How Kootenai Electric Cooperative credits solar, what the peak-use charge is, and why batteries pay off better for KEC members in North Idaho.
Updated September 2026
Short answer
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.
Kootenai County is split between Kootenai Electric Cooperative and Avista, and neighbors can be on different utilities. KEC serves many homes around Hayden, Rathdrum, Post Falls and the outskirts of Coeur d'Alene. Check the name on your power bill, or send it to us and we'll confirm.
KEC credits exported solar energy one kWh for one kWh. Banked kWh credits offset the energy portion of your bill. They cannot be used to pay fixed charges like the monthly service charge or the peak-use charge.
These figures come from KEC's published net metering program as of September 2026. Check kec.com for the current numbers.
For example, if your peak-use charge is based on 9 kW, the first 5 kW are exempt and you'd pay $6 on the other 4 kW, or $24 for that month.
KEC's peak windows are early morning and early evening. In winter the sun is barely up during those hours, and in summer production is low at the edges of the day. Solar panels cut your energy charges, but they do very little to lower your demand during the peak windows.
A battery can be set to power your home during the 6 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. windows, keeping the demand KEC measures low. It recharges from your solar during the day.
It also keeps selected loads running during outages. North Idaho outages are often weather-driven, and for homes on a well, keeping the pump running matters.
Idahome Energy is a certified Tesla Powerwall 3 installer. We manage North Idaho projects from our Post Falls office, and our highly vetted installer partners complete the field work.
We confirm your utility, review your recent KEC usage history and model both the energy savings and the peak-use savings before recommending a system. If a battery doesn't make sense for your home, we'll tell you.
Yes. KEC credits exported solar energy one-for-one per kWh. Banked credits offset energy charges but not fixed charges.
KEC charges $6 per kW of demand during peak hours, 6 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. The first 5 kW are exempt. Check kec.com for current rates.
Yes. A battery that powers your home during the peak windows can lower the peak-use charge, on top of the energy savings from solar.
Check the utility name on your power bill. Kootenai County is split between the two, so neighbors can be on different utilities.
Yes. We serve Hayden, Rathdrum, Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and the surrounding area from our Post Falls office.
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