What Does APS Pay Phoenix Solar Owners for Exported Power in 2026?

When a solar home on APS sends power to the grid, the credit that appears on the bill is not a dollar-for-dollar match for the retail rate you pay. Homeowners researching arizona net metering rates often expect a one-for-one swap. What you actually get is a separate, lower rate called the Resource Comparison Proxy, and understanding that gap changes how a well-designed system should work.

What "net metering" actually means in Arizona today

Traditional net metering credits every exported kilowatt-hour at the same retail price the homeowner pays to draw power from the grid. Arizona moved away from that structure for new solar customers years ago. APS now uses net billing: exported energy earns a credit at the RCP rate, not the retail rate.

The RCP rate is set annually and locked in for 10 years from your interconnection date. The credit appears as a separate line item on your monthly bill. If it exceeds your charges in a given month, it rolls forward as a dollar credit, not as kWh. At the end of each 12-month period, APS reconciles any remaining balance.

The rate plan you are enrolled in does not change the export credit itself. What changes is the retail rate you pay for the grid power you still draw, which affects how much value you get from every kilowatt-hour your panels produce.

What APS pays for exported solar power

The RCP rate is lower than the retail rate you pay during on-peak hours. Exporting power earns you a credit, but you earn less per kilowatt-hour than you spend to run your home from the grid. A system sized around your own daytime usage typically captures more value than one designed to push as much power as possible back to the utility.

Arizona does not require APS to credit exports at retail price. The RCP reflects what APS estimates it costs to procure equivalent power from another source. That structure has shaped solar system design in the Valley for years, and every good installer accounts for it.

To confirm the current RCP rate, visit aps.com/plans or look at the rate section of a recent APS bill. The rate resets each September for customers who interconnect after that date.

How your APS rate plan changes the picture

The export credit stays the same regardless of which APS plan you are enrolled in. What differs is the price you pay for electricity you draw from the grid during on-peak hours.

The current standard APS residential time-of-use plan runs on-peak hours on weekdays, year-round, covering the late afternoon and early evening window. Weekends are always off-peak. Panels that produce well through the morning and midday reduce how much you pull from the grid before the peak window opens each evening.

Before you collect quotes, pull a recent APS bill and note the plan name listed at the top of the rate section. If you see a name you do not recognize, check aps.com/plans to confirm whether it is a current plan available to switchers or a legacy plan you were grandfathered into years ago. Some older plans are no longer available to new customers or to anyone who changes plans.

How APS and SRP compare on solar exports

Your utility depends on your address, not your city or ZIP code. APS and SRP both serve the Phoenix metro, and a homeowner a few miles from you may be on a different utility with a different export structure.

Utility	Export credit	Lock period
APS (new customers)	RCP rate, check aps.com/plans	10 years
SRP (Time-of-Use Export plan)	3.45 cents per kWh (fixed)	See srpnet.com for terms

On SRP, where the flat export credit is relatively modest, sending surplus power to the grid earns less per kilowatt-hour than consuming it directly would have saved. That makes battery storage a natural part of the conversation early, especially on homes with high summer evening usage.

On APS, the rate locked at your interconnection date stays fixed for a long stretch, giving you a predictable credit built into any payback projection.

What to share with installers before you compare bids

A proposal that does not reflect your utility, rate plan, and usage pattern is hard to evaluate. Before you collect quotes, have these ready:

• Your utility name, printed on your electric bill (not your city or neighborhood)

• Your current rate plan name, listed at the top of the rate section of the same bill

• Your last 12 months of electricity usage in kilowatt-hours

With those three inputs, an installer can design a system that fits your actual situation rather than a generic regional profile. Installers competing for the same project have a strong reason to be accurate, because a design that misses the mark is easy to spot when another quote gets it right.

Read more on how APS calculates your monthly solar export credit and how to maximize your solar export credits in Phoenix. Use the Solar Calculator to get a rough size estimate, and visit the about page to see how Phoenix Valley Solar puts competing installer proposals side by side.

A note on financing in 2026

Cash and loan buyers who install solar this year have no federal residential solar tax credit. That credit ended after last year. Leased and prepaid systems work differently because the leasing company owns the equipment and can still qualify under a separate commercial provision, passing the benefit along as a lower price.

The Phoenix Valley Solar prepaid lease is priced at 30 percent off for exactly this reason. This is not tax advice; consult a tax professional.

Start with your bill and your rate plan name. Then contact us and we will put competing proposals in front of you, sized around your actual usage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does APS still offer traditional net metering for new solar customers?

No. APS uses net billing for new solar customers. Instead of a retail-rate credit for each exported kilowatt-hour, you earn the Resource Comparison Proxy rate, which is lower. The credit rolls forward monthly as a dollar amount, not as kWh, and reconciles annually.

How long does the APS export rate lock in after I go solar?

The RCP rate in effect when you interconnect is locked for 10 years from that date. After those 10 years, the rate reverts to whatever APS sets going forward. To confirm the current rate before you sign anything, check aps.com/plans.

What does SRP pay for exported solar power?

SRP's Time-of-Use Export plan pays a fixed 3.45 cents per kilowatt-hour for solar exports. Visit srpnet.com to compare current plan options before you finalize a design.

Can I still get a federal solar credit if I buy or finance my system?

Cash and loan buyers have no federal residential solar credit for systems installed this year; that credit ended after last year. A prepaid solar lease can come in at 30 percent off because the leasing company qualifies under a separate commercial provision. This is not tax advice; consult a tax professional.