Idaho Solar Guides

Straight answers on solar, batteries and utility rules in Idaho, written by a local installer.

Free 2026 Idaho Solar Guide (PDF)

Idaho Power's Solar Export Credit in 2026, Explained

If you add solar in Idaho Power territory today, the power your home uses as it's produced still saves you the full retail rate. The power you send back to the grid is credited at Idaho Power's export credit rate: about 15.7 cents per kWh on summer evenings, 3.4 cents at other summer times, and 2.9 cents from October through May. Those rates are set until at least 2028, so the best systems are sized to use their own power and often include a battery.

Is Solar Worth It in Idaho in 2026?

It depends mostly on your utility. In North Idaho, Avista, Clearwater Power and Kootenai Electric Cooperative credit exported solar one-for-one, so solar is still a strong investment for most homes with a good roof. In the Treasure Valley, Idaho Power credits exports at a lower rate, so solar works best when it's sized to your usage and paired with a battery or a lease structure that still captures federal value. The federal homeowner tax credit ended for systems installed after 2025, but Idaho's state income tax deduction still applies.

Prepaid Lease vs. Buying Solar in Idaho

Since January 1, 2026, a homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan gets no federal tax credit. A prepaid lease can still bring federal value to you, because the system's legal owner is a business that can still claim it and passes part of it back as a lower price. In 2026 that often makes a prepaid lease the lowest cost way to go solar, and it can be financed for $0 out of pocket. Buying still makes sense if you want to own the system from day one, claim Idaho's state deduction, or expand freely later.

Solar and Batteries for Kootenai Electric Cooperative Members

Kootenai Electric Cooperative credits the solar energy you export one-for-one per kWh, so solar is a good fit for most KEC homes. Net-metered members also pay a monthly service charge and a peak-use charge based on demand during morning and evening peak hours. Solar alone does little for that peak charge because the sun is weak or down during those hours. A battery that covers the peak windows can lower it, which is why batteries tend to pay off better on KEC than on many other utilities.

Tesla Powerwall 3 in Idaho: What It Does on Idaho Power, Avista and KEC

Idahome Energy is a certified Tesla Powerwall installer serving Boise, the Treasure Valley, Mountain Home and North Idaho. Powerwall 3 is a 13.5 kWh home battery with a built-in solar inverter. What it is worth to you depends on your utility. On Idaho Power, it stores midday solar that would otherwise be exported for about 3 cents per kWh. On Kootenai Electric Cooperative, it can lower the peak-use charge. On every utility, it keeps your essentials running when the grid goes down.

How to Choose a Solar Company in Idaho

Start with what you can check yourself: an active Idaho contractor registration, a licensed electrical contractor doing the wiring, and reviews on more than one site. Then compare written proposals built on your own utility's rules, because Idaho Power, Avista, Kootenai Electric Cooperative and Clearwater Power credit solar differently. Idaho law requires solar sellers to give you a written disclosure statement, including a savings estimate and its assumptions, before you sign. Get more than one bid on the same terms, and walk away from anyone who promises to eliminate your power bill or claims to represent your utility.

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