Grid & off-grid

Net metering calculator, Maine

Enter your exact usage, system size, and rate details to see how Maine's net metering policy affects your solar bill, with precise controls for season, tiered rates, and fixed fees.

Your numbers

1 Project details Optional
Shown on your exported report. Leave blank to skip.
2 Your usage and system
Find this on a recent utility bill, usually labeled kWh used.
Use your quoted or planned system size. Panel count times panel wattage divided by 1,000 gives a rough figure.
Solar production swings seasonally; pick a specific month type to see how your bill shifts.
Most utilities charge a flat customer or connection fee regardless of usage.
3 Your location and rate
Defaulted to Maine's average peak sun hours. Adjust if you know your local figure.
Defaulted to Maine's current average residential rate. Your utility's actual rate may differ.
Maine typically credits exports around 100% of retail. Full retail 1:1 net energy billing, among the strongest programs in the country given high retail rates.
Some utilities charge progressively higher per-kWh rates as monthly usage climbs into higher tiers.
Accounts for inverter loss, wiring loss, dust, and temperature derate combined.
Informational only. A monthly cycle means unused export credit does not carry to the next bill; annual and rolling cycles do.

How it works

Three steps to your Maine solar bill estimate

Step 1

Enter your usage, system size, and season

Pull your monthly kWh from a recent bill and enter your planned or quoted system size in kW. If you only know your panel count, multiply it by each panel's wattage and divide by 1,000 to get a kW figure first. Select a season to model a specific month rather than only an annual average.

Step 2

Confirm your rate, tier, and export credit

Maine's typical residential rate and export credit level are filled in by default. Swap in your utility's actual tariff numbers, tier bracket, and fixed monthly fee if you have a recent bill or interconnection agreement showing them.

Step 3

Compare the result to a full retail scenario

Run the net billing vs net metering comparison tool to see exactly how much Maine's current export credit rate costs you compared to full 1:1 retail crediting.

How net metering works in Maine

It's officially called Net Energy Billing, not net metering

Maine's program has a different name from most states on this list: Net Energy Billing (NEB), run under Maine Public Utilities Commission rules through a Customer NEB Agreement. On the residential kWh-credit track, every exported kilowatt-hour earns a one-for-one bill credit worth roughly the full retail rate, whether you're served by Central Maine Power (CMP), whose rate runs around 27 cents/kWh, or Versant Power, whose rate runs closer to 32 cents/kWh.

Credits roll over monthly but expire after 12 months

Unlike some states where banked credits carry forward indefinitely, Maine's NEB credits expire 12 months after they're earned if unused. That expiration window is worth factoring into system sizing, particularly if you're weighing a larger system that would build up a substantial surplus during summer months.

2023 legislation changed community solar, not rooftop systems

LD 1777, effective January 1, 2024, limited Maine's NEB program, but only for larger community solar and commercial-scale projects, not individual rooftop residential systems. This is a common point of confusion: your rooftop system's Net Energy Billing terms are unaffected by that legislation, though the law also directs the state to design a successor program during 2026, worth watching even if nothing has changed yet. The net billing vs net metering comparison tool can help clarify how your specific residential system is treated.

A fixed delivery charge applies regardless of your credit balance

Even with a full NEB credit balance, CMP customers still pay a fixed monthly delivery charge, around $27 a month as of 2026, which covers grid connection and isn't offset by banked solar credits. That's worth budgeting for separately from your expected export savings, alongside whatever one-time connection fees your utility charges.

Interconnection and the off-grid comparison

Connecting a system in Maine still requires CMP or Versant's written permission to connect before you can turn it on, following a standard interconnection application and inspection; Maine's tax credit and rebate estimator is worth reviewing before that process starts. And with full retail crediting in place and some of the highest electricity prices in the country, the case for full off-grid independence is weaker here than in lower-rate states; the grid tie vs off grid comparison tool runs that comparison directly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Maine's Net Energy Billing (NEB) credits exports one-for-one at roughly the full retail rate, around 27 cents/kWh at CMP or 32 cents/kWh at Versant. Credits roll over monthly but expire after 12 months if unused.

The average residential rate in Maine was about 29.6 cents per kWh as of September 2026, per EIA data, among the highest in the nation. Maine's Net Energy Billing program credits residential exports at roughly the full retail rate, with credits expiring after 12 months if unused.

Yes. Unlike states with indefinite rollover, Maine's Net Energy Billing credits expire 12 months after they're earned if unused. Credits roll over month to month within that window, so summer surplus can offset winter usage, but a credit that sits unused for a full year is lost rather than carried forward further.

No, and this is a common misconception. LD 1777, effective January 1, 2024, only changed compensation for larger community solar and commercial-scale projects. Individual rooftop residential systems continue to receive full 1:1 retail-rate Net Energy Billing credits under the original program terms.

Related tools

Compare Maine's policy to other structures

Grid tie vs off grid comparison Net billing vs net metering Buy all sell all vs net metering Avoided cost rate calculator Grid export cap calculator Grid interconnection cost estimator Grid tie with battery backup comparison All grid and off-grid tools