Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Energy Trust amounts in effect since October 1, 2026. Updated October 14, 2026.
A typical Oregon home system is 8.00 kW and costs about $22,160 in cash at $2.77 per watt. With PGE, Energy Trust of Oregon takes $3,500 off when an approved contractor installs it, and our worked case pays back in about 15.9 years. Without that incentive the same system takes 18.9 years.
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The name at the top of your electric bill decides two things in Oregon: whether Energy Trust money comes off your price, and what each kWh you send to the grid earns.
Energy Trust incentive for systems of 2 kW or more, raised from $2,500 on August 4, 2026. Each extra kWh earns one kWh of credit. PGE serves most of the Portland area, Salem and the northern Willamette Valley.
Next: ask for the $3,500 as its own line on the bid.
Energy Trust incentive for systems of 2 kW or more. The same one-for-one kWh credits as PGE. Pacific Power serves parts of Portland and cities such as Medford, Bend and Corvallis.
Next: ask for the $2,500 as its own line on the bid.
No Energy Trust money. EWEB pays $0.40 per watt of AC output while its 2026 budget lasts, and credits power beyond each month’s use at 3.99¢ per kWh.
Next: get EWEB’s approval before the install.
| Utility | Upfront money | Credit for extra power | Leftover credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGE | $3,500 | 1 kWh per kWh | Given away after the March bill |
| Pacific Power | $2,500 | 1 kWh per kWh | Given away after the March bill |
| EWEB | Up to $2,500 | 3.99¢ | Dollar credit carries to the next bill |
| Central Electric Cooperative | No Energy Trust money | 4.68¢ | Ask the co-op |
| Idaho Power (Oregon homes) | No Energy Trust money | 2.9019¢, October to May | Ask Idaho Power |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
State law (ORS 757.300) makes these utilities offer net metering, but each sets its own terms, and the credit is often far below the price you pay for power. The EWEB, Central Electric Cooperative and Idaho Power credits apply to power beyond your use in the billing period, not to solar power your home uses.
Some pay a small upfront amount instead of Energy Trust: Salem Electric pays $300 per kW, up to $1,500, while funds last, and Umatilla Electric Cooperative up to $1,500, both with approval before the install. Central Lincoln PUD pays $500 per kW, up to $2,000, first come, first served. EWEB’s 2026 budget is $125,000, and EWEB said 81% of it was allocated as of September 11, 2026.
Energy Trust is a nonprofit that runs incentives for PGE and Pacific Power customers. It does not send you a check. It pays an approved solar contractor, called a trade ally, who takes the amount off your invoice.
Flat per home since August 4, 2026. Pacific Power: $2,500.
Up to $5,000. Pacific Power: $240 per kWh up to $3,000 since October 1, 2026. The battery must be connected to solar.
$1.25 per watt for homes under an income limit, in place of the flat amount. Pacific Power: $0.75 per watt up to $4,750.
A battery needs at least 3 kWh. Amounts change in steps through the year and depend on funding.
On the typical 8 kW system, Solar Within Reach is $7,500 with PGE (8,000 watts × $1.25 is $10,000, capped) and $4,750 with Pacific Power (8,000 × $0.75 is $6,000, capped). For a household of four the income limit is $192,450 in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties and $125,400 in Coos County.
Find a trade ally on Energy Trust’s siteOregon incentives guide
Both cases are the typical 8.00 kW system on PGE, where each kWh you send out earns a full kWh of credit. The only difference is the $3,500 incentive.
| Case | Price you pay | Year-one savings | After upkeep | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PGE, trade ally, $3,500 Energy Trust incentive | $18,660 | $1,411 | $1,171 | 15.9 years |
| PGE, no Energy Trust incentive | $22,160 | $1,411 | $1,171 | 18.9 years |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
We did not model a Pacific Power case, so we show no payback for it. Its typical price after the $2,500 incentive is $19,660.
Oregon’s net metering rules (OAR 860-039) give one kWh of credit for each kWh you send out, so summer power can pay winter bills. The yearly count ends with the March billing period.
Each kWh sent out cancels one you use later, at your full price.
Home systems up to 25 kW qualify for net metering with PGE and Pacific Power.
The net metering year ends with the March billing period.
Size the system to your last 12 months of use, not above it.
At the September 2026 benchmark of $2.77 per watt. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected. Energy Trust pays a flat amount per home, so a bigger system gets the same incentive.
| System size | Yearly output | Cash price | After PGE’s $3,500 | After Pacific Power’s $2,500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | 5,689 kWh | $13,850 | $10,350 | $11,350 |
| 8 kW (typical) | 9,103 kWh | $22,160 | $18,660 | $19,660 |
| 10 kW | 11,379 kWh | $27,700 | $24,200 | $25,200 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Outside Energy Trust and your utility, Oregon has no open rebate or tax credit for home solar in October 2026. Two tax rules still help.
Up to $5,000 for solar and $2,500 for storage. It reopened June 15, 2026, and the $1.1 million was fully reserved. No applications now.
ORS 307.175, for property tax years that begin on or before July 1, 2029.
Oregon has no general sales tax, so there is nothing to claim.
Oregon’s residential energy tax credit ended in 2017. No federal credit for systems you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.
| Way to pay | Who owns the panels | Check before you sign |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | You | The Energy Trust amount taken off the invoice |
| Loan | You | Rate, fees and term. Energy Trust warns about high-rate, high-fee solar loans; some trade allies offer its Smart-E Loans |
| Lease | The company | Term, yearly increase, buyout, and who receives the Energy Trust incentive |
| PPA | The company | Price per kWh: Energy Trust notes it may or may not beat your current rate |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Besides Solar Within Reach, the Portland Solar Access Program offers solar at no cost to homeowners inside Portland city limits with an income at or below 80% of area median income ($102,650 for a household of four). Funding covers about 1,000 households, and the program runs through 2029.
Oregon Solar for All is not open: the federal government moved to cancel its funding on August 7, 2025. Renters and homes without a usable roof can join the Oregon Community Solar Program for a credit on a PGE, Pacific Power or Idaho Power bill.
Oregon incentives by utilityWhat $0-down solar means in Oregon
A to Z, not ranked. Facts from their own sites and Oregon’s license records, read October 13, 2026. We did not confirm Energy Trust trade ally status for either one, so check it in Energy Trust’s directory.
Neither company buys homeowner leads from EcoGen America. How we make money. Purelight Power, a Medford installer, shut down in December 2025 (OPB); if you own a Purelight system, check the panel and inverter makers’ own warranties.
Ask each contractor to show your utility’s Energy Trust amount as its own line.
Check solar for your Oregon homeEcoGen 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, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us. This is not an application to Energy Trust of Oregon. Privacy policy
CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.
About Dean
Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.
About TrevorEditorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology