Solar Panels in Oregon in 2026: Costs, Rebates and Net Metering

Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate (ODOE) and Energy Trust Incentives

Oregon’s state rebate is the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program, run by ODOE. Homeowners can receive up to $5,000 for a solar electric system and up to $2,500 for an energy storage system, with the amount depending on income and utility. The rebate goes to an ODOE-approved contractor, who passes the full amount to you as an upfront discount, so you do not wait for a check.

The program has been stop-and-start. It ran out of funding in mid-2024, then ODOE temporarily reopened it on June 15, 2026 with $1.1 million, and by its June 2026 update that money was fully reserved. Key rules to know:

• The contractor must submit a reservation before construction starts.
• Systems must be on real property in Oregon and installed by an ODOE-approved contractor.
• Under rules finalized in April 2026, the rebate applies to systems the homeowner purchases (reported by EnergySage’s solar.com; confirm with ODOE).
• Storage-only additions to existing solar can now qualify, following SB 827 (2025).

Energy Trust of Oregon is a separate, ratepayer-funded nonprofit that serves PGE and Pacific Power customers. Its 2026 page listed a $2,500 per-home solar incentive for Pacific Power customers (minimum 2 kW DC) and a battery incentive of $320 per kWh up to $4,000 for Pacific Power customers. Energy Trust has said incentive rates step down on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 in 2026, so the amount you receive depends on when you apply. The incentive is paid to an Energy Trust trade ally contractor and deducted from your invoice. Check the current PGE and Pacific Power figures on Energy Trust’s site before you sign.

Oregon also exempts the value that solar adds to your home from property tax under ORS 307.175, so adding panels should not increase your property tax bill.

Solar Cost and Payback Math for Oregon

EnergySage reported an average Oregon solar price of about $2.49 per watt in July 2026. Quotes vary with equipment, roof complexity and installer, so treat this as a starting point. The chart below applies that price to an illustrative 8 kW system, then subtracts the incentives described above.

Chart summary: At about $2.49 per watt, an 8 kW system costs roughly $19,920 before incentives. A $2,500 Energy Trust incentive brings that to about $17,420. If you also secure the maximum $5,000 ODOE rebate, which depends on income, utility and available funding, the cost could fall to about $12,420. There is no federal credit in any of these figures because it ended after 2025. Your own quote, incentive amounts and eligibility will differ.

Simple payback is the net upfront cost divided by yearly bill savings. Because Oregon rates and household usage vary widely, the table shows scenarios rather than a single forecast.

The line chart below plots the same math over 25 years, assuming $1,500 in yearly bill savings, no electricity rate increases and no panel degradation.

Chart summary: With no federal credit, a $17,420 net cost and flat $1,500 in annual savings, cumulative cash flow turns positive in year 12 and reaches about $20,080 by year 25. If the maximum ODOE rebate is also funded, the break-even moves to year 9 and the 25-year total rises to about $25,080. Rising utility rates would shorten payback, while panel degradation, financing costs and inverter replacement would lengthen it.

To pick a realistic savings figure, look at your last 12 months of bills and ask installers for a production estimate for your roof. Solar panels also lose output slowly. NREL’s research on photovoltaic degradation has found a median rate of about 0.5% per year, so production declines a little each year.

These numbers do not include financing costs, inverter replacement, rate changes or time-of-use pricing. The solar savings calculator and solar payback calculator let you enter your own figures, and our guide to how much solar panels cost explains pricing in more detail.