Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Annual credit at your export rate
$1,056
Credit under full retail net metering
$1,980
Annual value lost to low export rate
$924
Blended effective rate per kWh
0.096
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How to use this
- 1Enter annual solar production (kWh).
- 2Enter share self-consumed (not exported) (%).
- 3Enter retail electricity rate ($/kWh).
- 4Enter export/buyback rate ($/kWh).
- 5Read your annual credit at your export rate on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Not all solar compensation is equal. Full retail net metering credits every exported kWh at the same rate you pay for imports; net billing or buyback programs (common in California under NEM 3.0, and much of the Southeast) pay a much lower avoided-cost rate for exports, often 25-50% of retail. This tool splits your production into self-consumed and exported portions, values each at its correct rate, and shows the annual bill impact difference between a favorable and unfavorable compensation structure. This is the single biggest variable utilities changed in the 2020s to slow rooftop solar economics, and quotes that don't model it correctly overstate savings.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Annual solar production: 11000 kWh
- Share self-consumed (not exported): 30 %
- Retail electricity rate: 0.18 $/kWh
- Export/buyback rate: 0.06 $/kWh
Results
- Annual credit at your export rate: $1,056
- Credit under full retail net metering: $1,980
- Annual value lost to low export rate: $924
- Blended effective rate per kWh: 0.096
What each field means
Inputs
- Annual solar production (kWh)
- The annual solar production used in the calculation, measured in kWh. Starts at 11000 kWh so you have a working example on load.
- Share self-consumed (not exported) (%)
- The share self-consumed (not exported) used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 30 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
- Retail electricity rate ($/kWh)
- The retail electricity rate used in the calculation, measured in $/kWh. Starts at 0.18 $/kWh so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0.05–0.6 $/kWh.
- Export/buyback rate ($/kWh)
- The export/buyback rate used in the calculation, measured in $/kWh. Starts at 0.06 $/kWh so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–0.6 $/kWh.
Results
- Annual credit at your export rate
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Credit under full retail net metering
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Annual value lost to low export rate
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Blended effective rate per kWh
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does self-consumption percentage matter so much?
Every kWh you use directly as it's generated is worth full retail value regardless of your export rate — it's a kWh you didn't have to buy. Only the exported surplus gets hit by a lower buyback rate. Homes with daytime usage (EV charging at noon, work-from-home AC) self-consume more and are less exposed to bad export rates.
What is NEM 3.0 and why does it matter?
California's 2023 net-metering overhaul cut export compensation roughly 75% compared to the prior NEM 2.0 tariff, pushing export value down to an avoided-cost rate around 5-10 cents/kWh versus 25-40 cent retail rates. It made battery storage far more valuable there since storing and self-consuming beats exporting.
Does a battery fix a bad buyback rate?
Yes, largely. A battery lets you store midday solar and use it in the evening instead of exporting it for a low credit, effectively converting export-rate kWh into self-consumed, full-retail-value kWh. This is why battery attach rates jumped sharply in low-buyback-rate states.
How do I find my utility's actual export rate?
Check your interconnection agreement or net billing tariff filed with your state utility commission — it's not always disclosed clearly in a solar sales quote. Ask explicitly: 'What is the per-kWh rate for kWh I export beyond what I use in that billing period?'
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Net Metering vs. Buyback Rate Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/net-metering-vs-buyback
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/net-metering-vs-buyback" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Metering vs. Buyback Rate Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Net Metering vs. Buyback Rate Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/net-metering-vs-buyback) (2026).