OR incentive guide
Oregon solar incentives in 2026
Program amounts checked against the administering agencies on .
In Oregon the money that is actually available right now is Energy Trust of Oregon's cash incentive, retail-stylenet metering, and a property tax exemption. The state's own rebate is closed, and there is no federal credit. Here is what each piece is worth and what to check before you sign.
Two things that changed this year
- • The federal 30% credit (Section 25D) ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025.
- • The Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate reopened June 15, 2026 with $1.1 million, and that money is fully reserved. It is not accepting applications.
The Oregon incentive map
| Program | Status | What it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Trust Solar for Homes | Open, funding-dependent | PGE: $3,500 per home. Pacific Power: $2,500 per home. Minimum 2 kW. |
| Energy Trust Solar Within Reach | Open, income-limited | PGE: $1.25/W up to $7,500. Pacific Power: $0.75/W up to $4,750. |
| Energy Trust battery incentive | Open | PGE: $400/kWh up to $5,000. Pacific Power: $240/kWh up to $3,000. Minimum 3 kWh, paired with qualifying solar. |
| Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate (ODOE) | Closed | Up to $5,000 for solar and $2,500 for storage when funded. Low- and moderate-income homeowners get a larger share. |
| Net metering | Active | Systems up to 25 kW; 1:1 kWh credits; leftover credit donated at year end. |
| Property tax exemption | Active | Value added by the system is exempt (ORS 307.175). |
| Community solar | Active | Bill credit with nothing on your roof; reported 5–10% typical, 20–40% income-qualified. |
| Federal 25D credit | Ended | Systems installed after December 31, 2025 get nothing. |
Energy Trust of Oregon
Energy Trust is the independent nonprofit that distributes the money PGE and Pacific Power customers pay into a public-purpose charge. It is the largest open source of cash. Three rules catch people out:
- • You must use an Energy Trust solar trade ally contractor. An installer outside the network can be cheaper and still cost you the incentive.
- • It covers customer-owned systems only. Energy Trust states that third-party owned systems are not eligible, which rules out leases and PPAs.
- • Amounts move. Energy Trust announced $2,500 for both utilities in September 2025; its page now lists $3,500 for PGE. Installer sites quote a mix of old and new figures, so check energytrust.org on the day you sign.
Solar Within Reach is the income-qualified version, with limits set by county and household size. For example, the published limit for a household of four in Multnomah County is $192,450, which is higher than many people expect.
The state rebate: closed, but worth tracking
The Oregon Department of Energy's rebate was out of funding from mid-2024 until a one-time reopening on June 15, 2026, funded by $1.1 million of administrative savings and cancelled projects. It sold out. If another round appears, three rules decide whether you get paid: you must reserve before construction or installation starts, use an ODOE-approved contractor, and the rebate is calculated after deducting any utility or Energy Trust incentive. The practical advice is to ask your installer to put you on ODOE's notification list, and not to count on it in your budget.
PGE, Pacific Power and net metering
PGE (Schedule 203). Residential systems up to 25 kW are net metered. Whenever you export more than you use in a billing month, the surplus becomes kWh credits that offset future bills one-for-one, which is the retail kWh rate and not a reduced export rate. The annual cycle closes with the March billing period. Credits left at that point are set to zero and transferred to PGE's low-income assistance program, valued at the Schedule 201 avoided-cost rate. That avoided-cost figure only values the donation, and it is why some installer sites claim PGE pays only avoided cost for exports. It applies only to year-end surplus, so oversizing wastes money, while ordinary exports are credited at full value. On time-of-use plans, generation is credited first to the period it was produced in, then to your highest-rate periods.
Pacific Power. It follows the same state rules (25 kW residential limit, credits carried for up to 12 months, leftover credit going to low-income assistance). Check its tariff for the exact cycle dates.
What could change. Net metering is the incentive most likely to move. In 2024 PGE floated a time-varying structure that would pay less to customers without batteries, then did not file it. We found no pending proposal, but ask whether the terms you sign up under are protected if the rules change. Interconnection also costs money: PGE's tariff lists review fees such as $50 plus $1 per kW for a Level 2 review, so do not assume the application is free.
Community solar, property tax and the rest
Community solar suits renters, shaded roofs and anyone who does not want to own equipment. PGE, Pacific Power and Idaho Power customers can subscribe to a shared project and receive a bill credit. It does not shorten the payback of a rooftop system; it is an alternative to one. Read the subscription for fees, minimum terms and what happens if you move.
Property tax: ORS 307.175 exempts the value that qualifying alternative energy systems add to your property, so installing solar should not raise your assessed value for tax. Confirm with your county assessor, particularly for batteries.
Before and after: a typical Oregon system
An 8 kW system in Oregon costs about $20,800–$27,200 installed. We use the midpoint, $24,000, and first-year savings of about $1,071 (roughly 9,280 kWh at $0.14/kWh).
| Scenario | Incentive | Net cost | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| No incentivesBaseline, and what the calculator shows | — | $24,000 | 22.4 years |
| PGE, standardEnergy Trust Solar for Homes | −$3,500 | $20,500 | 19.1 years |
| Pacific Power, standardEnergy Trust Solar for Homes | −$2,500 | $21,500 | 20.1 years |
| PGE, income-qualifiedEnergy Trust Solar Within Reach | −$7,500 | $16,500 | 15.4 years |
| Pacific Power, income-qualifiedEnergy Trust Solar Within Reach | −$4,750 | $19,250 | 18.0 years |
Payback is net cost divided by first-year savings, with no financing, escalation or maintenance. Our savings model deliberately values exported power at 45% of the retail rate, which understates Oregon's net metering, so real payback should come out somewhat shorter. If the state rebate reopened it would add roughly $1,600 for a standard homeowner on top of the Energy Trust figure. Even in the best case here, solar in Oregon is a long payback story. Cloudy winters and moderate electricity prices mean incentives shorten it by a few years rather than transforming it.
Timing and paperwork checklist
- 1. Check eligibility first. Confirm your electricity provider (PGE or Pacific Power) and, for Solar Within Reach, your county income limit.
- 2. Choose a trade ally. Ask for the contractor's Energy Trust trade ally status in writing.
- 3. Apply before you build. Energy Trust and ODOE both expect the application or reservation to come before installation starts. Your contractor normally files it; ask to see the confirmation.
- 4. Get the incentive amount in the contract. The contract should say which incentive is assumed and who bears the shortfall if the rate changes.
- 5. Apply for interconnection. Net metering starts after your utility approves it, not when the panels are on the roof.
- 6. Keep records. Save the incentive confirmation, final invoice and permit sign-off for the assessor and any future sale.
Check a quote against a benchmark
The What Solar Costs calculator is free and does not require your email to see a result. It estimates system size, installed cost, savings and payback as a low-to-high range from your bill and state. It does not subtract Oregon incentives, so subtract the Energy Trust figure that applies to you from its range. Its estimate is a benchmark to hold a quote against: an Oregon quote well above the range deserves questions about equipment, roof work or margin. If you want real prices, you can optionally ask us to pass your details to vetted local installers once you have your estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a federal solar tax credit in Oregon in 2026?
No. The 30% federal residential credit (Section 25D) ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Oregon also has no state income tax credit for residential solar, so for a purchased system the incentives below are the whole list.
What is the Energy Trust of Oregon solar incentive in 2026?
Energy Trust lists $3,500 per home for PGE customers and $2,500 per home for Pacific Power customers (minimum 2 kW), with batteries paid separately. Income-qualified Solar Within Reach pays $1.25 per watt up to $7,500 for PGE and $0.75 per watt up to $4,750 for Pacific Power. Amounts are subject to funding and have changed since they were first announced in September 2025.
Is the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate open?
Not right now. The Oregon Department of Energy reopened it on June 15, 2026 with $1.1 million, and that money was fully reserved. It pays up to $5,000 for solar and $2,500 for storage when funded. You must reserve before construction starts, so a closed program cannot be claimed retroactively.
Does Oregon still have net metering?
Yes. PGE's Schedule 203 net meters residential systems up to 25 kW: monthly surplus becomes kWh credits that offset later bills one-for-one, and credits left after the March billing period are donated to low-income assistance at the avoided-cost rate rather than paid to you. Pacific Power follows the same state rules. Some sites misreport that avoided-cost valuation as PGE's export rate; it applies only to year-end leftovers.
Can I stack Energy Trust and the state rebate?
Yes, in principle. The state rebate is calculated after the utility or Energy Trust incentive is deducted from system cost, which lowers the state amount (for a standard homeowner, $0.20 per watt capped at $5,000 when a utility incentive is also taken). Because the state program is closed, plan on Energy Trust alone.
Does solar raise my Oregon property taxes?
Generally not. ORS 307.175 exempts the value an alternative energy system adds to a property from property tax. Ask your county assessor how they apply it to your system.
Can renters or shaded homes get solar savings in Oregon?
Through the Oregon Community Solar Program, customers of PGE, Pacific Power and Idaho Power can subscribe to a shared project and receive a bill credit with nothing installed on their roof. Typical discounts are reported at 5–10% of annual electricity cost, and 20–40% for low- and moderate-income subscribers. Check each subscription for fees and exit terms.
Verify before you rely on any of this
Figures were read from these sources on October 5, 2026. Funding-capped programs can change without notice. This is not tax advice.