Vermont · Net metering
VT Net Metering
Sets the billing terms for excess solar generation sent back to the grid by residential customers in Vermont -- see the credit rate and how it shapes payback below.
- Retail rate credit (…
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 11.5 yr
- Vermont baseline payback
- 3
- other Vermont programs
What it means
In Vermont, a 6 kW system already pays back in about 11.5 years on ~$1,616/year of modeled savings, and the VT Net Metering stacks on top of that, on top of any federal credit.
- Retail rate cr…
- stated benefit
- 11.5 yr
- baseline payback (pre-incentive)
- 4
- Vermont 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
Vermont offers net metering for systems up to 500 kW with monthly bill credits.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Net metering
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Retail rate credit (net billing)
- State electricity rate
- 22.5¢/kWh
- Vermont solar score
- 31/100
How Vermont compares to the U.S. average
Why this incentive matters more (or less) here - Vermont'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 Vermont
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in Vermont reported to the EIA.
Vermont's solar incentive stack
How this net metering sits among Vermont's 3 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
1 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
- Performance
Performance
1 programs
What this shows Vermont tracks 3 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 Vermont's solar picture
The VT Net Metering governs how Vermont 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 (net billing). 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. Vermont averages 4.1 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 22.5¢/kWh, producing an estimated 7,183 kWh/year and $1,616 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $18,600. That baseline already implies a 11.5-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $21,800 before this incentive - every dollar this net metering delivers compresses that payback further.
A handful of other levers are worth checking alongside this one. Vermont has 4 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like VT Solar Property Tax Exemption, Vermont Standard Offer Program (SPEED). 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 Vermont's full solar profile, score, irradiance, rates, payback, and every program you can claim. Vermont 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 Vermont incentives
Frequently asked questions
What is the VT Net Metering?
How does the VT Net Metering work?
Who is eligible for the VT Net Metering?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in Vermont?
Are there other solar incentives in Vermont?
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.