District of Columbia · Net metering · Deep-stack program
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
Deep-stack program · early directory
District of Columbia runs a 5-program DSIRE stack; this net metering is one layer on a 13-year modeled baseline, not the whole story.
- Stack5 programs
- In-state #1/4
- Type #5/46
- Baseline13 yr
In-state directory place #1 of 4 (early alphabet). National net metering directory #5 of 46. Amounts and eligibility change; verify with the official program page before relying on a dollar figure. Informational only - not financial advice. See our disclaimer.
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
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 net metering layers inside District of Columbia's deep stack
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.
District of Columbia bundles a deep incentive stack, so this program rarely stands alone. 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.
Other District of Columbia incentives
Frequently asked questions
Where does the DC Net Metering sit in District of Columbia's deep program stack?
How does this net metering work beside District of Columbia's other programs?
Who qualifies, and why is this an early in-state directory row?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in District of Columbia?
Which other District of Columbia programs stack with this one?
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 · District of Columbia solar data · ROI calculator · All incentives.