WA Net Metering

The WA Net Metering is a net metering tracked in the federal DSIRE database as one of Washington's solar policy levers. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Retail rate credit. The program does not carry a scheduled sunset in DSIRE, though appropriations and enabling legislation can still be revised year to year. Like every state-level incentive, it is designed to stack on top of the federal 30% Investment Tax Credit rather than replace it.

Layered onto Washington's underlying economics, this matters more than it might look in isolation. The state averages 3.5 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 10.5¢/kWh, producing an estimated 6,132 kWh/year and $644 in annual utility offset on a typical 6kW system costing $17,100. Without incentives that baseline already implies a 26.6-year simple payback — every dollar this net metering delivers compresses that payback further and improves 25-year net returns, currently modeled at roughly $-1,000 before accounting for the WA Net Metering itself.

This program is not the only option. Washington has 4 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like WA Solar Property Tax Exemption, WA Solar Sales Tax Exemption. The state's net metering policy is classified as full, which governs how excess generation is credited and often determines whether a given program is worth claiming for a specific household. Before applying, verify current terms on the official program page, confirm your utility participates, and consult a qualified tax professional about how state credits interact with the federal ITC on your return.