Most rooftop solar projects are connected to the larger electricity grid. Logistically, connecting your rooftop solar to the power lines already feeding your home is the most straight-forward way to power your home with rooftop solar. This also ensures that when the sun isn’t shining, you can get power from your utility. Additionally, any unused solar flows back into the grid, bringing more clean energy to our electricity system, benefiting you and your community.
How homes are compensated for their excess solar
Electricity generated from rooftop solar first serves your home’s onsite electricity demand. If your home’s solar system generates more electricity than you use during a designated time period, you will receive some type of credit for the electricity you send to the grid.
What type and how much credit you receive depends on your utility and your rate structure. For non Rocky Mountain Power customers, find out your electric utility here (make sure to select “Electric Service Areas) in Layers on the right side of the map.
Solar export credit details for Rocky Mountain Power Customers
For Rocky Mountain Power customers, the current Solar Export Credit Rate is as follows:
- Between the billing months of June through September: Solar customers will receive 5.636¢ for each kilowatt-hour of solar exported to the grid.
- Between the billing months of October through May: Solar customers will receive 4.745¢ for each kilowatt-hour of solar exported to the grid.
To put that into perspective, residential Rocky Mountain Power customers pay an average of 10.2¢ for every kilowatt-hour of electricity used from the grid.
The export credit rate is updated annually on March 1st, so please verify the current rates here (choose the link for “Utah Schedule 137 – Net Billing Program).
Solar Rates Comparison
Here is a breakdown of all existing solar rates for Rocky Mountain Power customer based on when you installed your solar project.
| Schedule 137 “Net Billing Service” | Schedule 136 “Transition Program” | Schedule 135 “Net Metering” | |
| Applies To: | solar customers who filed an interconnection agreement starting October 31, 2020 | solar customers who filed an interconnection agreement after November 14, 2017 and before October 31, 2020 | solar customers who filed an interconnection agreement before November 15, 2017 |
| Exported kilowatt-hour (kWh) valued at: | 4.462 ¢/kWh (winter) or 5.160 ¢/kWh (summer) | 90-92.5% of retail rate (9.2 ¢ per kWh for residential customers) | retail rate (varies for different customer types) |
| Export rate is updated: | annually on March 1 | n/a | n/a |
| Exported kilowatt-hours are netted with energy purchased from the utility: | instantaneously | on a 15-minute basis | on a monthly basis |
| Expires: | no expiration date | January 1, 2033 | January 1, 2036 |
Schedule 135: Net Metering [Closed to new customers]
Solar customers who filed an interconnection agreement before November 15, 2017 are grandfathered into the Net Metering Program until January 1, 2036. Net Metering customers receive a kilowatt-hour credit for each kilowatt-hour of energy exported to the grid. Credits accrued by solar customers roll over from month to month and offset the customer’s electricity usage. Any credit remaining expires on the regularly scheduled March meter reading each year and the value of expired bill credits is applied to support the low-income bill assistance program, the Home Energy Lifeline Program (HELP). The net metering program is closed and no longer available to new customers.
Schedule 136: The Transition Program [Closed to new customers]
Solar customers who filed an interconnection agreement between November 15, 2017 and October 30, 2020 are grandfathered into the Transition Program until January 1, 2033. The Transition Program provides a credit for each kilowatt-hour exported to the grid that equals 90% – 92.5% of a customers’ average retail rate for electricity. Exported energy is netted against energy purchased from the utility on a 15-minute basis. At the end of the annualized billing period (regularly scheduled March meter reading each year), any remaining exported energy credit is credited to the Energy Balancing Account, reducing costs for all utility customers. Schedule 136 is no longer available to new customers.
Schedule 137: Net Billing Service
Solar customers who file an interconnection agreement after October 30, 2020 are eligible for Net Billing Service. This program defines an Export Credit Rate that is recalculated annually on March 1st and this rate is not dependent on which electricity schedule you are on. For Net Billing customers, the value of the expired kilowatt-hours at the end of the annualized billing period (regularly scheduled March meter reading each year) is credited to the Energy Balancing Account, reducing costs for all utility customers.
You can find your schedule on your Rocky Mountain Power bill and you can find current electricity charges for all rate schedules at: https://www.rockymountainpower.net/about/rates-regulation/utah-rates-tariffs.html.
Exported energy is netted against energy purchased from the utility instantaneously. For Net Billing customers, the value of the expired kilowatt-hours is credited to the Energy Balancing Account, reducing costs for all utility customers.
Not a Rocky Mountain Power Customer?
Always contact your utility before installing solar to ensure you have up-to-date information on their solar policy and are in compliance with your utility’s specific requirements.
Contact information for every utility in Utah is available here: https://ocs.utah.gov/learn-about-your-service-provider/electric-utilities/ and you can determine your local utility at this link: https://www.ocs.utah.gov/find-my-utility/. Please note that you will need to contact your utility directly for current information about rates for solar installations.
We would like to clarify that Utah Clean Energy is not a solar company. We are a nonprofit organization that advocates for solar and other clean energy technologies, but we do not install or sell solar in any way.