Net Metering Calculator 2026: Solar Export Credits
Estimate 2026 net metering credits for exported solar, the value of self-consumed power and simple payback with no federal solar credit for 2026 installs.
Estimate scope & data quality
- SEO Quick Estimate Uses the inputs available in this calculator.
- Personalized Estimate Use your own bill and location information where this calculator supports it.
- Detailed Solar Economics NOT_COMPUTABLE here without a verified tariff, system design, quote, and eligibility record.
- Data quality
- NOT_AVAILABLE
- Result limitation
- Calculator output is not a source-complete customer result.
A tariff credit is distinct from annual savings. If a result is NOT_COMPUTABLE or CONFLICT, it must not be replaced with an estimate or treated as canonical.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your solar system size in kW.
- Set your daily peak sun hours (use the state selector; the site average is 4.5).
- Enter your electricity buy rate and your utility's export credit rate (same as the buy rate under full-retail net metering).
- Set what percentage of solar output you use directly at home (30–50% without a battery).
- Optionally adjust the installed price per watt and any state or utility rebate to see simple payback; no federal credit applies to 2026 installs.
Understanding your results
Short answer: A 7 kW system at 4.5 peak sun hours produces about 9,428 kWh a year. Under full-retail net metering at 18.19¢/kWh (US average, EIA, July 2026 year-to-date), all of it is worth about $1,716 a year, a 12.2-year simple payback on $21,000 ($3.00/W, no federal credit in 2026). If half the output is exported at 6¢/kWh instead, the value drops to about $1,141 a year and payback stretches to about 18.4 years.
How the calculator works: Annual production = kW × peak sun hours × 365 × 0.82 (system losses; see NREL PVWatts for your address). Self-consumed kWh = production × self-consumption %, valued at your buy rate. Exported kWh = the rest, valued at your export credit rate. Simple payback = (kW × 1,000 × $/W − rebates) ÷ total annual benefit. This counts every kWh as offsetting a purchase or earning a credit, so it is an upper bound if the system is larger than your usage or if credits expire unused.
Full retail vs avoided-cost credits: Under full-retail net metering, exports earn what you pay: 18.19¢/kWh on average (EIA, July 2026 year-to-date) and 12.36–46.28¢ depending on the state. Under avoided-cost or wholesale credits, exports earn roughly 3–8¢/kWh. A system exporting 5,000 kWh a year earns about $618–$2,314 under retail net metering but only about $150–$400 under avoided-cost credits.
NEM 3.0 and net billing: California’s NEM 3.0 (effective April 2023) cut average export credits by roughly three-quarters for new customers, to a few cents per kWh in most hours. Self-consumed solar is now worth several times more than exported solar there, which is why batteries are common on new California systems. Other states have moved to net billing with reduced export credits.
2026 federal policy: Until Dec 31, 2025, homeowners could claim 30% of the system cost under §25D. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21, signed July 4, 2025) ended that credit for systems installed after Dec 31, 2025, so net-metering rules and self-consumption now matter even more to payback. Lease and PPA providers may still use the §48E business credit through 2027. Sources: IRS OBBB FAQs; EIA; NREL PVWatts; DSIRE. This is not tax advice.
Raising self-consumption without a battery: (1) Schedule EV charging and high-load appliances between 10am and 2pm. (2) Set the water heater to heat during solar hours. (3) Pre-cool or pre-heat the home before the evening peak. Each 10-point rise in self-consumption adds value whenever your buy rate is higher than your export credit.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers for US homeowners.
Related guides
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