Solar by State

Is solar worth it in Portland in 2026?

A roof in Portland produces about 1,115 kWh a year per kW of panels. For a home with a $150 monthly bill, a 10.5 kW system costs about $35,641 at Oregon's median price and pays for itself in roughly 19.8 years, with no federal tax credit.

Data checked 2026-10-21 · Estimates, not a quote

Solar output in Portland

1,115kWh per kW a year

Source: PVGIS, NSRDB data

Oregon residential electricity price

15.4¢per kWh

Source: EIA, 2026 year to date

Median installed cost in Oregon, 2025

$3.40per watt

Source: Berkeley Lab

Calculator · 2026 data, no federal tax credit

How long would solar take to pay for itself?

Simple payback

19.8 years

System size
10.5 kW
Installed cost
$35,641
Savings, year one
$1,800
Net over 25 years
$6,759

Sized to cover your yearly use at today's price. Panels lose 0.5% a year; prices held flat. Method

How Portland homes get paid for solar

Export rules are set at the state and utility level, not by the city. Portland is under Oregon's full net metering: Oregon utilities credit exported solar at the full retail rate under ORS 757.300; credits roll over month to month and reset each March. The full rules, incentives and sources are on theOregon page.

Portland: your utility, incentives and permits

Main utility: Portland General Electric (most of the city) or Pacific Power. Checked 2026-10-21 against the sources below.

Portland is split between two utilities. Portland General Electric (PGE) lists most of Southwest, Southeast and Northwest Portland and a small section of Northeast Portland as its territory, with a few downtown blocks left out. Everything else in the city is Pacific Power. PGE confirms an address by phone at 503-228-6322. The utility matters, because the incentives below differ by about $1,000.

What your utility gives you for exported power

Both utilities net meter home systems of up to 25 kW, and both credit exported power at the retail price: each kWh you send out offsets a kWh you would otherwise buy, and credits carry over to later bills. The year closes in March. Credits still unused after the March billing period are not paid out: both utilities pass them to their low-income bill assistance programs. Size the system to your yearly use.

You still pay the normal basic charge each month, between $11 and $13 for PGE customers according to its net metering FAQ. PGE does not charge for an interconnection application of 25 kW or less.

Incentives in 2026

  • Energy Trust of Oregon pays $3,500 per home for PGE customers and $2,500 for Pacific Power customers, for systems of at least 2 kW-DC. For PGE customers the $3,500 has applied since August 4, 2026; earlier in the year it was $2,500, according to Energy Trust’s status report of October 19, 2026. Offers depend on funding and can change at any time.
  • Batteries. Energy Trust adds $400 per kWh of storage, up to $5,000, for PGE customers, and $240 per kWh, up to $3,000, for Pacific Power customers.
  • Income-qualified homes. Solar Within Reach pays $1.25 per watt up to $7,500 (PGE) or $0.75 per watt up to $4,750 (Pacific Power). Inside city limits, the Portland Solar Access Program installs solar at no cost for homeowners at or below 80% of area median income, with money from the city’s Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund. It runs through 2029 and expects to serve about 1,000 households.
  • State rebate closed. The Oregon Department of Energy’s Solar + Storage Rebate Program is not accepting reservation applications.

Permits and connection

Solar permits come from Portland Permitting & Development and are filed online through DevHub, normally by the solar contractor, who also books the inspections. The final fee depends on the size and type of system and the review path. The electrical part follows the schedule in force since July 10, 2026: $212 for a renewable energy installation of 5 kVA or less, $298 from 5.01 to 15 kVA and $391 from 15.01 to 25 kVA.

PGE customers apply for interconnection through PowerClerk. Pacific Power customers apply online with the system details and a photo of the meter. The Oregon state page has the statewide rules.

Sources

  1. Portland General Electric: service area within Portland
  2. Portland General Electric: net metering for enrolled customers
  3. Portland General Electric: net metering FAQ (PDF, November 2025)
  4. Portland General Electric: Schedule 203, net metering (PDF)
  5. Pacific Power: Oregon Schedule 135, net metering service (PDF, effective August 1, 2025)
  6. Pacific Power: customer generation
  7. Energy Trust of Oregon: solar for your home
  8. Energy Trust of Oregon: solar incentive status report
  9. Energy Trust of Oregon: Solar Within Reach
  10. Energy Trust of Oregon: Portland Solar Access Program
  11. Oregon Department of Energy: Solar + Storage Rebate Program for homeowners
  12. Portland Permitting & Development: solar permits
  13. Portland Permitting & Development: electrical permit fee schedule, effective July 10, 2026
  14. Portland Permitting & Development: fee changes approved by city council

Why the city matters

Two things change from one city to another in the same state: the sun, which sets how many panels you need, and the utility, which sets what exported power is worth. Portland gets 1,115 kWh per kW a year on a south-facing roof at a 20° tilt, so covering a year of use for a $150 bill at 15.4¢ takes about 10.5 kW, roughly 27 panels of 400 W. Electricity prices in the calculator are the Oregon residential average; your utility's rate can be higher or lower, so put your own bill in.

Method: how we calculate payback. Compare all states in theranking or size a system with the panel calculator.