Solar Atlas · Oregon
Is solar worth it in Portland, OR?
A 7 kWdc rooftop array in Portland makes about 7,895 kWh a year (NLR PVWatts, modeled) and pays back in 16.9 years at Portland General Electric Co’s 18.9¢/kWh residential rate (Aug 2025–Jul 2026), with no federal credit. Exports follow Oregon net metering.
45.52°N · 8.5–15.5 h daylight · site signature
- Production
- 1,128 kWh per kWdc per year · capacity factor 12.9% AC
- Residential rate
- 18.9¢/kWh · Portland General Electric Co
- Exported solar
- Oregon net metering · credited at retail
- Climate
- warm-summer Mediterranean (Köppen Csb, bordering Csa) · 12.8 °C mean, 938 mm/yr
Source: NLR PVWatts v8.5.0 (NSRDB PSM V3 GOES tmy-2020 3.2.0) — 1 kW, tilt 20°, azimuth 180°, roof mount, 14% losses · fetched 2026-09-24 · modeled, not metered
Source: EIA-861M utility average · Aug 2025–Jul 2026 · EIA Oregon average Jan–Jul 2026 15.4¢ · utility’s EIA-861 2024 average 18.2¢
Portland General Electric Co customers who buy supply from a competitive supplier or community choice aggregator pay delivery plus their supplier’s price; the average shown is the utility’s default (bundled) service.
Source: Customers of Oregon electric utilities (public utilities, PUDs, municipal utilities, cooperatives) · checked 2026-09-24
Source: NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020, PORTLAND INTL AP, OR US (10 km away) · fetched 2026-09-24
No federal credit: the homeowner credit (§25D) ended for systems installed after 2025-12-31. A lease or PPA price may reflect the lessor’s §48E credit. 26 U.S.C. §25D(h) and (e)(8)(A) · policy as of 2026-09-24
Make it your answer
Start from your bill. Everything else is prefilled from this page and can be changed.
Your exact roof, or a business
The payback calculator runs hourly PVWatts at your address. The Modeler opens a grid-tied home at Portland. A business goes to the Quote Studio with the 15.1¢/kWh commercial rate.