grossCost": 17100.0, "netCost": 17100.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 1080.77, "paybackSimple": 15.8, "paybackAccurate": 16.3, "netReturn25": 14195.0, "verdict": "marginal", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://regulations.justia.com/states/oregon/chapter-860/division-39/section-860-039-0055", "checked": "2026-08-11", "note": "OAR 860-039-0055: monthly excess kilowatt-hours carry to the next bill as a cumulative credit at the FULL RETAIL RATE, for every rate component billed on a kWh basis - so exports are worth 1:1. OAR 860-039-0060: unused kWh credit at the end of the annual billing cycle is transferred to the utility's low-income assistance customers, valued at the average annual avoided cost rate; the customer cannot elect a credit or payment for it. Oversizing therefore has no value. Some 2026 blogs claim PGE credits at avoided cost 4-5c - contradicted by the OAR; disregarded.", "rank": 42 }, { "code": "WA", "name": "Washington", "lat": 47.61, "lon": -122.33, "annualKwh": 6527, "retailRate": 0.1471, "exportRate": 0.1471, "exportFactor": 1.0, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "annual", "retailShare": 0.95, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "strong", "costPerWatt": 2.86, "grossCost": 17160.0, "netCost": 17160.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 960.17, "paybackSimple": 17.9, "paybackAccurate": 18.1, "netReturn25": 10023.0, "verdict": "no", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.utc.wa.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on Puget Sound Energy under Schedule 150. Full retail 1:1 crediting: each exported kilowatt-hour offsets one consumed. Credits cannot be cashed out or transferred and expire on 31 March each year under RCW 80.60.030, with a fresh cycle beginning 1 April - a calendar designed so that a summer bank can be drawn down across a Pacific Northwest winter. THIS IS A STATE IN TRANSITION: the statutory 1:1 obligation runs until 30 June 2029 or until a utility's net-metered capacity reaches 4% of its 1996 peak demand, whichever comes first. PSE has already passed the 4% threshold and continues 1:1 crediting under UTC extensions while a statewide replacement is evaluated, and PacifiCorp has filings pending to move new customers to a Net Billing Service at avoided cost. A household installing now should expect the terms modeled here to be available for a limited period rather than indefinitely. Washington has no state rebate and no state income tax credit. The 100% sales tax exemption on equipment and installation labor, worth 6.5-10.4% depending on local rate and running through 31 December 2029, is already inside the installed price. Installed cost $2.86/W (state range $2.55-$3.36).", "rank": 43 }, { "code": "IN", "name": "Indiana", "lat": 39.77, "lon": -86.16, "annualKwh": 8010, "retailRate": 0.1673, "exportRate": 0.0368, "exportFactor": 0.22, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "never", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 3.02, "grossCost": 18120.0, "netCost": 18120.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 974.26, "paybackSimple": 18.6, "paybackAccurate": 18.6, "netReturn25": 9544.0, "verdict": "no", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.aesindiana.com/solar-faqs", "checked": "2026-08-15", "note": "Modeled on AES Indiana. Indiana ENDED full retail net metering for new customers on 1 July 2022 under SEA 309, and replaced it with Excess Distributed Generation: every kilowatt-hour you draw is billed at full retail, every one you export is credited at the utility's prior-year average marginal wholesale price plus 25% - 3.935c at AES Indiana against a state residential average of 18.15c, so about 0.22 of retail. Netting is INSTANTANEOUS rather than monthly, which compounds the problem: nothing cancels at retail, so only power consumed as it is generated is worth the full rate, and a household out during the day does much worse than one that is not. Export credits roll forward against future bills but can never be cashed out. GRANDFATHERING MATTERS ENORMOUSLY HERE: systems installed before 1 January 2018 keep full retail net metering until July 2047, and those interconnected between then and 30 June 2022 keep it until July 2032. If you are buying a house with existing panels in Indiana, when they were installed is worth more than what they are. Applies to the five investor-owned utilities - AES Indiana, CenterPoint, Duke Energy Indiana, I&M and NIPSCO - while municipal utilities and rural cooperatives set their own terms and are exempt. No statewide cash rebate exists. Core hardware is exempt from the 7% state sales tax and added home value is exempt from property tax; both sit inside the installed price rather than counting as cash off. Installed cost set to $3.02/W (state range $2.75-$3.30).", "rank": 44 }, { "code": "ID", "name": "Idaho", "lat": 43.62, "lon": -116.2, "annualKwh": 8737, "retailRate": 0.1373, "exportRate": 0.0384, "exportFactor": 0.28, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.91, "grossCost": 17460.0, "netCost": 16640.0, "incentives": 820.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 897.19, "paybackSimple": 18.5, "paybackAccurate": 18.9, "netReturn25": 8397.0, "verdict": "no", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://puc.idaho.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-26", "note": "Modeled on Idaho Power. Traditional net metering ended for new customers and was replaced with net billing, where exports are paid at a TIME-OF-DAY avoided cost rather than a flat rate. The published summer on-peak figure of 15.68c looks generous and is largely unreachable for a roof without storage: on-peak runs late afternoon into evening, while a PV-only system exports at midday, when the summer off-peak rate of 2.90c applies. Modeled at roughly 3.5c against the 12.35c state average - the LOWEST residential rate in the country, thanks to hydropower, which is also why solar struggles to pay here no matter how much sun the panels get. A battery that moves export into the on-peak window is worth more in Idaho than in almost any other state. Netting is instantaneous, so nothing cancels at retail. The PUC has frozen annual export credit adjustments through 2028, which at least makes the near term predictable. Systems approved on or before 20 December 2019 keep traditional net metering until 2045 - one of the longest grandfathering windows in the country. The state incentive is a DEDUCTION, not a credit: 40% of system cost in year one and 20% in each of the next three, capped at $5,000 a year and $20,000 lifetime. It reduces taxable income rather than tax owed. At Idaho's flat individual rate of 5.30% for 2026 the four-year deduction of about $15,476 on a $17,460 system is worth roughly $820 in tax, which is the figure modeled - received over four years rather than at installation. Claimed on Supplemental Schedule 39R. Idaho gives no sales or property tax exemption for residential solar. Installed cost $2.91/W (state range $2.40-$3.40; Boise and Idaho Falls run near $3.00-$3.38).", "rank": 45 }, { "code": "SD", "name": "South Dakota", "lat": 43.54, "lon": -96.73, "annualKwh": 8454, "retailRate": 0.1537, "exportRate": 0.04, "exportFactor": 0.26, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "none", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 3.15, "grossCost": 18900.0, "netCost": 18900.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 962.92, "paybackSimple": 19.6, "paybackAccurate": 19.4, "netReturn25": 8377.0, "verdict": "no", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://puc.sd.gov/", "checked": "2026-09-04", "note": "South Dakota has NO net metering law at all - one of only a handful of states in that position, and the legislature has repeatedly considered and rejected a mandate on the grounds that it shifts costs to non-solar customers. What exists instead comes from PURPA: regulated utilities must interconnect small systems under 100 kW and must buy the excess, but only at avoided cost, roughly 3-5c against a residential average near 15.5c, about 0.26 of retail. Investor-owned utilities file those buy-back rates with the PUC for approval; municipal utilities and rural cooperatives, which serve a large share of the state, set their own terms and are outside the process entirely. Netting is instantaneous with no bank and no true-up. There is no state rebate and no state income tax credit. The renewable energy property tax exemption covers the greater of the first $50,000 or 70% of assessed value, which means a typical residential system is fully exempt - an avoided future cost rather than money off the purchase, so it is not modeled. Installed cost $3.15/W (state range $2.40-$3.78).", "rank": 46 }, { "code": "LA", "name": "Louisiana", "lat": 29.95, "lon": -90.07, "annualKwh": 8872, "retailRate": 0.1272, "exportRate": 0.0229, "exportFactor": 0.18, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 2.94, "grossCost": 17640.0, "netCost": 17640.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 804.68, "paybackSimple": 21.9, "paybackAccurate": 21.6, "netReturn25": 4243.0, "verdict": "no", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "http://www.lpsc.louisiana.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-19", "note": "Modeled on Entergy Louisiana. LPSC rules effective 1 January 2020 ended full retail net metering for new systems and replaced it with two-channel net billing: power you consume as it is generated offsets the full retail rate, but anything exported is bought at avoided cost - 2.59c/kWh at Entergy against a state residential average of 14.15c, roughly 0.18 of retail, one of the lowest export values in the country. Netting is instantaneous, so there is no monthly cancellation at retail to soften it. GRANDFATHERING IS UNUSUALLY LONG: systems with a complete interconnection request in by 31 December 2019 keep 1-for-1 full retail crediting for fifteen years, through 31 December 2034 - so an existing Louisiana system may be worth several times what a new one is. Louisiana has no state solar tax credit and no rebate; the property tax exemption is the only statewide protection, and it is an avoided future cost rather than money off the purchase. There is also no sales tax exemption, so local sales tax sits inside the quoted price. LPSC rules cover investor-owned utilities and cooperatives but NOT municipal utilities or Entergy New Orleans, which the New Orleans City Council regulates separately. Installed cost $2.94/W (state range $2.70-$3.17).", "rank": 47 }, { "code": "ND", "name": "North Dakota", "lat": 46.88, "lon": -96.79, "annualKwh": 7763, "retailRate": 0.1341, "exportRate": 0.0255, "exportFactor": 0.19, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "monthly", "retailShare": 0.85, "creditExpiry": "monthly", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 3.6, "grossCost": 21600.0, "netCost": 21600.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 914.59, "paybackSimple": 23.6, "paybackAccurate": 22.2, "netReturn25": 4030.0, "verdict": "no", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.psc.nd.gov/", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on Montana-Dakota Utilities. North Dakota settles monthly rather than annually: consumption is offset within the billing cycle, and any net excess generation at month end must be purchased by the utility at avoided cost - $0.0269/kWh at MDU against a state residential average near 13.9c, about 0.19 of retail. There is no annual bank, so a summer surplus cannot be carried into winter, which in a state with this climate removes most of the value that annual netting provides elsewhere. Net metering is required only of investor-owned utilities - Xcel Energy, Otter Tail Power and MDU - for systems up to 100 kW; electric cooperatives and municipal utilities are exempt and set their own terms, and they serve a large share of the state. North Dakota offers no state income tax credit and no rebate. The property tax exemption covers the added value for five assessment years and is an avoided future cost rather than money off the purchase. Installed cost is set to $3.60/W, well above the national median: the state range is $2.95-$4.01 and averages $3.44-$3.82, reflecting a small installer market and the engineering required for heavy snow loads and high winds.", "rank": 48 }, { "code": "TN", "name": "Tennessee", "lat": 36.16, "lon": -86.78, "annualKwh": 8031, "retailRate": 0.1371, "exportRate": 0.0233, "exportFactor": 0.17, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "annual", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 3.0, "grossCost": 18000.0, "netCost": 18000.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 0.0, "extraFixedAnnual": 0.0, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 781.17, "paybackSimple": 23.0, "paybackAccurate": 22.5, "netReturn25": 3081.0, "verdict": "no", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.tva.com/energy/technology-innovation/green-connect", "checked": "2026-08-28", "note": "Modeled on the Tennessee Valley Authority's Dispersed Power Production program. Tennessee has no state public utility commission setting solar policy: TVA is a federal utility and sets the terms across its footprint through local power companies. There is no 1:1 net metering at all. Exports are treated as WHOLESALE generation under dual metering - consumption is billed at retail and exports are bought separately at a fluctuating avoided-cost rate, between roughly 1.8c and 2.5c/kWh against a retail average of 14.47c, about 0.17 of retail and among the lowest in the country. Netting is therefore instantaneous: nothing offsets at retail beyond what is consumed as it is generated. Some local power companies add a monthly participation or administrative fee for DPP enrollment which can cancel out the small export credit entirely, and where an LPC does allow credits to roll forward, any balance is forfeited at the 12-month anniversary. TVA Green Connect is a quality-assurance and installer-vetting program rather than a compensation scheme, and is sometimes mistaken for one. The practical consequence is that sizing to daytime consumption, or adding storage, matters more in Tennessee than in almost any other state. No state rebate or income tax credit exists; the Green Energy Property Tax Assessment limits taxation to 12.5% of the added value. Installed cost $3.00/W (state range $2.60-$3.56).", "rank": 49 }, { "code": "AL", "name": "Alabama", "lat": 33.52, "lon": -86.8, "annualKwh": 8200, "retailRate": 0.164, "exportRate": 0.0394, "exportFactor": 0.24, "exportFactorRange": null, "nettingPeriod": "instantaneous", "retailShare": 0.65, "creditExpiry": "none", "netMetering": "weak", "costPerWatt": 3.33, "grossCost": 19980.0, "netCost": 19980.0, "incentives": 0.0, "upfrontRec": 0.0, "srecPerMwh": 0, "extraAnnualCost": 389.52, "extraFixedAnnual": 389.52, "extraPerKwh": 0, "yearOneSaving": 597.69, "paybackSimple": 33.4, "paybackAccurate": 26.2, "netReturn25": -1613.0, "verdict": "no", "shortfall30yr": null, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.alabamapower.com/", "checked": "2026-09-04", "note": "Modeled on Alabama Power. THE CAPACITY RESERVATION CHARGE IS THE STORY IN ALABAMA: solar customers pay $5.41 per kW of installed capacity every month regardless of output or export - $32.46 a month on a 6 kW system, $389.52 a year, among the highest such fees in the country. It is modeled here as a fixed annual cost. A federal judge upheld the charge in March 2026, so it is not a transitional measure; the utility justifies it as covering grid maintenance and backup capacity for periods when the panels do not generate. On top of that, the Alabama PSC does not require any utility to offer net metering. Exports are bought under Rate PAE at avoided cost, about 3-5c against a residential average near 16.6c, roughly 0.24 of retail, and the rate varies by season and by peak or off-peak period. Netting is instantaneous with no accumulation and no annual true-up, so there is no bank of retail credits at any point. Alabama has no state rebate and no state income tax credit. Property tax exemptions exist in some municipalities for 10-20 years but require local approval and are not automatic, so none is modeled. Installed cost $3.33/W (state range $2.93-$3.72), above the national median.", "rank": 50 } ] }