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NEM 3.0 Export Rate Calculator

See what your solar exports are worth under California's Net Billing Tariff, which pays a fraction of the old retail-rate credit.

Reviewed by the CA Tools Editorial Team · Data last verified · Official sources · Update schedule

NEM 3.0 pays for exported solar at your utility's avoided-cost rate for each hour. NEM 2.0 paid close to the retail rate. Because the rate changes by hour and month, this tool gives a range based on your monthly export estimate.

Estimate Your Export Credit

NEM 3.0 Export Rate Calculator

Enter the amount you send back to the grid, not your total solar production. A recent bill or your installer can give you this number.

Enter your estimated monthly export and answer both questions to continue.

How this is calculated

Under the NEM 3.0 Net Billing Tariff, each kWh you export is credited at your utility's Avoided Cost Calculator (ACC) rate for that hour and month. No flat cents-per-kWh figure is published, because the rate is meant to follow the value of that electricity to the grid at the time.

Blended across a typical year, most customers earn about 2–10 cents/kWh, compared with roughly 25–30 cents/kWh under the old NEM 2.0 near-retail credit. This tool uses that blended range. For a precise figure, use your utility's ACC lookup tool.

Customers on CARE/FERA or with a qualifying battery can add 2.2–9 cents/kWh (the "ACC Plus" adder) for their first 9 years on the tariff. NEM 3.0 applies to nearly all systems interconnected on or after April 15, 2023. Older systems may still be on a legacy NEM 1.0 or 2.0 rate for a fixed transition period.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do I get paid for solar exports under NEM 3.0?

NEM 3.0 (the Net Billing Tariff) has no flat rate. The rate changes by hour and month under each utility's Avoided Cost Calculator, and for most customers it averages roughly 2-10 cents per kWh across a year. The old NEM 2.0 near-retail credit was about 25-30 cents per kWh.

Why is NEM 3.0 so much lower than NEM 2.0?

NEM 2.0 credited exports at close to the retail rate you pay for electricity. NEM 3.0 pays the utility's avoided cost for that electricity in the hour it's exported. Most rooftop solar exports happen at midday, when the grid has the least need for extra power and the avoided-cost value is lowest.

What is the ACC Plus adder?

An additional per-kWh credit on top of the base export rate, available for the first nine years to customers on a low-income rate (CARE or FERA) or who pair their solar with a qualifying battery. It's meant to soften the transition to lower export rates for those groups.

Can I still get old NEM 2.0 rates on a new system?

No. NEM 3.0 has applied to nearly all new solar interconnections since April 15, 2023. Customers who were interconnected under NEM 1.0 or NEM 2.0 before that date keep their legacy rate, generally for a fixed number of years from their interconnection date.

Does a battery help under NEM 3.0?

Generally yes. Exports earn little, so a battery that stores midday solar for the evening, when grid electricity is expensive, usually saves more than exporting that power would earn. That is the main reason far more new solar systems have included batteries since NEM 3.0 began.

This tool provides an educational estimate only and is not affiliated with PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, or the CPUC. Your export rate depends on your utility's published Avoided Cost Calculator at the time of export. Confirm the figure with your utility before making a financial decision.