Solar States

Tool 06 · Credits

How much can solar certificates pay you?

Pick a program reference, size your system and enter a price you have verified. The 10-year constant-price scenario is not a verified program payment schedule.

MarketsSREC / SMART / Shines
Horizon10-year view
StatusPrices in review

Use this free SREC income calculator to estimate certificate income from a selected market, system size and a price you enter. The tool shows planning math and program uncertainty instead of treating certificate revenue as guaranteed savings.

No email required. Instant browser-based planning math with clear assumptions.

The honest print

Certificate income is the least certain line on any solar projection — treat it as a bonus, not a payback pillar.

  • What's measured: annual solar radiation at the state capital from the 2024 Open-Meteo archive (the same numbers as the sun look-up). Output = measured sun × system size × a PVWatts-style derate.
  • What you must supply: a verified price and its payment unit. Program eligibility, award terms and payment timing remain in review here; no price is prefilled. Confirm whether your actual agreement pays per certificate or per kWh and whether the selected calculation mode matches it. A constant-price scenario is not an award or an approved payment schedule.
  • Risks this tool won't hide: program vintages expire, alternative-compliance payments can cap or kill markets, and a certificate that can't be sold is worth $0. Income is also taxable.

Questions homeowners ask

What is an SREC?
A Solar Renewable Energy Certificate is a tradable certificate issued for each 1,000 kWh (1 MWh) of solar generation, used by electricity suppliers to prove they met state renewable mandates. Its value floats with supply, demand and each state's rules — it is not a fixed rebate.
Why do you ask me for the price?
Because certificate prices are the least stable number in solar finance — some trade bid/ask like stocks, others are set by a fixed tariff at contract time. Publishing our own price would go stale fast; letting you type today's number keeps the math honest and current.
Which states actually pay certificate income?
The states with active markets as of this writing: MA, DE, NJ, IL, plus MD, DC and VA whose programs are marked in review; tradable SREC markets persist in PA and the PJM region. Every state's page lists its own rules; the tool's status chips tell you where to verify.
Is certificate income guaranteed?
No. Program vintages expire, compliance periods change, and alternative-compliance payments can cap or kill a market. Treat certificate income as a bonus that may shrink to zero — never as the pillar of your payback case.

What this tool estimates

Use this free SREC income calculator to estimate certificate income from a selected market, system size and a price you enter. The tool shows planning math and program uncertainty instead of treating certificate revenue as guaranteed savings.

No email required. Results are calculated in your browser; use them as a planning estimate, not a guaranteed quote or savings forecast.

How the math works

Estimated certificate income is annual solar output divided into certificate units, multiplied by the price you enter. Output uses the tool's stated solar-resource frame; market price, eligibility, vintage and program rules remain outside the calculator's control.

Key variables that change your result

System size and production

A larger or sunnier system can create more certificate-eligible generation, subject to program rules.

Certificate price

SREC and related market prices can change by vintage, month, supply and demand.

Program eligibility

Registration, utility territory, program funding and contract rules can determine whether income is available at all.

Questions homeowners ask

How is SREC income calculated?
The tool estimates annual solar output, converts it to certificate units and multiplies by the price you enter for the relevant program.
Are SREC payments guaranteed?
No. Eligibility, market pricing, certificate vintages and program rules can change. Treat certificate income as a planning variable, not guaranteed payback.
Which states have solar certificate programs?
Programs vary by state and change over time. Use the state selector and verify current rules on the official program source before relying on a result.

State context matters

Find your state solar guide

Costs, incentives, export rules and payback inputs vary by state. Open your state guide before treating any calculator result as a buying decision.

Browse all 50 state guides