Washington solar rebates and incentives: 2026 guide

Washington doesn't offer the strongest solar incentive programs out there. But that doesn't mean solar isn't worth it—especially if your electric bills are eating up a big chunk of your monthly budget.

Solar's real value isn't about rebates. It's about taking control of your electricity costs for the next 25-30 years. As utility rates continue their steady climb, locking in lower energy costs now can deliver substantial savings over time. Even without robust state programs, many Washington homeowners with decent sun exposure and moderate to high electric bills find that solar still pays for itself. Here's how you may be able to lower your solar costs in Washington—and whether it makes sense for your home.

Unfortunately, Washington doesn't offer many incentives for solar. But if your electric bills are high, going solar can still make sense.

There are some local- or utility-level incentives around Washington, though they’re mostly low-interest loans or low-income assistance programs, rather than straight tax credits or cash rebates. A simple search for your town or utility company name, plus “solar power incentives,” will be the fastest way to figure out what’s available in your area.

In addition to the incentives above, Washington also offers a solar sales tax exemption for your solar array’s equipment costs. Your contractors simply won’t be charged the typical 6.5% state sales tax for the panels, inverters, and other materials, and ideally they’ll pass those savings along to you.

If you connect your solar panel system to the grid in Washington, you can benefit from net metering—which is really the ultimate incentive for rooftop solar, even more than big rebates and tax credits. 

Under net metering, the sun doesn’t need to shine all the time to get massive value from your solar panels. Your electric utility company essentially works like a bank account for all the energy your solar panels produce in a given month.

When the sun shines, your home’s electrical system first takes as much power as it needs from the solar panels. If the panels make any excess energy, it gets sent back onto the grid, and your utility company gives you full credit for all of it on your energy bill. The credits roll over from month to month.

When the sun isn’t shining and you need grid electricity to power your home, the utility company just starts drawing against your credits. You won’t pay for electricity until those credits run out.

A few nuances to keep in mind:

• Your bill credits reset on March 31 of each year. That is, if you haven’t used up your bank of credits by that date, you surrender them completely with no payout. Not ideal, but as far as the least-worst “true up” expiration dates go, March 31 is it. By this point at the end of winter, you’ll likely have burned through any excess banked credits from the previous summer, and should be just getting to the part of the year where you’re generating enough energy per month to cover your current usage.  

• Grays Harbor utility has slightly different (and less favorable) metering rules than the rest of the state’s electric companies, according to DSIRE. The utility compensates at 50% of the retail rate, but you won’t lose any remaining credits on March 31. Instead, it's credited to your account for later use.

No, Washington doesn't offer any state-specific battery incentives. Solar batteries might make sense if you regularly produce more solar power than your home needs. Then, you reduce the risk of losing credits at the true up date. But if you don’t typically have much excess, then you won’t really benefit from hoarding your solar power.

Few utility companies in Washington currently offer a virtual power plant program for homeowners, either—though Puget Sound Energy recently launched one. It’s an opportunity for solar battery owners to make a little money on the side.