Rebates and incentives
Enter your production and current certificate price. See your annual income and a full-term total, with an optional price decline if you're in an open market.
How it works
Step 1
Only a handful of states run active SREC markets, mainly along the East Coast and Midwest. Check the SREC market price comparison to confirm your state participates before assuming this applies to you.
Step 2
Fixed-rate programs publish a locked price for a set term. Open markets fluctuate, so use a current broker quote rather than an old figure you saw somewhere else.
Step 3
SREC income is separate from any one-time rebate or tax credit. Keep it in its own column using the rebate stacking tool so your projections don't blur one-time and recurring incentives together.
An SREC represents proof that one megawatt-hour, or 1,000 kilowatt-hours, of electricity came from a certified solar system. States track this through metered production, and your installer or a monitoring platform typically registers your system with the state to generate certificates automatically as you produce power. Before you count on any incentive, check the DSIRE database of state incentives for your state's current programs.
SREC prices are driven by each state's renewable portfolio standard, the legal requirement forcing utilities to source a growing share of electricity from solar specifically. Washington DC's aggressive target and small geographic market keep its SREC prices among the highest in the country, often well over $300. Ohio's larger eligible supply against a weaker requirement keeps its prices in the single digits by comparison. This is policy-driven, not a reflection of how much sunshine each state gets. Check the rebates and incentives hub for your state's complete incentive picture.
New Jersey largely transitioned its market to SuSI, a fixed-rate successor program that locks in a set price per certificate for a defined number of years, offering more predictability than the open market it replaced. Older, open SREC markets can swing significantly based on how many new systems come online each year relative to demand. Know which type of program you're in before building a long-term budget around this income, and check current rates on the SREC market price comparison.
It's common for sales materials to project a fixed SREC income across an entire system's life, but open-market prices have historically moved a great deal over shorter periods. This tool includes an optional price decline setting so you can stress-test your projection rather than relying on today's price holding steady for over a decade. Combine your result with the federal ITC calculator for your full incentive picture.
Your rebate total changes what a loan costs each month, and the combined loan and rebate timing tool shows that payment once you enter both figures. If you may qualify for low-income solar programs beyond what's covered here, the community solar for low-income households tool is worth checking too.
Questions
One SREC equals one megawatt-hour, or 1,000 kilowatt-hours, of solar electricity produced. A system producing 10,000 kWh a year earns roughly 10 SRECs annually. A typical 10 kW residential system in a sunny climate might produce closer to 13,000 to 14,000 kWh a year, earning 13 to 14 certificates.
As of 2026, active or historically active SREC markets exist in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Delaware, Washington DC, and a few smaller regional markets. New Jersey's older market has largely transitioned to a fixed-rate successor program called SuSI, while its remaining legacy SRECs still trade separately. Most other states, including California, Texas, and Florida, don't have an SREC market at all.
SREC markets exist because states set renewable portfolio standards requiring utilities to source a percentage of electricity from solar, creating demand for certificates as proof of compliance. Washington DC's small geography and aggressive renewable target keep its SREC prices among the highest in the country, often exceeding $300, while Ohio's market trades in the single digits due to weaker demand and a larger supply of eligible systems.
No, and this is the most important thing to understand before counting on SREC income. Open-market SREC prices fluctuate with supply and demand and have swung dramatically over time in some states. Fixed-rate successor programs like New Jersey's SuSI lock in a set price for a specific number of years, which offers more predictability than an open market, but check whether your specific program is fixed-rate or market-based before assuming a stable number for 15 or 20 years.