Solar for Southern California Edison (SCE) Customers: Net Metering and Export Credits
How your utility credits the solar power you send back to the grid has a big effect on what solar is worth to you. Here's what official sources say for Southern California Edison (SCE) customers. Rules change, so confirm current terms with the utility before you sign.
About Southern California Edison (SCE)
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Form EIA-861 data for 2024 lists 4,594,415 residential customers for Southern California Edison Co (California), ranking #3 among U.S. utilities in our tally of bundled plus delivery-only residential customers. Source: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
How Southern California Edison (SCE) credits home solar
- Under SCE's Solar Billing Plan, Energy Export Credits vary hourly and are based on the CPUC-approved Avoided Cost Calculator; SCE says these prices will usually be lower than the rate you pay for electricity. Customers who enroll before January 1, 2028 have fixed export credit prices for the first nine years. Source: https://www.sce.com/customer-service-center/help-center/solar/solar-billing-plan/solar-billing-plan-faqs (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Export credits can't reduce fixed fees, non-bypassable charges, or taxes. At the end of your 12-month Relevant Period, leftover credits are applied to eligible charges and the rest are forfeited; you may be eligible for Net Surplus Compensation at a wholesale rate. Source: https://www.sce.com/customer-service-center/help-center/solar/solar-billing-plan/solar-billing-plan-faqs (accessed 2026-10-20)
- SCE says simple, standard solar-only interconnection requests with complete documents may receive Permission to Operate within 10 business days; processing times vary. Source: https://www.sce.com/customer-service-center/help-center/solar/solar-billing-plan/solar-billing-plan-faqs (accessed 2026-10-20)
A note on the federal tax credit
The federal residential clean energy credit (25D) doesn't apply to expenditures made after December 31, 2025. The IRS treats an expenditure as made when installation is completed. Source: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-obbb (accessed 2026-10-20). This page isn't tax advice.
What this means for your quote
Savings depend on how much of your solar you use on site versus export, your rate plan, and your system size. We can't give a typical savings figure; it varies, and your quote should show the assumptions behind any estimate.
Questions for your installer
- Is the system sized to my historical usage? (SCE may adjust credits for oversized systems.)
- Which export credit vintage does your estimate assume?
- Will you handle the Southern California Edison (SCE) interconnection application?
Sources
- https://www.sce.com/customer-service-center/help-center/solar/solar-billing-plan/solar-billing-plan-faqs (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 (2024 data) — https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/ (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- IRS, "FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, and 179D under Public Law 119-21 (OBBB)" — https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-obbb (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
SolarMatchup is a free service: you submit one request and we match you with one installer. Their proposal is an estimate, not a guarantee — use this guide to read it carefully and ask questions before you sign. Savings, if any, depend on your usage, utility rates, and local rules.
Last reviewed 2026-10-20.
More for California homeowners: state guide with utility rules, prices and city pages.
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