Washington · Net metering · Deep-stack program
WA Net Metering
Sets the billing terms for excess solar generation sent back to the grid by residential customers in Washington -- see the credit rate and how it shapes payback below.
- Retail rate credit
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 26.6 yr
- Washington baseline payback
- 3
- other Washington programs
Deep-stack program · early directory
Washington runs a 4-program DSIRE stack; this net metering is one layer on a 26.6-year modeled baseline, not the whole story.
- Stack4 programs
- In-state #1/3
- Type #43/46
- Baseline26.6 yr
In-state directory place #1 of 3 (early alphabet). National net metering directory #43 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
Washington utilities offer net metering for systems up to 100 kW.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Net metering
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Retail rate credit
- State electricity rate
- 10.5¢/kWh
- Washington solar score
- 14/100
Solar's trajectory in Washington
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in Washington reported to the EIA.
Washington's solar incentive stack
How this net metering sits among Washington's 3 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
2 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
What this shows Washington 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 net metering layers inside Washington's deep stack
The WA Net Metering governs how Washington 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. Washington 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 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $17,100. That baseline already implies a 26.6-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $-1,000 before this incentive - every dollar this net metering delivers compresses that payback further.
Washington bundles a deep incentive stack, so this program rarely stands alone. 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 decides whether a given program is worth claiming for a specific household.
Other Washington incentives
Frequently asked questions
Where does the WA Net Metering sit in Washington's deep program stack?
How does this net metering work beside Washington's other programs?
Who qualifies, and why is this an early in-state directory row?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in Washington?
Which other Washington 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 · Washington solar data · ROI calculator · All incentives.