District of Columbia · Net metering
DC Net Metering
Sets the billing terms for excess solar generation sent back to the grid by residential customers in District of Columbia -- see the credit rate and how it shapes payback below.
- Retail rate credit
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 13 yr
- District of Columbia baseline payback
- 4
- other District of Columbia programs
What it means
In District of Columbia, a 6 kW system already pays back in about 13 years on ~$1,503/year of modeled savings, and the DC Net Metering stacks on top of that, on top of any federal credit.
- Retail rate cr…
- stated benefit
- 13 yr
- baseline payback (pre-incentive)
- 5
- District of Columbia programs that stack
- full
- net-metering policy
Payback and savings are modeled from public NREL/EIA data; the program benefit is summarized from DSIRE and may change.
Program description
DC utilities offer full retail net metering for systems up to 1 MW.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Net metering
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Retail rate credit
- State electricity rate
- 19.5¢/kWh
- District of Columbia solar score
- 32/100
How District of Columbia compares to the U.S. average
Why this incentive matters more (or less) here - District of Columbia's solar fundamentals against the national average.
Source: NREL irradiance and U.S. EIA rates; payback modeled by PlainSolarData. Bars are scaled to the larger of the two values per metric.
Solar's trajectory in District of Columbia
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in District of Columbia reported to the EIA.
District of Columbia's solar incentive stack
How this net metering sits among District of Columbia's 4 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
1 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
- Rebate
Rebate
1 programs
- SREC
SREC
1 programs
What this shows District of Columbia tracks 4 incentive types; net metering (1 program) governs the billing side, while the state's other tracked types handle upfront cost or ongoing payments.
How this incentive fits District of Columbia's solar picture
The DC Net Metering governs how District of Columbia credits excess solar generation sent back to the grid, one of the state's DSIRE-tracked solar policies. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Retail rate credit. DSIRE lists no scheduled sunset, though enabling legislation and appropriations can still be revised year to year.
That baseline is slower than most states, which raises the stakes for every incentive on the table. District of Columbia averages 4.4 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 19.5¢/kWh, producing an estimated 7,709 kWh/year and $1,503 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $19,500. That baseline already implies a 13-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $18,075 before this incentive - every dollar this net metering delivers compresses that payback further.
A handful of other levers are worth checking alongside this one. District of Columbia has 5 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like DC Solar Property Tax Exemption, DC Solar for All Program, DC Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs). The state's net-metering policy is classified as full, which governs how excess generation is credited and often decides whether a given program is worth claiming for a specific household.
Your next step
- See District of Columbia's full solar profile, score, irradiance, rates, payback, and every program you can claim. District of Columbia solar data
- Run the savings calculator with your real bill to see how this incentive changes your own payback. ROI calculator
- See how net-metering credits are valued state by state. Net-metering guide
Estimates here are modeled from public data and are not financial advice; confirm program terms and your own eligibility before relying on a dollar figure.
Other District of Columbia incentives
Frequently asked questions
What is the DC Net Metering?
How does the DC Net Metering work?
Who is eligible for the DC Net Metering?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in District of Columbia?
Are there other solar incentives in District of Columbia?
Incentive data from the DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency); state solar economics from NREL and the U.S. EIA. See our methodology.