Is solar worth it in Oregon in 2026?

How Oregon pays for your solar power

Net metering at the retail rate. Oregon utilities credit exported solar at the full retail rate under ORS 757.300; credits roll over month to month and reset each March.

In the calculator, 40% of your solar output is used at home at the retail price and the rest is exported at about 100% of retail, so each solar kWh is worth 100% of the retail price on average. Change it if your utility pays more or less. Method

How exports are credited

Oregon is a net metering state. The rule sits in state law (ORS 757.300), and the Public Utility Commission applies it to the two big investor-owned utilities, Portland General Electric (PGE) and Pacific Power. A bidirectional meter tracks what the home takes from the grid and what the panels send back.

When a home sends more than it takes in a billing period, the extra kilowatt-hours become a credit on the next bill. Pacific Power’s Schedule 135 says surplus energy is credited “at the full retail rate for each rate component on the bill that uses kilowatt-hours as the billing determinant.” PGE describes the same arrangement: credits reflect the retail price of electricity and build up on the account.

Residential systems up to 25 kW qualify under Pacific Power’s tariff. Customers on time-of-use rates have credits applied in a set order that matches production periods to usage periods first.

The credit bank does not last forever. The billing cycle that ends in March closes the year, and unused credits are handed to the utility’s low-income assistance programs, credited back or dedicated to another use the Commission decides, with no cash payout to the homeowner. PGE’s page says unused credits are donated to low-income bill assistance programs and the account resets. Sizing a system to cover a year of use, not far beyond it, avoids producing credits that are lost.

A customer-generator still pays the utility’s minimum monthly charge on every bill.

State incentives in 2026

The Oregon Department of Energy runs the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program. Rebates reach up to $5,000 for solar and up to $2,500 for battery storage, and income-qualified households receive a higher share of net cost (60% versus 40%). Contractors must file a reservation before work starts and must be approved by the department.

The money is the problem. The program reopened on June 15, 2026 with $1.1 million, and the department reports that the reservations used all of it. As of October 7, 2026 it is not taking applications, and there is an email list for a future reopening. A homeowner should treat the rebate as unavailable unless the department announces new funding.

Energy Trust of Oregon says the state rebate can be combined with its own cash incentives for solar and storage. Current Energy Trust amounts were not confirmed for this page, so check their site for the figure that applies in your utility’s territory.

The federal 30% residential credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025, so it does not apply to a system installed now.

What it means for payback

Full retail crediting is the strongest export rule a state can offer. Each exported kilowatt-hour offsets a kilowatt-hour that would otherwise be bought at the retail price, so the timing of use matters little. Payback therefore depends mostly on installed cost, how much sun the roof gets, and the local retail rate.

The March reset shapes the design. Summer surplus can carry into winter, but only until March, so a system sized slightly under annual use wastes nothing. With the rebate closed and the federal credit gone, upfront cost is not reduced by an incentive for most buyers right now.

Other rules worth knowing

Oregon’s net metering rules apply to PGE and Pacific Power. Municipal utilities, cooperatives and people’s utility districts follow ORS 757.300 under their own governing bodies, so a home served by one of them should check that utility’s tariff.