Washington · Tax exemption · Deep-stack program
WA Solar Property Tax Exemption
Removes a tax burden residential solar owners in Washington would otherwise carry -- see what it covers, eligibility, and payback impact below.
- Property tax exemption
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 26.6 yr
- Washington baseline payback
- 3
- other Washington programs
Deep-stack program · mid directory
Washington runs a 4-program DSIRE stack; this tax exemption is one layer on a 26.6-year modeled baseline, not the whole story.
- Stack4 programs
- In-state #2/3
- Type #42/45
- Baseline26.6 yr
In-state directory place #2 of 3 (mid alphabet). National tax exemption directory #42 of 45. 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 provides a property tax exemption for qualifying solar energy systems.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Tax exemption
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Property tax exemption
- 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 tax exemption 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; 2 are tax exemptions like this one, removing a cost solar owners would otherwise carry, on top of the state's other program types.
How this tax exemption layers inside Washington's deep stack
The WA Solar Property Tax Exemption removes a tax burden solar owners would otherwise carry, one of Washington's DSIRE-tracked solar incentive programs. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Property tax exemption. 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 tax exemption 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 Sales Tax Exemption, WA Net Metering. 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 Solar Property Tax Exemption sit in Washington's deep program stack?
How does this tax exemption work beside Washington's other programs?
Who is eligible for the WA Solar Property Tax Exemption?
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.