Global Solar Net Metering Rates 2026: Country-by-Country Export Rate Comparison

The spread between the world’s highest and lowest solar export rates is wider than most installers realize. A residential system in Singapore earns roughly S$0.20/kWh for every unit exported to the grid. The same system in California earns $0.02–0.05/kWh under NEM 3.0. That gap — a factor of 4–10x — directly determines whether self-consumption or export drives project ROI, what system size makes financial sense, and whether battery storage is required for positive payback. Getting the export rate wrong at the design stage means the financial model is wrong, and a mis-sold payback period is a project finance and customer satisfaction problem.

This page compiles verified 2025–2026 net metering and feed-in tariff export rates for 25+ countries, explains scheme type and status, and provides the financial modeling context needed to use this data correctly.

Global Net Metering Rates at a Glance

The table below uses the local export rate in local currency and an approximate USD equivalent for comparison. Rates are for standard residential systems unless noted. Always verify the current rate from the official regulator before finalizing a project model.

Americas: USA, Canada, Brazil, Chile

United States — A 50-State Patchwork

The United States has no federal net metering law. State public utility commissions set the rules, and those rules now diverge sharply on export compensation methodology, credit carryover, and eligible system sizes.

States with full 1:1 retail-rate net metering (as of 2026): New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Maryland, New York, and most of the Northeast. Massachusetts is the current high-water mark at roughly $0.30/kWh — driven by high retail electricity prices and a strong state net metering mandate.

States that have moved to avoided-cost or net billing:

• California NEM 3.0: The CPUC’s April 2023 decision replaced 1:1 retail net metering with the Non-Bypassable Tariff (NBT) rate. Midday peak solar output earns $0.02–0.05/kWh. Battery storage is now financially necessary for most new California solar installations to achieve positive payback.
• Florida: New interconnections from 2026 lock in 60% of retail rate (~$0.06/kWh) for 20 years. This is transitioning further down — 2027 installations will receive 50%.
• Nevada, Arizona: Both states have moved away from full retail net metering toward avoided-cost or time-of-use (TOU) export structures, reducing the value of midday solar generation.
• Illinois: As of January 1, 2025, new installations receive supply-only credits rather than full retail net metering.

The DSIRE database (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency) is the most reliable source for current US state-level net metering rules.

Canada

Canada has universal net metering availability across all provinces (Manitoba uses net billing). Export rates fall into two groups: provinces where credits are issued at the full retail rate (most provinces), and provinces with fixed or avoided-cost rates.

Nova Scotia leads Canadian residential export compensation at approximately 18.5 ¢/kWh CAD with 12-month credit rollover. Alberta’s Solar Club pays ~$0.16/kWh CAD. Ontario moved to the Rate of Last Resort (RoLR) structure in January 2025, currently $0.1201–$0.1206/kWh — close to retail parity.

Saskatchewan pays 7.5 ¢/kWh CAD under Sask Power’s net metering scheme, which is the lowest of the major provinces and reflects the province’s lower retail electricity costs. Check your provincial utility directly, as co-operative utilities within provinces may have different rates than the provincial utility.

Brazil

Brazil’s distributed generation framework was reshaped by Law No. 14,300/2022 and ANEEL’s Ruling No. 1,059/2023.

Grandfathered systems (commissioned by January 2023): Credited at full retail rate under net metering, with these terms locked in until 2045. As of 2025, Brazil had grown to 40 GW of distributed solar generation — driven substantially by this grandfathering provision.

New systems (commissioned after January 2023): Receive net billing credits at 43% of the retail rate — reflecting the “production cost of electric energy” component of the tariff. This represents a major reduction from the original retail-rate credits and has shifted new project economics toward maximizing self-consumption.

The ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) maintains the regulatory framework; state-level tariffs set the retail rate from which the 43% export credit is calculated.

Chile

Chile’s rooftop solar net metering applies to systems up to 100 kW. Under the net billing structure, exported energy is valued at the distribution company’s average rate. For PMGD (Small Distributed Generation) systems under 9 MW, a fixed stabilized price of approximately $0.12/kWh applies — the stabilized price tracks the average price of active power purchase agreements and is reset every January and July.

Note that proposed regulatory changes discussed in 2024 may reduce the stabilized price by up to 30%; the outcome depends on congressional approval. Verify the current stabilized price from Chile’s SEC (Superintendencia de Electricidad y Combustibles) before modeling any project.

Europe: UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands

United Kingdom — Smart Export Guarantee

The UK’s Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) replaced the Feed-in Tariff in January 2020. Suppliers with more than 150,000 customers are obligated to offer at least one SEG tariff; there is no mandated minimum rate.

In practice, the market has bifurcated. Premium suppliers (Octopus Energy Outgoing, OVO Energy) pay 15p/kWh on fixed-rate tariffs, with some variable-rate tariffs reaching higher during peak periods. The effective market floor is 7.6–7.9p/kWh from standard obligated suppliers.

Ofgem publishes the annual SEG report and the list of licensed SEG suppliers. According to Ofgem’s Year 5 Annual Report (2025), households on export tariffs earned an average of 13p/kWh during the 2024–25 period.

SEG rates are not regulated and can change without notice. For installers: the SEG rate should be modeled with a sensitivity range, not as a fixed assumption.

Germany — EEG Feed-in Tariff

Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) sets a fixed feed-in tariff for systems commissioned during each 6-month period, guaranteed for 20 years from commissioning.

H2 2025 rates (systems commissioned August 2025 onward):

• Partial feed-in (residential, up to 10 kW): 7.86 ct/kWh
• Partial feed-in (10–40 kW): 6.80 ct/kWh
• Partial feed-in (40–100 kW): 5.56 ct/kWh
• Full feed-in (all production exported, up to 10 kW): 12.47 ct/kWh

The EEG degression rate is 1% per 6-month period. Systems commissioned in H1 2025 (February 1 – July 31) received 7.94 ct/kWh for partial feed-in under 10 kW.

The Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) publishes current and upcoming EEG rates.

France — Surplus and Full Feed-in Tariff

France’s residential solar framework operates through the EDF OA (Obligation d’Achat) program, with two contract types:

Surplus (vente en surplus, up to 9 kWc): As of March 26, 2025, the surplus sale tariff was cut from 12.69 c€/kWh to 4 c€/kWh. This is a flat rate for all electricity exported beyond what the household self-consumes. Against a French retail tariff of approximately 21.46 c€/kWh (regulated tariff, 2025), the export rate represents less than 19% of retail parity. This reduction has substantially shifted French residential solar economics toward self-consumption optimization.

Full feed-in (vente en totalité, up to 9 kWc): This contract type, where all generation is exported (no self-consumption), pays a higher tariff set by ministerial decree and locked in for 20 years. New full-FiT contracts for residential systems are less common following the switch to EDF OA surplus contracts.

The EDF OA program portal handles applications. France’s Commission de Régulation de l’Energie (CRE) oversees energy market regulation.

Italy — SSP Closed; CER Now the Primary Framework

Italy’s Scambio sul Posto (SSP) — a virtual net metering scheme that gave near-retail-rate credit for exports — formally closed on September 26, 2025. New SSP applications are no longer accepted. Systems that accessed SSP before the deadline retain their terms.

The successor scheme for residential and small commercial solar in Italy is the CER (Comunità Energetiche Rinnovabili) — Renewable Energy Communities. Under CER, the GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici) provides an incentive of €0.08–0.11/kWh on energy shared among CER members, on top of the avoided cost of the energy. This makes CER participation more financially attractive than simple self-consumption for groups of buildings sharing the same grid substation.

For individual residential systems not participating in a CER, the primary financial driver is self-consumption against the retail rate (€0.27–0.35/kWh), with any export credited at the GSE’s current market reference price — well below retail.

Spain — Compensación Simplificada

Spain’s residential net metering framework, established by Royal Decree 244/2019, uses a mechanism called compensación simplificada. Exported surplus electricity is valued at the hourly PVPC (Precio Voluntario al Pequeño Consumidor) spot price at the time of export — typically averaging €0.05–0.10/kWh across the year, though this varies by season and hour.

A key structural limitation: the credit can only offset the same month’s electricity bill. If exports generate more credit value than the bill amount, the excess is forfeited. This caps the practical value of oversized systems for pure-export strategies. The average Spanish retail electricity rate is €0.18–0.28/kWh (depending on tariff and time-of-day), making self-consumption between 2–4x more valuable than export per kWh.

The Red Eléctrica de España (REE) publishes hourly PVPC data.

Netherlands — Saldering Ends January 2027

The Netherlands currently operates one of Europe’s most generous residential solar export schemes: full 1:1 net metering (saldering), where every kWh exported offsets a kWh of import on an annual basis. Dutch retail electricity prices average approximately €0.34/kWh in 2025, making this export credit exceptionally valuable.

On December 17, 2024, the Dutch Senate approved legislation ending saldering on January 1, 2027. Post-2027, energy suppliers will set their own export rates; early indications from Greenchoice suggest rates of approximately 5.4 c€/kWh — roughly 16% of the current 1:1 value. The Dutch government requires “reasonable compensation” but has not set a floor rate.

Asia-Pacific: Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia

Australia — State-by-State Retailer Rates

Australia has no regulated national feed-in tariff. Each state sets a minimum benchmark or allows the market to determine rates, and individual retailers set their own tariffs within those bounds. As of 2025–26:

Against Australian retail tariffs of 25–40 ¢/kWh AUD (depending on state), export rates represent 10–40% of retail parity at best. Self-consumption is the primary financial driver for Australian residential solar, not export.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water maintains national energy policy, with state Essential Services Commissions setting local benchmarks.

India — State SERC Rate Variations

India’s net metering framework is set nationally by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), but actual export rates are determined by state electricity regulatory commissions (SERCs) and implemented by state DISCOMs. The result is significant state-by-state variation.

Key state data (2025):

The MNRE’s framework for PM Surya Ghar (the national rooftop solar subsidy scheme) specifies net metering as the standard mechanism for residential systems under 10 kW. However, several states are moving new larger systems (above 10 kW) to net billing at avoided cost, which is typically lower than retail.

Feed-in tariff ranges nationally: ₹2.20–₹5.50/kWh depending on state, system size, and consumer category. Verify your state’s SERC order from the state DISCOM before quoting any export value to a customer.

Japan — FIT with Tiered Structure

Japan’s METI sets annual FIT rates for small residential solar under 10 kW. For FY2026 (April 2026–March 2027), METI introduced a tiered structure for residential systems:

• Years 1–4: ¥24/kWh (~$0.16 USD)
• Years 5–10: ¥8.3/kWh (~$0.055 USD)

This tiered design reflects a shift toward supporting initial investment recovery rather than providing ongoing export revenue. The previous FY2025 rate was ¥16/kWh (residential, under 10 kW) for a flat 10-year term.

For commercial and industrial systems above 10 kW, Japan uses a FIP (Feed-in Premium) system where generators receive market price plus a premium rather than a fixed FiT. Auction-based FIP support for utility-scale solar above 250 kW will end from FY2027, marking Japan’s final year of large-scale auction-based support.

METI publishes the annual FIT/FIP rate schedule.

Singapore — SCT and ECIS

Singapore operates two export mechanisms for solar installations:

SCT (Simplified Credit Treatment) via SP Group: Exported electricity is credited at a fixed quarterly rate set by SP Group. The Q2 2026 rate is approximately S$0.2016/kWh — reflecting roughly 74% of the prevailing household tariff of S$0.2727/kWh. The SCT rate is revised quarterly and is more predictable than the market-linked ECIS. Households on SP Group’s standard tariff use SCT by default.

ECIS (Enhanced Central Intermediary Scheme) via Open Electricity Market Retailers: Households that have switched to an electricity retailer export at the Uniform Singapore Energy Price (USEP) — the wholesale pool price, which changes every 30 minutes. The USEP averaged S$157.78/MWh (15.78 ¢/kWh) for the week of March 15–21, 2026, and has largely ranged S$100–S$200/MWh across 2025. This is more volatile but can be higher during peak periods.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) oversees both schemes. Singapore’s high household tariff and predictable SCT rate make residential solar financially attractive, with payback periods of 6–9 years for typical installations.

Malaysia — NEM 3.0 Closed; Solar ATAP Replaces It

Malaysia’s NEM 3.0 scheme — which offered a displaced cost credit of approximately 31 sen/kWh for exported solar energy — closed to new applications on June 30, 2025. Systems commissioned under NEM 3.0 retain their credits for 10 years from commissioning date.

SEDA Malaysia launched the replacement program, Solar ATAP, on January 1, 2026. Under Solar ATAP:

• Residential systems: Export credits of RM 0.27/kWh (Tier 1 consumers) or RM 0.37/kWh (Tier 2+ consumers)
• Commercial systems: Credits based on the System Marginal Price (SMP), which varies with market conditions
• No quota cap: Unlike NEM 3.0, Solar ATAP is open to all eligible applicants without a fixed quota pool

The RM 0.27–0.37/kWh export rate represents approximately 42–58% of TNB’s retail tariff, making self-consumption still the primary ROI driver.

Middle East and Africa: UAE, South Africa

UAE — DEWA Shams Dubai

Dubai’s Shams Dubai program, administered by DEWA, uses a true net metering structure: any surplus solar generation is credited at the full retail slab rate applicable to the customer’s consumption tier.

DEWA’s residential electricity tariff operates on a tiered slab structure:

• Tier 1 (0–2,000 kWh/month): 23 fils/kWh (~$0.063 USD/kWh)
• Tier 2 (2,001–4,000 kWh/month): 28 fils/kWh (~$0.076 USD/kWh)
• Tier 3 (4,001–6,000 kWh/month): 32 fils/kWh (~$0.087 USD/kWh)
• Tier 4 (above 6,000 kWh/month): 38 fils/kWh (~$0.10 USD/kWh)

Surplus credits accumulate indefinitely and offset future consumption. There is no cash payout for accumulated surplus — credits are bill offsets only. ADDC (Abu Dhabi Distribution Company) and SEWA (Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority) operate their own parallel net metering programs with similar retail-rate credit structures.

The Shams Dubai approach — 1:1 retail net metering against slab tariffs — means export value varies by consumption level. Heavy consumers in the upper tariff slabs earn more per exported kWh. However, since most solar systems are sized to match daytime self-consumption (air conditioning loads peak during UAE daylight hours), export volumes are often modest.

South Africa — Municipal Variation, No National Rate

South Africa has no single national net metering rate. Export compensation is set by individual municipalities under their own tariff schedules, and availability varies significantly by municipality.

Where net metering is available:

• Cape Town: Cash for Power program credits exports to the grid and issues monetary credits; once the bill reaches zero, cash payouts apply.
• Tshwane: Net billing available to approved embedded generation customers.
• eThekwini (Durban): Limited program; installation backlogs are significant.

Where net metering is not yet available: Many smaller municipalities and Eskom-supplied areas (about 45% of South African consumers buy directly from Eskom, not municipalities) lack formal net metering frameworks.

Export rates where available are typically 50–80% of the prevailing retail tariff, depending on the municipality’s tariff schedule. Typical municipal retail electricity in South Africa ranges from R2.50–R4.00/kWh ($0.14–$0.22 USD) in 2025–26. This gives an effective export rate of R1.25–R3.20/kWh ($0.07–$0.18 USD) — but always verify the specific municipality’s current schedule.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) sets the overall regulatory framework.

Schemes That Closed or Changed in 2024–2026

Understanding which schemes are closing — and what replaced them — is as important as knowing current rates. Export-dependent financial models built on the prior scheme’s rates will produce inaccurate payback projections.

How to Use Export Rate Data in Financial Models

Export rate data from this page is a starting point for project modeling, not a final input. Here is how to use it correctly.

Step 1: Confirm the mechanism, not just the rate. The mechanism determines whether the export value compounds or is capped. Under true net metering (Netherlands, most US states with 1:1), every exported kWh offsets an import kWh at full retail value, accumulating over the billing cycle. Under net billing (California NEM 3.0, Australia, Spain), exports are valued at a lower rate and credits do not offset future imports at the retail rate.

Step 2: Model self-consumption ratio first. For any market where export rate is below 50% of retail rate — Australia, California, France, Spain, South Africa — self-consumption ratio is the primary financial variable. A system with 80% self-consumption in a market with a 30 ¢/kWh retail rate and 5 ¢/kWh export rate earns dramatically more than a system with 50% self-consumption. Solar design software that models self-consumption ratio with real load profiles (not just annual averages) gives significantly more accurate payback calculations.

Step 3: Apply sensitivity on the export rate. Given the frequency of rate reductions globally (California, France, Netherlands, Italy, Malaysia all reduced or closed schemes in the last 3 years), base-case financial models should include a downside scenario where the export rate declines 30–50% within the system’s life. This is not pessimism — it reflects the regulatory trend. Systems with battery storage are more insulated from this scenario because their financial return is less dependent on export compensation.

Step 4: Verify annual rate updates. Germany updates EEG rates every February 1 and August 1. Japan sets FIT rates annually each April. Australia’s retailer rates change quarterly or annually. India’s state SERCs revise annually. Even in markets with “fixed” 20-year FiT contracts (Germany, Japan, France OA), the rate for new system commissionings changes regularly. A rate pulled from a comparison site 6 months ago may already be outdated.

Step 5: Document the rate at time of sale. For installer liability and customer expectation management, record the specific export rate (in local currency, source document, and date obtained) used in the financial model. If the rate changes before commissioning — which is possible in markets with quarterly updates — the customer needs to understand the impact on projected payback.

The generation and financial tool within solar design software built for solar professionals should support all of these inputs: scheme type, export rate, time-of-use structure, self-consumption modeling, and sensitivity scenarios. If your current software only accepts a single flat export rate, the financial outputs will not be accurate for most international markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has the highest solar export rate in 2026?

As of 2026, Singapore’s Simplified Credit Treatment (SCT) scheme pays a fixed ~S$0.20/kWh (approximately US$0.15/kWh), revised quarterly by SP Group. The UK’s Smart Export Guarantee offers up to 15p/kWh (~US$0.19/kWh) from premium retailers like Octopus Energy and OVO. Germany’s EEG feed-in tariff pays 7.86 ct/kWh (H2 2025 rate) for residential systems up to 10 kW. High retail electricity prices in these markets are what make the absolute export rate meaningful: a 15p/kWh UK export against a 24p/kWh retail price is roughly 63% retail parity, while a 7.86 ct/kWh German FiT against a 30 ct/kWh retail price is only about 26% retail parity.

What happened to California’s net metering rate?

California’s NEM 3.0 (effective April 2023) replaced full 1:1 retail-rate net metering with the Non-Bypassable Tariff (NBT) rate, reducing average export compensation by more than 80%. Midday exports — when solar systems produce most of their energy — earn roughly $0.02–0.05/kWh under NEM 3.0. Evening exports can reach $0.15–0.30/kWh, but solar output is minimal at those hours. The practical result is that new California solar installations under NEM 3.0 require battery storage to shift self-generation into peak-price periods. The CPUC oversees NEM 3.0; details are at cpuc.ca.gov.

Do all countries offer 1:1 retail-rate net metering?

No. Full 1:1 retail-rate net metering is becoming less common globally. Current 1:1 or near-1:1 examples include: UAE DEWA Shams Dubai (retail slab rate), most northeastern US states, the Netherlands (until January 2027), and some Indian states. Reduced-rate examples: California NEM 3.0 ($0.02–0.05/kWh), Australia (3–12 ¢ AUD vs 25–35 ¢ retail), France (4 c€ vs 21 c€ retail), Spain (variable PVPC spot, averaging €0.05–0.10/kWh). Schemes that closed: Italy’s Scambio sul Posto (September 2025), Malaysia NEM 3.0 (June 2025, replaced by Solar ATAP). Schemes ending: Netherlands saldering ends January 1, 2027.

How often do net metering rates change?

Rate change frequency varies by country and scheme type. Germany updates EEG rates every 6 months (February 1 and August 1), with a mandatory 1% degression each cycle. Japan sets FIT rates annually for the new fiscal year (April 1). Australia’s retailer offers change quarterly or annually depending on the state and retailer. India’s state SERCs typically revise tariffs annually. UK SEG rates have no mandated review cycle — suppliers set their own rates and can change them at any time. Always verify the current export rate from the official regulator portal before finalizing any project financial model.

For country-specific compliance requirements beyond export rate data, see the solar compliance hub — including detailed guides for the UK solar compliance framework, regulatory guides for each Australian state, and US state-by-state net metering rules.