Grid & off-grid

Net metering calculator, Oregon

Enter your exact usage, system size, and rate details to see how Oregon'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 Oregon's average peak sun hours. Adjust if you know your local figure.
Defaulted to Oregon's current average residential rate. Your utility's actual rate may differ.
PGE and Pacific Power offset your usage at your full retail rate and carry surplus forward as kWh credits until the annual March reset.
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 Oregon 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

Oregon'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 Oregon's current export credit rate costs you compared to full 1:1 retail crediting.

How net metering works in Oregon

Full retail crediting from both major utilities

Portland General Electric (PGE) and Pacific Power both credit exported solar power at your full retail rate under Oregon Public Utility Commission rules. Pacific Power's Schedule 135, which implements ORS 757.300 and the commission's net metering rules, applies a cumulative kilowatt-hour credit at the full retail rate to your next bill, for residential systems up to 25 kW. The credit is worth whatever you pay per kWh, which averaged about 16 cents statewide in July 2026. Cooperatives and municipal utilities run their own programs under their own rules, so check yours if one serves your address.

Credits roll over, then reset each spring

Excess generation credits carry forward month to month, letting summer surplus offset winter usage. Each utility performs an annual true-up, typically in March, and credits still unused at that point are transferred to a low-income assistance program at the utility's avoided cost rather than paid back to you, so summer overproduction is worth more if it offsets usage within the same year than if it's still sitting unused at the reset date.

No change has been adopted, though a review is on the calendar

PGE floated a draft proposal in early 2024 that would have changed crediting for new customers, but it delayed that plan and, as of the most recent public record, has not filed it with the Oregon PUC. PUC staff has also set a 2028 checkpoint for investigating and updating the net metering framework for PGE and PacifiCorp. Current customers and new installations continue under the existing full retail framework, and Oregon's tax credit and rebate estimator is worth reviewing before locking in a system size.

System size and application fees are modest

PGE's net metering FAQ says the application is free for residential systems up to 25 kW. If PGE determines your area needs an engineering review, a Level 3 application adds a fee of $100 plus $2 per kW. A modest monthly basic service fee, typically $11 to $13, still applies regardless of your system's output.

Interconnection and the off-grid comparison

Connecting a system, whether through PGE, Pacific Power, or a local cooperative, still requires a standard interconnection application, and the grid interconnection cost estimator covers what to expect there. With full retail crediting still in place at PGE and Pacific Power, staying grid-tied remains far cheaper than going fully off-grid in Oregon, and the grid tie vs off grid comparison tool shows how much cheaper.

Questions

Frequently asked

PGE and Pacific Power both credit exports at your full retail rate under Oregon PUC rules. Credits carry forward as kWh from month to month until an annual true-up each March, when unused credits go to a low-income assistance program, and there's currently no scheduled sunset date for the program.

The average residential rate in Oregon was about 16 cents per kWh as of July 2026, per EIA data. PGE and Pacific Power both credit solar exports at your full retail rate under Oregon PUC rules, currently with no scheduled sunset date.

Not currently. PGE floated a draft proposal in early 2024 that would have changed crediting for new customers, but it delayed that plan and, as of the most recent public record, has not filed it with the Oregon Public Utility Commission. PUC staff has set a 2028 checkpoint for investigating and updating the net metering framework for PGE and PacifiCorp. Current customers and new installations continue under the existing full retail crediting framework.

PGE's application is free for residential systems up to 25 kW. If PGE determines your area needs an engineering review, a Level 3 application adds a fee of $100 plus $2 per kW. A modest monthly basic service fee, typically $11 to $13, applies regardless of your solar system's output.

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