Utah home solar: Order solar like you order everything else.
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- Production modeled by NREL
- Roof measured from satellite
- Price on screen, no haggling
Solar 101 for Utah homeowners
Solar 101. Everything before you buy.
Free. No email, no sales call, no catch. How solar really works in Utah, what Rocky Mountain Power and city utilities actually pay you, and why you will still get a power bill.
How solar works
Sunlight in. Lower bill out.
Panels on your roof turn sunlight into direct current. An inverter converts it into the same power your outlets already use. Your home uses solar first, and anything extra flows out to the grid.
At night, on short winter days or when you run more than the panels make, you pull from the grid like you always have. Nothing about how you use power changes. You just buy a lot less of it.
The truth nobody at your door says
Going solar does not mean no power bill.
If someone promised you a $0 bill, they were selling, not explaining. With Rocky Mountain Power you will always get a monthly bill. Here is why:
- The fixed charge never goes away. Rocky Mountain Power bills every customer a minimum monthly amount whether you export power or not. That is written into the solar tariff.
- Credits only cover energy. Export credits are applied to the power and energy charges on your bill, not to the fixed charges.
- The sun clocks out. Evenings, nights and short winter days, your home runs on grid power, and you pay for it at the normal rate.
- Exports earn less than you pay. Power you send back is credited at roughly 4 to 5 cents per kWh. Power you buy costs more than that.
- Credits expire every March. Extra credits roll forward month to month, then any left over expire at the March meter reading.
The goal of solar in Utah is a much smaller bill and protection from rising rates, not a zero bill. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling.
Rocky Mountain Power
Schedule 137: net billing, explained.
Every new rooftop solar system on Rocky Mountain Power in Utah goes on Schedule 137, Net Billing Service. It has been the program for new customers since 2021, after net metering and a short transition program closed.
Your meter keeps two separate counts: the power you buy from the grid and the power you export to it. You pay your normal rate for what you buy. What you export earns an export credit at a fixed rate set by the Public Service Commission of Utah.
The credits are worth dollars, not kWh. They come off the power and energy part of your bill, carry over month to month, and any unused credits expire at the March meter reading each year. The export rate is updated every year, most recently on March 1, 2026.
Your credits, month by month
Summer exports fill the jar. In winter, when panels make less, credits come out to cover the energy part of your bill. At the March meter reading, whatever is left disappears and the jar starts again.
Illustration of Schedule 137 carryover and March expiration. Dollar amounts are examples.
Why using your own solar matters so much
Every kWh you use the moment it is made saves you the full price of buying it. Every kWh you export only earns the export credit. Slide to see how your solar's average value changes.
Average value of each solar kWh: 0¢ at an example 11¢ retail rate and the 4.855¢ summer export credit.
Source: Rocky Mountain Power Electric Service Schedule No. 137, effective March 1, 2026, and Schedule 1 residential energy charges (Utah PSC). Rates change yearly; we always design with the current ones. Homes that went solar under the older Schedule 135 net metering or Schedule 136 transition programs keep their grandfathered terms.
Two systems, two very different deals
Net metering vs net billing.
Net metering
An even trade. Every kWh you send out cancels a kWh you buy, at the full retail price. This was Rocky Mountain Power's original program (closed to new customers) and is what some city utilities still offer.
Net billing
Not an even trade. You pay full price for power you buy, and earn a smaller export credit for power you sell back. This is Rocky Mountain Power Schedule 137 today, which is why the solar you use yourself is worth more than double the solar you export.
City-owned power
If your city runs your power, the rules change.
Dozens of Utah cities own their electric utility, including Provo, Logan, Murray, St. George, Bountiful, Lehi and Spanish Fork. They are not on Schedule 137. Each city sets its own solar rules, and they vary a lot.
- Some still net meter. St. George offers net metering: credits carry over month to month and are paid out at its renewable power rate (3.622¢ per kWh as of September 2025) at year end.
- Some buy back your extra power. Logan dropped net metering in 2018 and pays a buyback rate for exported solar, $0.0874 per kWh starting July 2026.
- Some add solar fees or system caps, and many need city approval before you install.
When you enter your address, we detect city-owned utilities and design to that city's current rules, not Rocky Mountain Power's.
Sources: City of St. George Energy Services and Logan City Light and Power published solar policies. Rules change; we confirm yours before you sign.
Hover a city
Your roof matters
Which way your roof faces changes everything.
In Utah, a south facing roof gets the most sun all year. East and west roofs still work well, they just need a few more panels to make the same power. That is why the first thing we ask is which way your roof faces.
Yearly output per kW of panels in Salt Lake City at a typical 23° pitch, modeled with PVWatts.
Timing is money
Use your solar first. Export the rest.
Solar peaks at midday. Most Utah homes use the most power in the evening. Under net billing, the gold area below is worth the full retail rate, the pale area only earns the export credit, and the blue area you still buy.
That is why we size your system to your real usage instead of covering every inch of roof, and why running the dishwasher, laundry or EV charging at midday quietly raises the value of your system.
- Solar you use directly
- Extra sent to the grid
- Bought from the grid
Paying for it
Own your power. Two ways to get there.
Pay cash
The lowest total cost. Half at signing, half when your system is turned on. Once it is paid off, every kWh it makes is power you no longer buy, for the life of the panels.
Finance it
Nothing down and no payments for 6 months. After that, a fixed monthly payment that does not climb with utility rates. You still own the system. Remember you will also keep a smaller power bill.
No rebate games
The federal homeowner solar tax credit ended for systems installed after 2025. The price you see here is the real price, not a number that only works after a refund.
After you order
From click to clean power.
Survey
A tech visits to measure your roof, check your electrical panel and confirm the design. Free.
Permit
We handle city permits and your utility's interconnection application. You sign, we file.
Install
Our crew installs panels, inverter and wiring. Most homes are done in a day.
Inspect
The city inspects the work. We are there for it so you do not have to be.
Turn on
Once your utility gives permission to operate, you flip the switch and start making power.
Straight answers
Questions people actually ask.
Still have one? Call us at (801) 427-1998. A real person answers, and nobody will pressure you.
Will I still get a power bill?
Yes. Rocky Mountain Power bills a minimum monthly amount to every customer, export credits only offset the energy portion of the bill, and you still buy power at night. A well sized system makes the bill much smaller, not zero.
What happens to my credits in March?
On Rocky Mountain Power, unused export credits roll forward month to month and expire at the March meter reading. That is another reason we size to your usage instead of oversizing.
Can I go fully off grid?
Technically yes, but it takes a large battery bank and backup generation, and it usually costs far more than staying connected. Nearly every Utah home is better off grid tied.
Does solar work when the power goes out?
Grid tied systems shut off during an outage for line worker safety. Add a battery and your essentials keep running.
Do batteries help under net billing?
They can. A battery stores midday solar for the evening instead of exporting it for a small credit. Whether it pays off depends on your usage and budget, and we will show you both ways.
How long do panels last?
Quality panels carry 25 year performance warranties and keep producing well past that, losing roughly half a percent of output per year.
What about snow?
Panels are smooth, dark and tilted, so snow usually slides off within a day or two of sun. Utah's high altitude sunshine more than makes up for winter.
What if I need a new roof later?
Panels can be removed and reinstalled. If your roof is near the end of its life, we will tell you at the survey before anything goes up.
How accurate is the online design?
Production comes from PVWatts using your real location, direction and pitch. The survey confirms shading and roof details before you commit to anything.
Now you know more than most salesmen.
See what solar looks like on your roof, with your real numbers.