Solar Electric Incentive Program
Administered by Energy Trust of Oregon
Energy Trust of Oregon offers cash rebates for residential solar installations—$900 per home for PGE customers and $1,050 for Pacific Power customers—plus referrals to vetted Trade Ally contractors who will handle your installation and apply the incentive as a deduction from your final cost. The program also provides solar calculators, consumer guides to avoid scams, and low-rate Smart-E financing options to help make solar affordable.
As an Energy Trust Trade Ally, you can offer customers cash incentives that reduce their out-of-pocket costs while you receive the incentive payment directly; the program covers residential systems across both PGE and Pacific Power service territories, and you'll advise customers on system design, provide performance estimates, and coordinate approval with Energy Trust before installation. Commercial, multifamily, farm, and public entity systems qualify for per-watt incentives up to $11,000–$13,000 depending on utility and sector, with a 360 kW-AC maximum system size.
The Solar Electric Incentive Program, administered by Energy Trust of Oregon since May 2003, uses a stepped-incentive model where per-home or per-watt rebates decrease as funding allocations are fully subscribed; current levels are $900–$1,050 residential and $0.11–$0.13/watt for commercial/institutional/farm sectors, with status updates published on the Energy Trust website. The program targets residential, multifamily, commercial, agricultural, and public-entity customers of PGE and Pacific Power, requiring participation through verified Trade Ally contractors and offering optional technical assistance (up to $2,500) for public entities pursuing solar + storage or resilience projects.
Program details
- Program ID
- 936
- Effective
- 5/1/2003
- Last updated
- 5/30/2025
Eligibility
- Sectors
- commercial industrial local government residential schools state government federal government agricultural multifamily residential low income residential institutional
- Technologies
- solar photovoltaics
Program summary
Energy Trust of Oregon’s Solar Electric Incentive Program, launched in May 2003, is available to customers of Pacific Power and PGE who install new photovoltaic (PV) systems on new or existing homes, multifamily homes, commercial buildings, farms, and public entity facilities. Energy Trust allocates solar incentives into steps, such that when funding in a given allocation is fully subscribed, the incentive amount steps down. A status report with current funding allocations and availability is available on Energy Trust's website. Current incentive amounts are as follows:
- PGE: $900 per home
- Pacific Power: $1,050 per home
Commercial Buildings, Multifamily Buildings, and Farms
- PGE: $0.11/watt up to $11,000 (360 kW-AC max)
- Pacific Power: $0.13/watt up to $13,000 (360 kW-AC max)
*Refer to the Energy Trust of Oregon Commercial Estimator for more detailed information on commercial incentives.
- PGE: $0.11/watt up to $11,000 (360 kW-AC max)
- Pacific Power: $0.13/watt up to $13,000 (360 kW-AC max)
Public entities receiving service from either utility may also receive a Solar Development Assistance incentive up to $2,500.
Energy Trust will provide referrals to contractors from their Trade Ally Network (self-installed systems will not qualify). The solar contractor selected advises the customer on installation options and best siting designs to obtain the maximum performance and satisfaction from the solar electric system. The contractor will provide a system quote that estimates the PV system annual performance, installation date, and the cost after Energy Trust incentive deductions. After Energy Trust approves the customer's PV system, the buy-down incentive will be paid to the solar contractor and deducted from the final cost.
Contact & resources
- Contact email
- david.mcclelland@energytrust.org
- Additional resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
