Going Solar in Scottsdale AZ: Is Your Home on APS or SRP and What Should You Expect From Your Summer Bill With Panels?

Which Utility Actually Serves Your Scottsdale Address?

Scottsdale is not one utility territory. The city straddles both APS (Arizona Public Service) and SRP (Salt River Project), and the line between them cuts through neighborhoods, ZIP codes, and sometimes individual streets. Many homeowners assume their ZIP code tells them the answer. It does not.

The fastest way to confirm is to look at a recent electric bill. The utility name appears at the top. If you do not have one handy, both utilities offer free address lookup tools online — APS at aps.com and SRP at srpnet.com. You can also call: APS at 602-371-7171, SRP at 602-236-8888.

This matters because the two utilities handle solar very differently. A system designed for APS export credits earns money on a different schedule than one designed for SRP. The numbers can shift a homeowner's annual savings by several hundred dollars, and that gap compounds over the life of a 25-year system.

Why the neighborhood boundary is harder to predict than you think

A rough pattern holds across much of Scottsdale: SRP tends to serve large portions of the city, including many established communities in north and central Scottsdale, while APS typically covers south Scottsdale and areas closer to the Phoenix and Tempe borders. But that pattern has enough exceptions that using it to assume your utility is a real risk. Street-level address lookups are the only reliable method.

The short version: check your bill or use the lookup tool before you talk to an installer. Any company quoting you a system without first confirming your utility is working with incomplete information — and so are you.

What APS Customers in Scottsdale Can Expect From Solar

APS uses a program called net billing to compensate solar homeowners for power sent back to the grid. The credit rate is set annually by the Arizona Corporation Commission and is called the Resource Comparison Proxy, or RCP. For 2026, that rate is $0.0846 per kilowatt-hour.

That credit is flat — it applies equally at noon and at 7 PM. On one hand, this is straightforward. On the other, it means solar panels that generate the most power in the middle of the day earn the same rate all day, with no bonus for exporting during the afternoon on-peak window.

APS solar customers in Scottsdale typically go on the Saver Choice rate plan, which has a summer on-peak window from 3 to 8 PM on weekdays. No demand charge applies on this plan. Monthly service charges run around $15. For a well-sized system on an APS home, summer bills that were $280 or more routinely drop to the $60 to $100 range, depending on system size, home size, and how much usage falls inside on-peak hours.

APS also pays out any unused export credits at your annual true-up date. If your system over-generates during the year, any remaining net excess credits come back to you — a meaningful advantage over how SRP handles year-end balances.

What SRP Customers in Scottsdale Can Expect From Solar

SRP handles solar differently, and the details matter more than most homeowners realize before they sign a contract.

New SRP solar customers are placed on the E-26 plan. The on-peak export credit on E-26 is about $0.052 per kilowatt-hour; the off-peak credit is about $0.029 per kilowatt-hour. SRP's on-peak window runs through the afternoon and into the evening on weekdays — check srpnet.com for the current schedule, since SRP adjusts rates annually. The core problem for solar-only systems is that most solar generation peaks closer to midday and tapers before the heart of the afternoon on-peak period, so a system without battery storage sends the majority of its excess to the grid at the lower off-peak rate.

There is also a demand charge of $6.64 per kilowatt, assessed on the highest thirty-minute interval of grid draw during on-peak hours each month. A household that runs the air conditioner hard on a July afternoon while drawing from the grid can trigger a demand charge that partially offsets what the panels saved during the rest of the month. SRP's monthly base charge runs about $20.44.

The demand charge is the detail most installers either gloss over or explain poorly. Getting it right means sizing the system with demand management in mind, not just total kilowatt-hour production. A broker working on your behalf can pressure-test how each installer's proposed system addresses this, rather than leaving you to sort through competing claims on your own.

SRP credits do not pay out at year-end. Unused export credits from the previous twelve months are forfeited at the anniversary date, which is another reason system sizing matters more than it might seem upfront.

Does going solar on SRP still make sense?

It does, but the math requires more attention than it does on APS. For a properly sized system on a home that can shift some discretionary load — pool pumps, laundry, dishwashers — out of the on-peak window, solar on SRP still delivers real savings. Adding a battery further sharpens the economics because the battery can hold mid-day surplus and deploy it during on-peak hours, both reducing demand-meter exposure and avoiding the higher grid import rate at the peak of the day.

The conversation is not which utility is better. It is what a well-designed system looks like given the utility you have.

How Solar Companies in Scottsdale, Arizona Handle APS vs SRP Differently

The right system design looks different depending on which utility serves your address, and not every solar company is equally fluent in both. A company that primarily works in APS territory may underestimate how much the SRP demand charge matters to sizing. A company focused on SRP homes may not calibrate export credit assumptions correctly for APS net billing.

This is the gap an independent solar advisor fills. Rather than representing one installation company, a solar broker like Phoenix Valley Solar pulls competing proposals from vetted installers who know both APS and SRP territory across the Phoenix metro. Each proposal is benchmarked against your actual utility program, not a generic template. You see side-by-side numbers — export credit assumptions, demand charge handling, system size, financing options — before committing to anything.

Getting competing bids through a broker also removes the time pressure that a single direct sales call creates. The installer presenting to you has no incentive to walk you through the downsides of their proposal. An independent advisor does.

For anyone comparing options, the Solar Calculator is a useful starting point for sizing and savings estimates. Our detailed comparison of APS vs SRP rates for solar exporters in 2026 goes deeper into the rate math for homeowners who want to work through the numbers. And if the Scottsdale dynamic feels familiar, it is — Chandler homeowners face the same utility split, as we cover in our guide to going solar in Chandler.

What Can Panels Actually Do to a Scottsdale Summer Bill?

Scottsdale gets roughly 299 sunny days a year. A typical system in this market produces enough electricity during summer to offset a substantial share of household consumption — enough that many solar homeowners see their June through September bills cut by 60 to 80 percent compared to what they paid before installation.

On APS, that translates to summer bills often falling into the $60 to $100 range for a home that previously ran $250 to $350. On SRP, outcomes vary more widely because of the demand charge, but a properly designed system can still cut bills significantly, especially when combined with behavioral shifts like running heavy appliances outside peak hours.

Residential solar in Arizona also benefits from two layers of state-level incentive: a 25 percent Arizona state tax credit on installations, up to $1,000, plus no Arizona sales tax on solar equipment and no property tax on the added home value a solar system creates.

How to Compare Solar Installers in Phoenix Before Committing

The most useful signal is not which brand name is on the truck. It is whether the installer or advisor is willing to show you numbers specific to your utility, your roof orientation, and your actual bill — not a generic payback estimate built on statewide averages.

A few questions that separate informed proposals from boilerplate ones: What is the assumed export credit rate, and which plan does that rate come from? How does the system design address SRP demand charge exposure if applicable? What happens to credits at year-end on my utility? What is the production guarantee and what triggers a claim?

An independent advisor surfaces these differences across multiple installers simultaneously. You are comparing proposals built to the same standard, for your specific address — not companies in sequence after individual sales calls with different assumptions baked in.

If your Scottsdale community has an architectural review process, Arizona law (ARS 33-1816) prohibits HOAs from blocking solar installations. They can impose reasonable aesthetic conditions, such as rear-roof placement, but cannot deny the right to install. Any HOA restriction that would add more than $2,000 to the project cost or reduce system output by more than ten percent is likely unenforceable. Reach out if you want guidance on navigating HOA approvals in Scottsdale communities.

The Prepaid Option for Solar Energy Savings in Phoenix That Still Holds 30% Off

The Section 25D residential solar credit ended after December 31, 2025, for homeowners who pay for a system with cash or a loan. Leased and prepaid systems can pass through the 48E corporate-level credit, and that pass-through is how Phoenix Valley Solar's 30-percent prepaid pricing holds even now. This is not tax advice, and the right step is to confirm the current rules with a qualified tax professional.

The prepaid solar lease requires payment upfront — you pay for the output of the system at a discount rather than buying the hardware itself. For a homeowner who wants the savings of going solar without taking on a monthly payment or navigating system warranties, it is worth understanding how the math compares to a cash purchase or a solar loan. Our advisors can run both scenarios side by side with competing installer quotes so you see a real comparison before deciding. Contact us to start that conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my Scottsdale home is on APS or SRP?

Check a recent electric bill — the utility name is printed at the top. APS and SRP each offer free address lookup tools at aps.com and srpnet.com. Scottsdale is split between both utilities, and the boundary cuts through neighborhoods, so your ZIP code alone is not a reliable indicator.

What is the APS solar export credit rate in 2026?

The APS export credit rate for 2026 is $0.0846 per kilowatt-hour, set annually by the Arizona Corporation Commission as the Resource Comparison Proxy rate. It is a flat rate that applies equally to all hours — APS does not differentiate between on-peak and off-peak for exported solar energy.

Does solar save money for SRP customers in Scottsdale?

Yes, but system sizing matters more than on APS. SRP charges a demand fee of $6.64 per kilowatt based on peak thirty-minute grid draw during on-peak hours. A properly designed solar system that accounts for this, ideally paired with battery storage, can still cut Scottsdale summer bills significantly.

What is the best solar company in Phoenix for Scottsdale homeowners?

The best outcome usually comes from comparing bids from multiple vetted installers rather than choosing one company outright. Phoenix Valley Solar is an independent solar broker that pulls competing proposals from installers experienced in both APS and SRP territory, so you see real numbers for your specific address before committing.

Can my Scottsdale HOA stop me from installing solar panels?

No. Arizona law (ARS 33-1816) prohibits HOAs from blocking solar installations. An HOA can impose reasonable aesthetic conditions — such as placement on a rear-facing roof slope — but cannot deny approval outright, add restrictions that increase project cost by more than $2,000, or reduce system output by more than ten percent.

What does a solar broker in Phoenix do that a regular installer does not?

An independent solar advisor represents the homeowner, not any single company. In Scottsdale, where APS and SRP serve different neighborhoods with different solar programs, a broker like Phoenix Valley Solar pulls competing proposals tailored to your utility and usage pattern, making comparisons meaningful rather than theoretical.