Federal solar credit ended Dec 31, 2025
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Solar costs · Oregon

Solar Panel Cost in Oregon

Fact-checked by Sorted & Saved data desk
Updated Data verified Nov 5, 2026

A typical Oregon home uses 882 kWh a month[1] of electricity. Covering that with solar takes a system of about 9.4 kW est.[1,2], which costs roughly $27,000 to $37,000 est.[1,2,3] before incentives at the state's median installed price. With Oregon's average residential price of 15.46¢ per kWh[4], our model puts payback at about 17 years est.[1,2,3,4,5]. Your quote, roof and utility plan will move these numbers, so treat them as a starting point.

On this page [ 7 ]

Oregon solar at a glance

Average electricity price15.46¢/kWh[4]Jan–Aug 2026 average (preliminary)
Average home use882 kWh/mo[1]2024 average
Solar output per kW1,121 kWh/yr[2]PVWatts estimate for Portland
Median installed price$3.40/W[3]Estimate, before incentives
Typical system9.4 kWSized to cover 100% of use
Typical price$32,000Estimate, before incentives
Year-1 savings$1,630Estimate
Payback17 yearsEstimate, cash purchase

Estimates use the inputs above and the assumptions in our methodology: Oregon net metering: exports credited at the retail rate (statewide rule; your utility's tariff may differ). Prices rise 2.5% a year; panels lose 0.5% a year.

Solar cost in Oregon by system size

Same assumptions as the typical home above; only the system size changes. Prices are the state median before incentives and include the incentives our calculator applies by default in Oregon.

SystemPrice before incentives[3]After incentiveskWh in year 1[2]Year-1 savings[4][5]Payback (years)
4 kW$13,600$13,6004,480$69017
6 kW$20,400$20,4006,730$1,04017
8 kW$27,200$27,2008,970$1,39017
10 kW$34,000$34,00011,210$1,64017
12 kW$40,800$40,80013,450$1,64020

Incentives that lower the price in Oregon

Federal · tax creditEnding soon

Business credit for leased and PPA systems (48E)

Claimed by the system owner, not the homeowner; solar must begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be in service by December 31, 2027[6]

If a company owns the panels on your roof (a lease or power purchase agreement), that company may claim the business clean electricity investment credit and can reflect it in your price. You cannot claim it yourself.

Who
Third-party-owned systems (leases and PPAs). Ask the provider whether the price assumes this credit.
Deadline
December 31, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026

All Oregon incentives, including utility and local programs →

How Oregon utilities credit your solar

ORS 757.300 requires utilities to offer net metering and to credit customer-generators for excess kilowatt-hours generated in a billing period; the statutory size limit is 25 kW, though the PUC may set a higher limit for public utility customers.[5]

We have not added every Oregon utility yet, so the estimates on this page use the state-level rule: Oregon net metering: exports credited at the retail rate (statewide rule; your utility's tariff may differ).

Full Oregon net metering and export-credit rules →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much do solar panels cost in Oregon?

At the state median installed price of $3.40 per watt est.[3], a 9.4 kW est.[1,2] system that covers a typical home's use costs about $32,000 est.[1,2,3] before incentives. Quotes vary with roof, equipment and installer.

How long does solar take to pay for itself in Oregon?

For a cash purchase at the state's average electricity price of 15.46¢ per kWh[4], our model estimates about 17 years est.[1,2,3,4,5]. Your utility's export credit and rate plan matter a lot; see the export-credit table above.

Is there still a federal solar tax credit?

Not for homeowners who buy. The Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D)[7] does not apply to systems whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025. Leased and PPA systems are different: the company that owns the system may still claim a business credit.

sources

[ 7 ]

Every number on this page links to one of these sources. Dates show when we last checked each one.

  1. EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price 2024, Table 5A: Residential average monthly bill by stateeia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  2. NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)pvwatts.nlr.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  3. U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update (Barbose, Darghouth, O'Shaughnessy, Forrester), Berkeley Labeta-publications.lbl.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  4. EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B: Average price of electricity by state, year-to-date (August 2026, preliminary)eia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  5. ORS Chapter 757 (757.300 Net metering facilities) - Oregon Legislatureoregonlegislature.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  6. Public Law 119-21 - Sec. 70513(a) and (g)(5) (48E); Sec. 70512(a) and (l)(4) (45Y)govinfo.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  7. IRS FS-2025-05: FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, and 179D under Public Law 119-21 (OBBB)irs.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026

State data last re-checked November 5, 2026.

Change log

  1. Monthly output per kW in Portland updated to [36.7, 51.6, 88.4, 106.7, 133.2, 131.1, 160.3, 136.0, 118.1, 76.6, 45.8, 36.1] kWh/kW/month (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).
  2. Average solar radiation on the panels in Portland updated to 4.06 kWh/m2/day (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).
  3. Solar output per kW in Oregon (PVWatts, Portland) updated to 1120.7 kWh/kW/yr (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).
  4. Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program: now "Homeowners: $0.50/W DC (or $0.20/W if also getting a utility incentive), up to 40% of net cost or $5,000; low/moderate income: $1.80/W up to 60% of net cost or $5,000; storage $300/kWh up to $2,500. Currently fully reserved." (closed).