Utah Solar: Strong Sun, Cheap Power, Exports Worth a Third

Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Schedule 137 reread October 14, 2026. Updated October 19, 2026.

A typical Utah home system is 7.89 kW and costs about $23,749 in cash at $3.01 per watt. The sun is strong, but power is cheap: 13.26¢ on average, and Rocky Mountain Power credits the power you send out at 4.033¢ to 4.855¢. At Rocky Mountain Power that means a simple payback before incentives of about 26.5 years, or 22.9 to 30.2 years depending on how much of the power your home uses as it is made.

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Strong sun, cheap power: why Utah paybacks run 22.9 to 30.2 years

Utah panels make about 1,524 kWh per kW a year. Each of those kWh is worth one of two prices, and the share your home uses as it is made decides the payback more than anything else.

Power your home uses as it is made about 12.1¢

  1. Your home uses it the moment the panels make it.
  2. It never reaches the meter, so you do not buy it.
  3. 100 kWh used this way saves about $12.09 at Rocky Mountain Power’s price, with its fixed charge taken out.

Power sent to Rocky Mountain Power 4.033¢ to 4.855¢

  1. Only power beyond what your home uses at that instant counts as sent out.
  2. It earns a bill credit: 100 kWh earns about $4.86 in July, $4.03 in January.
  3. That is about a third of what the same power saves at home.
Typical 7.89 kW system, $23,749 cash, Rocky Mountain Power Schedule 137, simple payback before incentives
Share used at home as it is madeSent to the gridYearly savingSimple payback
40%, our central case60%$89726.5 years
55%, someone home during the day45%$1,03622.9 years
28%, little daytime use72%$78630.2 years

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

At 55% home use the system pays back in 22.9 years, inside the 25 years panels usually last; at 40% or less it does not. Using more of your solar at home shortens it, and so does a lower quote. Exporting more does not.

How we calculated this
  • Output: 7.89 kW × 1,524 kWh per kW = 12,024 kWh a year.
  • Home-use price: Rocky Mountain Power’s EIA 12-month price of 13.681¢ (12 months to August 2026), less its $12.16 monthly fixed charge, is 12.086¢ a kWh.
  • 40% case: 4,810 kWh used at home × 12.086¢, plus 7,214 kWh sent out × 4.380¢, is $897 a year. At 55% home use it is $1,036; at 28%, $786.
  • 4.380¢ is the Schedule 137 credit weighted by when panels produce: 4.855¢ June to September and 4.033¢ October to May (NREL PVWatts, Salt Lake City). With every export at 4.033¢, the payback is 27.2 years.
  • These figures count no upkeep and no rise in power prices.
  • Payback: $23,749 ÷ $897 = 26.5 years, simple payback before incentives. No financing or panel aging.
  • The home-use share is modeled: 40% is the central case, and 28% to 55% is the span of measured studies, not a Utah measurement. Source: EcoGen per-utility payback figures, October 30, 2026.
  • We did not model Provo, St. George or the co-ops.

Run your own Utah numbers

Schedule 137: Rocky Mountain Power’s two export prices and the March expiry

New Rocky Mountain Power solar homes go on Schedule 137, which the utility calls net billing. You pay the normal price for power you take from the grid, and earn a separate, lower credit for power you send to it.

4.855¢June to September

Per kWh sent out, as a credit on your bill.

4.033¢October to May

Eight billing months a year, including the bills from October.

MarchCredits expire

Unused credits carry from bill to bill, then expire at your March meter reading. Nothing is paid out.

25 kWSize limit

The largest home system the schedule takes. The basic interconnection review costs $60.

These rates took effect March 1, 2026 (Utah Public Service Commission Docket 26-035-T03), and the Commission can reset them. Credits pay the power and energy charges on your bill. You still pay the minimum monthly bill. Under Utah law, the value of expired credits goes to low-income bill help or another use the Commission sets.

Buying a Utah home that already has panels?

Older systems can be on better terms, so ask the seller which schedule the home is on. Schedule 135 is the old net metering, where each extra kWh cancels a kWh you use later at the full price. It closed to new applications on November 15, 2017 and ends on December 31, 2035. Schedule 136 pays 9.2¢ for exports. It closed on October 31, 2020 and ends on December 31, 2032. Neither is open to a new system.

Rocky Mountain Power, Provo Power, St. George or a co-op: who credits Utah solar?

The name at the top of your electric bill decides the rule. Rocky Mountain Power serves about 3 in 4 Utah homes. City utilities and co-ops write their own terms.

Rocky Mountain Power

4.033¢ to 4.855¢ per kWh

Schedule 137, by season. Credits expire at the March meter reading. $60 for the basic interconnection review.

Next: ask for savings priced at both seasonal credits, not your full rate.

Provo City Power

6.742¢ per kWh sent out

From the September 1, 2026 billing period. Credit left after the billing cycle that includes February 28 is given up, and credits cannot pay the $18 monthly customer charge.

Next: get a net metering license from Provo Power before you install.

St. George, Moon Lake or another utility

Its own rules

St. George banks extra kWh but charges 2.67¢ on every kWh your panels make. Moon Lake Electric credits 2.4¢ and charges solar accounts $45 a month.

Next: get the credit, any solar charge and the fees in writing.

Export terms for a new home system at four Utah utilities
Utility
What extra power earns
Extra cost for solar homes
When leftover credit ends
Rocky Mountain Power
4.855¢ June to September, 4.033¢ October to May
$60 review
March meter reading
Provo Power
6.742¢
Credits cannot pay the $18 monthly charge
Billing cycle that includes February 28
St. George Energy Services
kWh banked; a December balance can be sold back at 3.622¢
2.67¢ on every kWh made; $245 review; $424 meter
December; 5,000 kWh or more is bought back automatically
Moon Lake Electric
2.4¢ for extra power each month
$45 a month service charge
Ask Moon Lake

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Murray, Dixie Power and the other Utah utilities

Murray City Power runs a net metering pilot and says it is revising it; we could not confirm its current terms. Dixie Power’s solar calculator posts an export credit of 3.43¢ per kWh for 2025, moving from retail toward wholesale cost through 2026, so ask for the current figure. Credits carry month to month, and any left on March 31 go to low-income HEAT assistance; its solar questions page says it does not pay you for power you do not use. St. George does not allow net metering on rental property. For any city utility or co-op, ask for the solar rate in writing before you sign.

Utah solar prices at $3.01 per watt, and what each size makes

The September 2026 benchmark, $0.12 above the $2.89 US average and tied 35th lowest of 51. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.

Utah cash price and yearly output by size
System sizeCash priceMade each year
4 kW$12,0406,096 kWh
6 kW$18,0609,144 kWh
7.89 kW (typical)$23,74912,024 kWh
10 kW$30,10015,240 kWh
How we got these numbers
  • 7.89 kW is the median size Utah homeowners installed in 2025 (Berkeley Lab, 481 systems).
  • Output uses the Cost Index figure of 1,524 kWh per kW a year (PVWatts, Salt Lake City). Shade lowers it.
  • Size to the power you use in daylight. Rocky Mountain Power credits left at the March meter reading expire.
  • A system you own gets no federal tax credit after December 31, 2025, and no Utah credit if installed from 2024.

Full Utah price guide

Wattsmart Battery: the one cash payment left for a Utah solar home

The Utah and federal tax credits are gone for new home systems. Rocky Mountain Power’s battery program is the only payment, for customers who own their home and have solar, and it comes with conditions.

$1,000Battery under 10 kW

One-time payment per household when you enroll a new battery.

$2,000Battery over 10 kW

A Tesla Powerwall 3 is listed at 11.5 kW. At exactly 10 kW, ask which applies.

$15/kWYearly credit

From the second year, up to $100 a year. After the commitment, $50 per kW up to $250.

4 yearsCommitment

The utility can use the battery for up to two full cycles a day. Leave early and you repay part.

Example: a 5 kW battery earns $1,000 plus $75 in each of the next three years, $1,225 in all. A Powerwall 3 earns $2,300, because its yearly credit stops at $100. The one-time payment can also be capped at 70% of the battery’s equipment cost. Quotes written before June 15, 2026 may still show the old $400 per kW payment, which no longer applies.

Ways to pay for solar in Utah
Way to payWho owns the panelsWhat to check in Utah
CashYouNo Utah or federal credit comes off the price
LoanYouFinanced total next to the cash price; any dealer fee
Lease or lease to ownThe company, until any transferWhen ownership moves to you, and who receives the Wattsmart payment
PPAThe companyPrice per kWh against your own rate; transfer or buyout if you sell

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Utah tax credits that ended
  • Utah Renewable Energy Systems Tax Credit: $0 for home solar installed on or after January 1, 2024. The last amount, for 2023 systems, was up to $400. Home batteries are not eligible either, the state energy office says.
  • Federal homeowner credit: not available for a system placed in service after December 31, 2025. A quote that takes either credit off needs redoing.
Renters, HOA homes and plug-in solar in Utah
  • Subscriber Solar: Rocky Mountain Power customers can buy power from a Utah solar farm in 200 kWh blocks, at 7.725¢ fixed plus a 4.3275¢ delivery charge that can change. It is a fixed price, not a discount, and homes with their own solar cannot join.
  • Plug-in solar: since May 7, 2025, state law lets you plug a certified device of up to 1,200 watts into an outlet with no utility approval. It earns no export credit.
  • Homeowner associations: adding a solar ban to the declaration needs a vote of at least 67% of owners. Size and placement rules apply only if they cut output by 5% or less and raise the install cost by 5% or less. An existing ban can still stand.

Utah incentives guideWhat $0-down solar means in Utah

Utah homes that should size small, and those that should wait

  • Daytime usePower used while the sun is up saves about 13.26¢. Sent out, it earns 4.855¢ or less.
  • A year of useCredits left at the March meter reading expire. Compare the quote’s kWh with your last 12 months.
  • Shade and roofTrees and nearby hills cut output. Replace an old roof first, or get the remove-and-reinstall cost in writing.
  • Time in the homeWith a payback of about 26.5 years at Rocky Mountain Power (22.9 to 30.2 by home use), compare your planned stay with your quote’s payback.

Is solar worth it for your Utah home?

Three installers serving Utah from Centerville, Salt Lake City and Idaho

A to Z, not ranked. Facts from their own sites, read October 13 and 14, 2026. None prints a Utah license number on its site. Utah’s license registry (DOPL) showed all three Active on October 16, 2026; check the number on your contract before you sign.

Big Dog Solar

Office
No Utah office; hubs in Idaho, Montana and Colorado (headquarters Chubbuck, ID)
Utah license
Registry shows 8607460-5501 Active to 11/30/2027 (Utah DOPL, October 16, 2026)
Warranty
10-year workmanship and 10-year roof penetrations, on a purchase
More facts
Utah area
Its locations page says it focuses mainly on Idaho, Utah, Colorado and Montana; no Utah town list
Ways to pay
Purchase; lease to own, listed for Utah
Big Dog Solar profile

Creative Energies

Office
Salt Lake City, UT (also Lander and Laramie, WY)
Utah license
Registry shows 7986458-5501 Active to 11/30/2027 (Utah DOPL, October 16, 2026)
Warranty
No company warranty terms published
More facts
Founded
2001 (company says)
Ways to pay
Purchase or a solar loan; lender not named
Creative Energies profile

Intermountain Wind & Solar

Office
Centerville, UT (headquarters)
Utah license
Registry shows 7426030-5501 Active to 11/30/2027 (Utah DOPL, October 16, 2026)
Warranty
No workmanship term published; it cites a 10-year Tesla Powerwall warranty
More facts
Utah area
Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and eastern Oregon, from its Centerville office
Ways to pay
Purchase, financing (lender not named) or a prepaid lease where a partner owns the system for about five to six years
Intermountain Wind & Solar profile

Big Dog Solar and Creative Energies do not buy homeowner leads from EcoGen America. How we make money.

More on Utah solar companies

What a Utah quote should show: both export prices and your daytime share

  • Both Schedule 137 creditsSavings priced at 4.855¢ for June to September and 4.033¢ for October to May, not at the full price of power.
  • Your home-use shareThe share of output the design expects your home to use as it is made, in writing.
  • Sized to a year of useYear-one kWh next to your last 12 months of use, since credits expire at the March meter reading.
  • No old creditsNo Utah or federal tax credit taken off a system you own.
  • Battery on its own lineIts price and kW rating, which decides a $1,000 or $2,000 Wattsmart payment.
  • A license you can checkThe contractor’s Utah license number, which you can look up in the state’s license search.

Have a Utah quote in hand?

Ask each installer to price your exports at Schedule 137’s two credits and to write down the home-use share behind its savings.

Free, no obligation. See your roof and savings first.

EcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges. You never pay us. Privacy policy

Utah Solar FAQs

Does Utah still have net metering?

Not for new Rocky Mountain Power customers. The old net metering closed to new applications on November 15, 2017. New systems go on Schedule 137, net billing: you pay the normal price for grid power and earn 4.855¢ or 4.033¢ for power you send out. Some city utilities and co-ops have their own programs.

Is there a Utah solar tax credit in 2026?

Not for new home solar. The Utah credit is $0 for systems installed on or after January 1, 2024, and home batteries are not eligible either. The federal homeowner credit does not apply to systems placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Do Rocky Mountain Power solar credits expire?

Yes. Credits carry from bill to bill and expire at your March meter reading each year, with nothing paid out. With Provo Power, credit left after the billing cycle that includes February 28 is given up.

What size solar system should I get in Utah?

Size it to the power your home uses while the sun is up, not to the roof. Extra kWh earn as little as 4.033¢, and credits left at your March meter reading expire. Compare the quote’s year-one kWh with your last 12 months of use before going larger.

Can an HOA ban solar panels in Utah?

It can, but only through its declaration or its rules. Adding a new ban to the declaration needs a vote of at least 67% of owners. Size and placement rules apply only if they cut output by 5% or less and raise the install cost by 5% or less.

The Rocky Mountain Power tariffs and Utah records behind this guide

Sources (22 documents, each with the date we read it)
  1. EcoGen Solar Cost Index, September 2026: Utah$3.01 per watt, 7.89 kW median size (Berkeley Lab 2025, 481 systems), 1,524 kWh per kW, 13.26¢ statewide average (EIA). Solar only.
  2. Rocky Mountain Power: Schedule 137, Net Billing Service4.855¢ and 4.033¢ export credits effective March 1, 2026, $60 Level 1 review, March expiry. Read October 14, 2026.
  3. Rocky Mountain Power: Schedule 135, Net Metering ServiceClosed November 15, 2017; ends December 31, 2035. Read September 29, 2026.
  4. Rocky Mountain Power: Schedule 136, Transition Program9.2¢ credit; closed October 31, 2020; ends December 31, 2032. Read September 29, 2026.
  5. Rocky Mountain Power: Customer generationWhich schedule an existing system is on. Read September 29, 2026.
  6. Rocky Mountain Power: Wattsmart Battery program change notice, May 1, 2026$1,000 and $2,000 caps from June 15, 2026, yearly credits and the 70% cost cap. Read October 14, 2026.
  7. Rocky Mountain Power: Wattsmart Battery programTwo cycles a day, Powerwall 3 at 11.5 kW. Read September 29, 2026.
  8. Rocky Mountain Power: Schedule 73, Subscriber Solar200 kWh blocks, 7.725¢ and 4.3275¢. Read September 29, 2026.
  9. Provo City Energy Department: Net Metering Schedule No. 1.16.742¢ from the September 1, 2026 billing period, February 28 forfeit, $18 customer charge. Read September 30, 2026.
  10. City of St. George Energy Services: Net metering informationDecember credit, Solar Reliability Charge, fees (FY2027 fee schedule). Read September 29 and 30, 2026.
  11. Moon Lake Electric Association: Schedule NM-12.4¢ credit and $45 service charge. Read September 30, 2026.
  12. Murray City Power: net metering pilot scheduleBeing revised; current terms not confirmed. Read September 29, 2026.
  13. Dixie Power: Solar ProgramDoes not pay for power you do not use. Read November 2, 2026.
  14. Dixie Power: Rooftop solar calculator3.43¢ export credit for 2025, monthly banking, unused credits to HEAT on March 31. Read November 2, 2026.
  15. Utah Office of Energy Development: Renewable Energy Systems Tax Credit$0 for home solar installed from 2024; $400 in 2023; batteries not eligible. Read October 1, 2026.
  16. IRS: Residential Clean Energy CreditNo credit for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Read September 30, 2026.
  17. Utah Code 57-8a-701: solar in community associations67% vote and the 5% limits. Read September 29, 2026.
  18. Utah Code 54-15-601: portable solar devicesUp to 1,200 watts, from May 7, 2025. Read September 29, 2026.
  19. Utah Code 54-15-104: net metering creditsWhere the value of expired credits goes. Read September 29, 2026.
  20. U.S. EIA: Form EIA-861, 2024 dataRocky Mountain Power serves 74.5% of Utah homes. Read September 30, 2026.
  21. U.S. EIA: average residential price by state13.26¢, 12 months September 2025 to August 2026.
  22. EcoGen per-utility payback figures, October 30, 2026Rocky Mountain Power Schedule 137: 26.5 years at 40% home use, 22.9 to 30.2 at 55% to 28%. EIA 12-month price of 13.681¢ (12 months to August 2026) less the $12.16 monthly fixed charge. Simple payback before incentives, no upkeep.
  23. Berkeley Lab: solar self-consumption research (2022)Informs the 40% home-use planning default. It is not a measured Utah average.
Dean Mahmoud
Written by

Dean Mahmoud

CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.

About Dean
Trevor Guilday
Checked by

Trevor Guilday

Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.

About Trevor

Editorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology