Wisconsin solar incentives come down to one rebate and one question. The rebate is from Focus on Energy, the statewide program of Wisconsin’s utilities: up to $2,400 for a home system switched on by December 31, 2026. The question is which utility sends your electric bill. Each one pays its own price for the solar power you send to the grid, from the full price of power at Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) down to 3.584 cents per kWh at Wisconsin Public Service (WPS).
Recently changed: some guides, and an older version of this page, say the 2026 rebate closed in the summer. It did not. We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service reset their price for extra solar power every January 1.
Focus on Energy, bill credits and two tax exemptions: Wisconsin solar help in 2026
Incentive | What you get | How it reaches you | Deadline or limit |
|---|---|---|---|
$600 per kW of panels, up to $2,400 | A check, about 8 to 10 weeks after you apply | Switched on by December 31, 2026. Apply within 60 days. | |
From 3.584 cents per kWh to 18.433 cents per kWh, by utility | A credit on your electric bill | Set by each utility. Size limits apply. | |
No sales tax on panels, mounting hardware and inverters (the boxes that turn solar power into home power) | Your installer buys the equipment tax-free | Nothing to file. The exemption does not cover batteries. | |
Solar does not raise your property tax | Your assessor leaves the system out of your taxed value | Form PR-303 to your assessor by March 1 |
The federal tax credit is $0 for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Wisconsin has no state tax credit for home solar.
We Energies, Alliant, WPS, Xcel or MGE: whose name is on your bill?
The rebate is the same at all five. What your extra solar power earns is not. Open your utility.
We EnergiesMilwaukee and much of southeast Wisconsin.Rebate up to $2,400. Extra power: 3.636 cents per kWh
What you can get with We Energies
- Focus on Energy rebateup to $2,400
$600 per kW of panels you own. We Energies takes part.
- Extra power left at the end of the month3.636 cents per kWh
Example: 100 extra kWh earn $3.64. We Energies sets a new price every January 1.
Your bill credits
We Energies counts in whole billing months. Your solar power first covers what you use that month, kWh for kWh. Only the leftover is paid, at 3.636 cents per kWh. That is close to the wholesale price: what utilities pay for power in bulk.
This rate is for systems under 300 kW. A check comes once your credit passes $100.
Watch out: Solar homes pay an extra charge of $0.05951 per day, about $1.81 a month. A system much bigger than your own use earns little here.
Next: rebate rules, tax exemptions, paperwork.
Alliant EnergyWisconsin Power and Light. Many towns in southern and central Wisconsin.Rebate up to $2,400. Extra power: 4.254 cents per kWh
What you can get with Alliant Energy
- Focus on Energy rebateup to $2,400
$600 per kW of panels you own. Alliant Energy takes part.
- Extra power left at the end of the month4.254 cents per kWh
Example: 100 extra kWh earn $4.25. Alliant lists this average as of January 1, 2026.
Your bill credits
For systems of 20 kW or less, your meter runs forward when you take power and backward when you send it. Each billing month, Alliant bills or credits the difference. Extra power is cashed out at an average of 4.254 cents per kWh.
Watch out: Above 20 kW, Alliant uses a different rate. The meter no longer runs backward, and all the power you send out is paid at a buyback price.
Next: rebate rules, tax exemptions, paperwork.
Wisconsin Public Service (WPS)Green Bay and northeast Wisconsin.Rebate up to $2,400. Extra power: 3.584 cents per kWh
What you can get with Wisconsin Public Service (WPS)
- Focus on Energy rebateup to $2,400
$600 per kW of panels you own. WPS takes part.
- Extra power left at the end of the month3.584 cents per kWh
Example: 100 extra kWh earn $3.58. The price changes every January 1.
Your bill credits
Your WPS meter runs backward when your panels make more than you use, so solar power offsets what you buy that month. Any extra is credited at 3.584 cents per kWh. WPS pays you once the credit is over $100. This rate is for systems of 20 kW or less.
Watch out: WPS requires a system sized to the power you expect to use. A bigger one can be moved to a different rate.
Next: rebate rules, tax exemptions, paperwork.
Xcel EnergyNorthern States Power. Eau Claire, La Crosse and western Wisconsin.Rebate up to $2,400. Extra kWh carry to the next month
What you can get with Xcel Energy
- Focus on Energy rebateup to $2,400
$600 per kW of panels you own. Xcel Energy takes part.
- Extra power left at the end of the monthSaved as kWh
Example: 100 extra kWh in June cover 100 kWh you buy in a later month.
Your bill credits
Xcel calls this net metering: your bill counts only the difference between the power you take and the power you send. Extra kWh are saved for the next month. This is for systems of 100 kW or less.
At year end, kWh still saved are paid out at wholesale energy prices: what utilities pay for power in bulk. Xcel updates those prices each year. Ask Xcel for this year’s price in writing.
Watch out: A system that makes more than you use in a full year leaves kWh over at year end. Those earn the low price.
Next: rebate rules, tax exemptions, paperwork.
Madison Gas and Electric (MGE)Madison and nearby communities.Rebate up to $2,400. Extra power: 18.433 cents per kWh
What you can get with Madison Gas and Electric (MGE)
- Focus on Energy rebateup to $2,400
$600 per kW of panels you own. MGE takes part.
- Power you send to the grid18.433 cents per kWh
Example: 100 kWh sent out earn $18.43 on the standard home rate, before any fuel cost adjustment.
- If you become a net seller5.374 cents per kWh
A net seller sent out more power than it bought over the past 12 months. Its extra power earns $5.37 for 100 kWh.
Your bill credits
MGE calls this net metering: a bill credit for the power you send to the grid, at the same per-kWh prices you pay. This is for systems of 100 kW or less.
The fixed daily charges stay. Once your credits pass $100, you can ask for a check, at most once every 12 months.
Watch out: You cannot be a net seller in your first 12 months. After that, an oversized system drops to the buyback price for its extra power.
Next: rebate rules, tax exemptions, paperwork.
Co-op or city utilityMember-owned co-ops and city-owned utilities across the state.Rebate only if your utility takes part. Credits vary.
What you can get with Co-op or city utility
- Focus on Energy rebateCheck the list
Only for homes served by a participating electric utility. Focus on Energy posts the list. If yours is not on it, there is no rebate.
- Extra powerSet by your utility
Each one has its own rules and price.
Your bill credits
Ask your utility three things before you sign: how it counts extra solar power, what it pays per kWh, and how large a system it allows. Get the rate sheet in writing.
Watch out: Do not use the MGE or We Energies numbers for your home.
Next: rebate rules, tax exemptions, paperwork.
The sections below apply to every Wisconsin home.
How does the Focus on Energy solar rebate work, and when does this round end?
The Solar for Homes rebate is $600 per kW of solar panels, up to $2,400 per home. The size that counts is the rated size of the panels, the kW number on your quote.
Example: a 3 kW system gets $1,800. The cap is reached at 4 kW. A typical Wisconsin system is 5.65 kW, which would be $3,390 without the cap, so it gets $2,400. On a typical price of $17,007, that leaves $14,607.
The rebate comes as a check, to you or to a company you name on the application. If your installer takes it off your price instead, your contract should say so.
The system must be bought and switched on between January 1 and December 31, 2026. Your application is due within 60 days of switch-on, and never later than January 31, 2027. The program page showed no terms for next year when we checked.
- You own it, and it is new. Leased, rented and used equipment does not qualify.
- Your electric utility takes part. The five large utilities do. Not every co-op or city utility does.
- The roof fits. Panels must face within 135 degrees of due south, tilt 5 to 50 degrees, and have less than 15% shading.
- The system is big enough. At least 0.5 kW. Almost every home system is.
Watch out: Rebates are limited, so complete the online reservation before the install. Also confirm the date: the online form page still showed August 31, 2026 as the last day when we checked, while the program page and the 2026 application show January 31, 2027.
Get quotes sized for your Wisconsin utility
Your ZIP code starts a quote request with installers near you. Ask each one to size the system for what your utility pays for extra power.
- Size follows your utilityA We Energies home and an MGE home should not get the same design.
- No cost, no pressureComparing quotes is free, and you never have to sign.
- Check the datesAsk for the switch-on date in writing if the quote counts on the rebate.
Why the same panels earn far less at We Energies than at MGE
Each utility has its own rate sheet, approved by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. All five let your panels offset your own use during the billing month. They differ on what is left over. Three pay close to the wholesale price, which is what utilities pay for power in bulk. Two give you the full price of power.
| Utility | What extra power earns | Example: 100 extra kWh | System size for this rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Gas and Electric | 18.433 cents per kWh. Net sellers: 5.374 cents per kWh. | $18.43 | 100 kW or less |
| Xcel Energy | Extra kWh carry to later months. Year-end leftovers earn less. | 100 kWh off a later bill | 100 kW or less |
| Alliant Energy | 4.254 cents per kWh on average | $4.25 | 20 kW or less |
| We Energies | 3.636 cents per kWh | $3.64 | Under 300 kW |
| Wisconsin Public Service | 3.584 cents per kWh | $3.58 | 20 kW or less |
MGE and Xcel call their rule net metering: a bill credit for power sent out, at the price of power you buy.
Watch out: At We Energies, Alliant and WPS, power you use at home is worth far more than power left over. Ask your installer to size the system to your own use, not above it.
Wisconsin’s two solar tax exemptions, and the one form your assessor wants
Sales tax: nothing to file
Solar panels, inverters and the hardware needed to mount them are exempt from Wisconsin sales and use tax. Your installer claims the exemption when it buys the equipment, so there is no form for you. One limit: a battery that stores solar power is not covered by this exemption.
Property tax: one form
A solar energy system is exempt from general property tax in Wisconsin. In plain words: your assessor should not raise your home’s taxed value because of the panels.
The law sets no deadline. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue still has a form: Form PR-303, the Energy System Exemption Request. It says to send it to your local assessor by March 1, with the equipment details.
Watch out: If you add a battery, ask your assessor whether it counts as part of the exempt solar system.
Milwaukee, Madison and your right to install: smaller Wisconsin programs
None of these is cash in your pocket.
- Milwaukee Shines solar loan. For City of Milwaukee residents with a project the city program approved. Summit Credit Union lends $1,000 to $25,000. It does not post the interest rate, so ask.
- MadiSUN group buy. Madison-area homes buy solar together from installers picked through competing bids. It has no rebate of its own.
- MGE Shared Solar. MGE customers, renters included, can pay for a share of a solar farm. It costs about 1 to 1.5 cents per kWh more than the normal home rate today.
- Solar rights law. A city, village, town or county may not restrict your solar system unless the rule protects health or safety, does not add much cost or cut output much, or allows a similar system.
When a Wisconsin home misses the rebate or the credits
- Your system is switched on after December 31, 2026. It falls outside this rebate round. Get the switch-on date in writing.
- You lease the system. The rebate is for equipment you buy new.
- Your co-op or city utility is not on the Focus on Energy list. Then there is no rebate.
- Your We Energies, Alliant or WPS system is bigger than your use. The extra power earns 3.584 cents per kWh to 4.254 cents per kWh, not the price you pay.
- Your quote still subtracts the federal tax credit. It is $0 for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Ask for a new quote.
From reservation to rebate check: Wisconsin solar paperwork in order
- Reserve the rebate before the install. Use the Focus on Energy online reservation form. It holds your rebate.You or your installer.
- Get utility approval to connect. Your utility must approve the system before it is switched on.Your installer files it. You sign.
- Apply for the rebate within 60 days of switch-on. Send the invoice and photos. The form asks you to confirm that you will not claim the federal credit for the same system. If you could claim it, the rebate would be limited to $300.You or your installer. Either can sign.
- Send Form PR-303 to your assessor by March 1. Attach the equipment details from your installer.You.
Compare Wisconsin quotes before the rebate year ends
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one when it can switch your system on, and which utility price it used for extra power.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- A quote request, not a rebate formThe Focus on Energy rebate has its own application.
- Your home first, your details lastName, email and phone come at the end.
- Free, and your choiceQuotes cost nothing. You decide if you go ahead.
More Wisconsin solar guides
Wisconsin solar incentive questions
Does Wisconsin Have a Solar Tax Credit?
No. Wisconsin has no state tax credit for home solar. The federal credit is $0 for systems installed after December 31, 2025.
Is the Focus on Energy Solar Rebate Still Available in 2026?
Yes, when we checked on October 1, 2026. It pays $600 per kW, up to $2,400, for systems switched on by December 31, 2026. Apply within 60 days and no later than January 31, 2027.
Does Wisconsin Have Net Metering?
Not as one state rule. Net metering means a bill credit for solar power you send to the grid. Madison Gas and Electric and Xcel Energy credit it at the price you pay for power. We Energies pays 3.636 cents per kWh, Wisconsin Public Service 3.584 cents per kWh and Alliant Energy 4.254 cents per kWh for what is left over at the end of the month.
Are Solar Panels Exempt From Sales Tax in Wisconsin?
Yes. Panels, inverters and mounting hardware are exempt from Wisconsin sales and use tax. The Department of Revenue says a battery that stores solar power is not covered.
Do Solar Panels Raise Property Taxes in Wisconsin?
No. A solar energy system is exempt from general property tax. Send Form PR-303 to your local assessor by March 1.
Are There Battery Incentives in Wisconsin?
We found none for homes at We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service or Alliant Energy when we checked. A battery also falls outside the sales tax exemption.
Sources (23)
- Focus on Energy, Solar for Homes: focusonenergy.com
- Focus on Energy, 2026 rebate application: focusonenergy.com
- Focus on Energy, online application form: focusonenergy.com
- Focus on Energy, participating utilities: focusonenergy.com
- We Energies, Rate Schedule CGS NM: we-energies.com
- We Energies, 2026 Customer Generation Rates: we-energies.com
- Wisconsin Public Service, Schedule PG-4: wisconsinpublicservice.com
- Alliant Energy, Wisconsin customer interconnection: alliantenergy.com
- MGE, Schedule Pg-2: mge.com
- MGE, Schedule Rg-1: mge.com
- MGE, electric rate book, Sheet E-2.2: mge.com
- MGE, Shared Solar: mge.com
- Xcel Energy, Wisconsin tariff options: xcelenergy.com
- Wis. Stat. 70.111(18), property tax: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Form PR-303: revenue.wi.gov
- Wis. Stat. 77.54(56), sales tax: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
- Wis. Admin. Code Tax 11.10: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
- Wis. Stat. 66.0401, solar rights: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
- Summit Credit Union, energy loans: summitcreditunion.com
- MadiSUN, Group Buy for Homes: madisunsolar.com
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue, 2025 Schedule CR: revenue.wi.gov
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit: irs.gov
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Publication 200, Electrical Contractors (sales tax on solar products and batteries): revenue.wi.gov
