Solar Guide for Seattle City Light Customers

If you're a Seattle City Light customer considering solar energy, you're making a smart financial decision. With residential electricity rates averaging 11.2 cents per kWh, solar panels can dramatically reduce or even eliminate your monthly electric bill. The typical Seattle City Light customer spends approximately $90 per month on electricity — money that could be working for you instead of going to the utility.

City of Seattle

Seattle City Light has a full retail rate net metering policy. This is one of the best net metering structures available — you receive full retail rate credits of 11.2¢/kWh for every excess kilowatt-hour your solar system sends to the grid. This means your solar panels generate maximum value, as surplus energy produced during sunny afternoons offsets your evening and nighttime consumption at the same rate.

An 8kW solar system for a Seattle City Light customer costs approximately $21,840 before the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit. After the ITC, your net cost drops to about $15,288. This system produces enough clean energy to save you approximately $1,029 per year, resulting in a payback period of roughly 10.8 years.

After your system pays for itself, you'll enjoy 13+ years of dramatically reduced electricity costs. Over a 25-year period, total savings for Seattle City Light customers are estimated at $25,725 — and that's without accounting for the likely 2-3% annual increase in electricity rates that would make your savings even greater.