How to Use This Tool
Separate self-consumed energy value from exported-energy credit. Estimate monthly solar export credit, self-consumption value and blended energy value with editable utility rates.
The decision this tool supports
Treating every solar kWh at the retail rate overstates value when exported energy receives a lower credit. This page keeps the decision bounded to monthly export credit and the supporting outputs shown beside it. Solar Export Credit does not import an account, infer a market rate, or silently substitute an industry average.
Inputs and units
The Solar Export Credit calculation uses Monthly solar generation, Self-consumed share, Retail electricity rate, Export credit rate. Keep all money values in one currency and all time, distance, mass, energy or volume entries in the unit printed beside the field. Mixing Solar Export Credit scopes can produce a plausible number with the wrong meaning.
- Monthly solar generation is entered in kWh.
- Self-consumed share is entered in %.
- Retail electricity rate is entered in currency/kWh.
- Export credit rate is entered in currency/kWh.
Formula and worked check
Exported kWh = generation × (1 − self-consumption share); credit = exported kWh × export rate; avoided purchase value uses the retail rate. 900 kWh at 55% self-use exports 405 kWh, earns $32.40 at $0.08 and avoids $108.90 at $0.22. The Solar Export Credit default is an executable known-answer case, not a benchmark or recommendation. Change one input and verify that the direction of monthly export credit still matches the stated relationship.
How to interpret the result
Use the split outputs to see whether load shifting toward solar hours is more valuable than additional exports under the entered tariff. The additional Solar Export Credit outputs expose the denominator, comparison, capacity or reverse value needed to audit the primary result instead of presenting one unexplained number.
Assumptions
- Generation and self-consumption cover the same month.
- Retail and export rates are marginal energy rates.
- Every exported kWh receives the entered credit.
Save the Solar Export Credit input values and date with any material decision. A later Solar Export Credit rerun is reproducible only when the same assumptions and units are available.
Limitations and safety boundary
It does not determine utility eligibility, billing periods, fixed charges, time-of-use rates, taxes or credit expiration. Solar Export Credit is an estimate and cannot replace a contract, local code, licensed professional, calibrated measurement, lender statement or platform report where one governs the decision.
Source and privacy
The Solar Export Credit definition or rule was checked against NREL PVWatts Calculator documentation on 2026-08-26. Recheck NREL PVWatts Calculator documentation when a specification or policy behind Solar Export Credit can change. Solar Export Credit arithmetic runs in this browser tab; ecech does not receive the values through a calculation API.
Sources & assumptions
Tool Spec v2 · verified 2026-08-26. Platform rules and fees can change; the editable inputs remain authoritative for your account.
Official references
- NREL PVWatts Calculator documentation (checked 2026-08-26)
Model assumptions
- Generation and self-consumption cover the same month.
- Retail and export rates are marginal energy rates.
- Every exported kWh receives the entered credit.
- It does not determine utility eligibility, billing periods, fixed charges, time-of-use rates, taxes or credit expiration.
