Ohio · Net metering
OH Net Metering
Sets the billing terms for excess solar generation sent back to the grid by residential customers in Ohio -- see the credit rate and how it shapes payback below.
- Retail rate credit
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 16.3 yr
- Ohio baseline payback
- 2
- other Ohio programs
What it means
In Ohio, a 6 kW system already pays back in about 16.3 years on ~$1,067/year of modeled savings, and the OH Net Metering stacks on top of that, on top of any federal credit.
- Retail rate cr…
- stated benefit
- 16.3 yr
- baseline payback (pre-incentive)
- 3
- Ohio 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
Ohio IOUs offer full retail net metering for residential systems up to 25 kW.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Net metering
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Retail rate credit
- State electricity rate
- 14.5¢/kWh
- Ohio solar score
- 18/100
How Ohio compares to the U.S. average
Why this incentive matters more (or less) here - Ohio'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 Ohio
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in Ohio reported to the EIA.
Ohio's solar incentive stack
How this net metering sits among Ohio's 2 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
1 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
What this shows Ohio tracks 2 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 Ohio's solar picture
The OH Net Metering governs how Ohio 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. Ohio averages 4.2 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 14.5¢/kWh, producing an estimated 7,358 kWh/year and $1,067 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $17,400. That baseline already implies a 16.3-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $9,275 before this incentive - every dollar this net metering delivers compresses that payback further.
A handful of other levers are worth checking alongside this one. Ohio has 3 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like OH Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption. 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 Ohio's full solar profile, score, irradiance, rates, payback, and every program you can claim. Ohio 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 Ohio incentives
Frequently asked questions
What is the OH Net Metering?
How does the OH Net Metering work?
Who is eligible for the OH Net Metering?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in Ohio?
Are there other solar incentives in Ohio?
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.