Going Solar in Gilbert AZ: Is Your Home on APS or SRP and How Does That Affect Your Export Credits?

How to Find Out Which Utility Serves Your Gilbert Home

The first step in going solar in Gilbert is not picking a panel brand or getting quotes. It is knowing which electric company sends your bill. SRP and APS both operate within Gilbert's boundaries, and because each utility has its own solar rules, that single fact shapes everything from which plans you qualify for to how much money you actually get back for the power your panels push onto the grid.

The simplest method: pull out a recent electric bill. Your utility's name is on it. If that is not handy, both utilities offer address lookup tools on their websites. SRP's is at srpnet.com and APS's is at aps.com. Enter your street address and you will know in about thirty seconds. This matters before you talk to any solar installer, because a reputable company should be asking you the same question in their first conversation. For more on how the utility split affects your solar planning, see our earlier post on checking your Gilbert utility territory and what it means for your bill.

Where the APS-SRP Boundary Falls in Gilbert

Gilbert is mostly SRP territory. The established neighborhoods, the ones built through the early 2000s in what used to be the agricultural heart of Maricopa County, are largely served by SRP. Areas like Power Ranch, Agritopia, and most of the older subdivisions in the northern and central parts of town fall under SRP.

The story changes as you move south. The newer master-planned communities built closer to the Queen Creek border, generally south of Riggs Road, fall primarily in APS territory. If your home was built in the last ten to fifteen years in the southernmost sections of Gilbert, there is a real chance you are an APS customer rather than SRP.

This boundary is not a clean straight line on a map. Homes near the dividing area can go either way. That is exactly why the address lookup tools exist. Never assume your utility based on your neighborhood's general feel or the year your subdivision broke ground.

What APS Export Credits Actually Pay Gilbert Solar Owners

APS moved away from traditional net metering in 2017. New solar customers since then do not receive a kilowatt-hour-for-kilowatt-hour credit against their bill. Instead, they enter APS's net billing program under the Saver Choice Plus rate plan, which pays an export credit for excess power sent to the grid.

That export credit rate is set by the Arizona Corporation Commission based on APS's avoided costs, and it is updated twice a year, in March and September. As of early 2025, APS published a rate of 6.68 cents per kWh, per an official APS press release. Because the rate adjusts semiannually, check aps.com for the current figure before making any financial assumptions about your system's performance.

The practical implication for a Gilbert homeowner: every kilowatt-hour your panels export earns less than what you pay to import from APS at retail rates. This creates a real incentive to size your system for your own consumption rather than for maximum export. The more you self-consume, the more you save on buying power at retail, which is worth more per kilowatt-hour than what you earn by sending excess power back to the grid. For a fuller comparison of how export economics play out under each utility, see our APS vs SRP solar rates guide.

How SRP Handles Solar Export for Gilbert Customers

SRP operates under a different framework than APS. It is a federal power authority, not regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission, which means it sets its own solar policies independently. When a Gilbert homeowner in SRP territory installs solar, they are required to move to one of two plans: the E-27 Residential Solar Price Plan or the Residential Solar Add-On Plan.

The E-27 is the plan most new solar customers land on. It carries a $32.44 monthly basic charge and no extra solar fee on top of that. What makes the E-27 distinctive is its time-differentiated export credits. SRP published a rate of 7.579 cents per kWh for power exported during on-peak hours (weekdays from 2 to 8 p.m., excluding holidays) and 2.958 cents per kWh for off-peak hours. These figures come from SRP's published rate schedule at srpnet.com, though rates do change, and you should verify current numbers there before finalizing any payback estimate.

Does the Utility Split Affect Chandler Solar Customers Too?

Chandler shares some of the same dynamics, particularly in its southeastern sections where APS territory abuts SRP. A solar homeowner in south Chandler and a neighbor in south Gilbert may actually be on the same utility, even if their addresses are in different cities. The address lookup is the only reliable confirmation, regardless of which side of the city line you are on.

The timing of your exports matters significantly under the E-27. Panels generating surplus at noon send that excess to SRP at the lower off-peak rate. A battery paired with your system can shift stored power into the on-peak window later in the afternoon, but that involves its own cost-benefit calculation and is not automatically the right call for every home.

The Residential Solar Add-On Plan is the alternative for homeowners who prefer to keep their existing rate plan. The trade-off: a $50 per month add-on charge and a flat export credit of 2.958 cents per kWh regardless of time of day. Most new solar customers are better served by the E-27 unless keeping a specific existing plan has a clear financial advantage.

What This Means for a Gilbert Home Sizing a Solar System

A 7 kW system is a common starting point for Gilbert homes with higher summer bills. Under either APS or SRP, the financial case for going solar rests more on the power you consume from your own panels than on what you export. At current export credit rates from either utility, every kilowatt-hour you avoid buying at retail is worth more than a kilowatt-hour you sell back.

An installer sizing a system for a Gilbert home should be looking at twelve months of usage data, your average daily consumption, and the hours when your home draws the most power. A system that exports a large portion of its production is leaving money on the table compared to one sized to cover most of what you actually use. Use the Solar Calculator to get a rough estimate of what system size might fit your consumption patterns before your first installer conversation.

How Solar Companies in Gilbert Arizona Source Competing Bids

The homeowners who get the best outcomes are the ones who compare multiple bids before signing anything. Pricing, panel brands, warranty terms, and financing options vary enough from company to company that a homeowner who receives only one quote is accepting uncertainty they do not need to carry. That is true whether you are in SRP territory in north Gilbert or APS territory in the south end of town.

What Does a Solar Energy Broker in Phoenix Actually Do?

Phoenix Valley Solar is an independent solar broker, not an installer. An independent broker does not sell one company's panels or close deals for one installer. Instead, the broker sources competing bids from vetted local installers and presents them to the homeowner in terms that make comparison straightforward. You see what different qualified companies would charge for a system sized to your specific roof and consumption profile, without sitting through a sales pitch for any single one of them.

That approach is especially useful in a split-utility city like Gilbert, where a homeowner on SRP and a homeowner five miles south on APS may need genuinely different system designs with different payback timelines. A broker who has worked across both utility territories can help you interpret those differences and understand what the export credit structure actually means for your numbers. Contact us here to start comparing vetted quotes without a sales call.

The Prepaid Lease: How Gilbert Homeowners Still Get 30% Off in 2026

If you are going solar in 2026, you cannot claim the federal residential solar tax credit on an owned system. The Section 25D residential credit expired at the end of 2025, and owner-buyers in 2026 or later do not qualify for it. But the 30% discount that credit represented has not vanished entirely.

The prepaid solar lease is a structure where the leasing company owns the panels, claims the 48E commercial investment credit, and passes that savings to the homeowner in the form of a lower upfront price. For the homeowner, the practical effect is roughly the same 30% price reduction, without owning the hardware directly. For buyers who were counting on the federal credit and missed the 2025 window, this is a direct path to the same price point through a different structure.

Whether a prepaid lease fits your situation depends on your long-term plans for the home, your financing preferences, and details specific to your tax situation. This is not tax advice. A tax professional can clarify how the 48E credit flows through a leasing arrangement for your particular circumstances. Compare how the prepaid lease and a solar loan stack up over time in our breakdown of prepaid solar lease vs loan in Arizona.

A few Gilbert homeowners ask whether they should wait for utility policy changes or better export credit rates before moving forward. The honest answer is that this question deserves a real conversation grounded in your actual usage data and current rates, not a general article's best estimate. Reach out through the contact page and we can walk through what current export credits mean for your roof and consumption profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which utility do most Gilbert AZ homes use for solar?

Most of Gilbert is served by SRP, which requires solar customers to switch to the E-27 plan or the Solar Add-On Plan. However, newer homes in south Gilbert, particularly south of Riggs Road near the Queen Creek border, are often on APS. Check a recent electric bill or use the address lookup tool at srpnet.com or aps.com to confirm which utility serves your address.

What is APS's export credit rate for solar in Arizona?

APS pays a net billing export credit for excess solar energy sent to the grid. As of early 2025, that rate was 6.68 cents per kWh, set by the Arizona Corporation Commission and updated in March and September each year. Visit aps.com for the current rate, since it changes twice annually based on APS's avoided costs.

What does SRP pay for solar energy sent back to the grid?

Under SRP's E-27 plan, the published export credits are 7.579 cents per kWh during on-peak hours (weekdays, 2 to 8 p.m.) and 2.958 cents per kWh off-peak. Rates change, so verify current figures at srpnet.com. The E-27 has a $32.44 monthly basic charge but no extra solar fee on top of that.

How do I find the best solar company in Gilbert Arizona?

The most effective approach is comparing bids from multiple vetted installers side by side. Phoenix Valley Solar is an independent solar broker that sources competing quotes from local installers without a high-pressure sales call. You see what qualified companies would charge for your specific roof and usage profile, then choose based on the full picture rather than one company's pitch.

Can I go solar in Gilbert if my neighborhood has an HOA?

Yes. Under Arizona law (A.R.S. 33-1816), HOAs cannot prohibit rooftop solar outright. They may set reasonable, non-prohibitive aesthetic guidelines about placement or appearance, but they cannot stop a homeowner from installing a system. Your right to go solar in Gilbert is protected regardless of HOA rules.

What is a prepaid solar lease and how does it replace the 2025 tax credit?

In a prepaid solar lease, the leasing company owns the panels, claims the 48E commercial credit, and passes the savings to you as a lower upfront price. For a homeowner going solar in 2026, this delivers roughly the same 30% price reduction that the expired Section 25D residential credit provided to buyers. Consult a tax professional for advice specific to your situation.