The Oregon Community Solar Program offers low-income participants guaranteed electricity bill discounts. This page is intended to help you understand how discounts are calculated and how much you can expect to save through this program. Many of the terms and information found below can be found within your contract.
Definition of Terms
- Household electricity consumption (kWh) is the amount of electricity your household consumes throughout the year. Reference past utility bill(s) to find your monthly (and annual) consumption.
- Electricity Costs are based on a number of variable and fixed costs, including electricity charges, taxes, fees, credits and adjustments. Reference past utility bill(s) to help determine your annual costs.
- Energy Adjustment (%) determines how much of your historical energy usage (up to 5 years) is sourced into the size of your solar subscription. This is calculated by either your project manager, Energy Trust of Oregon, or both. We recommend sizing your subscription at 80% of your total annual energy use. The final energy adjustment (%) is decided by your project manager, you, or both.
- Solar Production (kWh) is the amount of expected solar energy that you can access through your subscription every year. It is based on your historical energy usage (kWh) multiplied by your energy adjustment (%).
- Subscription Size (kW) is based on your household electricity consumption (kWh), energy adjustment (%) and solar panel production (kWh per kW). Any change to one or more of these variables will impact your total solar subscription size.
- Bill Savings: Calculated as the difference between bill credits and subscription fees.
- Bill Credits are calculated as your bill credit rate ($/kWh) multiplied by total solar production (kWh) throughout the year. The bill credit rate is a fixed amount per kWh and is the same for all utility customers of Portland General Electric.
- Subscription Fees are calculated as your subscription fee rate ($/kWh) multiplied by total solar production (kWh) throughout the year. The subscription fee rate is a fixed amount per kWh determined by your project manager and is at least 20% less than the bill credit rate.
- Percent Savings are calculated as your annual solar savings divided by your annual electricity costs.
Portland General Electric Savings Chart
Annual Electricity Costs | Household Electricity Consumption (kWh) | Energy Adjustment | Solar Subscription (kWh) | Subscription Size (1800 kWh/kW) | Annual Bill Credits | Annual Subscription Fees | Annual Savings | Percent Savings |
$381.10 | 2000 | 80% | 1600 | 0.89 | $179.74 | $143.79 | $35.95 | 9.43% |
$439.52 | 2500 | 80% | 2000 | 1.11 | $224.68 | $179.74 | $44.94 | 10.22% |
$497.94 | 3000 | 80% | 2400 | 1.33 | $269.62 | $215.69 | $53.93 | 10.83% |
$556.36 | 3500 | 80% | 2800 | 1.56 | $314.55 | $251.64 | $62.92 | 11.31% |
$614.78 | 4000 | 80% | 3200 | 1.78 | $359.49 | $287.58 | $71.90 | 11.70% |
$673.20 | 4500 | 80% | 3600 | 2 | $404.42 | $323.53 | $80.89 | 12.02% |
$731.62 | 5000 | 80% | 4000 | 2.22 | $449.36 | $359.48 | $89.88 | 12.29% |
$790.04 | 5500 | 80% | 4400 | 2.44 | $494.30 | $395.43 | $98.87 | 12.51% |
$848.46 | 6000 | 80% | 4800 | 2.67 | $539.23 | $431.38 | $107.86 | 12.71% |
$906.88 | 6500 | 80% | 5200 | 2.89 | $584.17 | $467.32 | $116.84 | 12.88% |
$965.30 | 7000 | 80% | 5600 | 3.11 | $629.10 | $503.27 | $125.83 | 13.04% |
$1,023.71 | 7500 | 80% | 6000 | 3.33 | $674.04 | $539.22 | $134.82 | 13.17% |
$1,082.13 | 8000 | 80% | 6400 | 3.56 | $718.98 | $575.17 | $143.81 | 13.29% |
$1,140.55 | 8500 | 80% | 6800 | 3.78 | $763.91 | $611.12 | $152.80 | 13.40% |
$1,198.97 | 9000 | 80% | 7200 | 4 | $808.85 | $647.06 | $161.78 | 13.49% |
$1,257.39 | 9500 | 80% | 7600 | 4.22 | $853.78 | $683.01 | $170.77 | 13.58% |
$1,315.81 | 10000 | 80% | 8000 | 4.44 | $898.72 | $718.96 | $179.76 | 13.66% |
$1,374.23 | 10500 | 80% | 8400 | 4.67 | $943.66 | $754.91 | $188.75 | 13.73% |
$1,432.65 | 11000 | 80% | 8800 | 4.89 | $988.59 | $790.86 | $197.74 | 13.80% |
$1,491.07 | 11500 | 80% | 9200 | 5.11 | $1,033.53 | $826.80 | $206.72 | 13.86% |
$1,549.49 | 12000 | 80% | 9600 | 5.33 | $1,078.46 | $862.75 | $215.71 | 13.92% |
$1,611.70 | 12500 | 80% | 10000 | 5.56 | $1,123.40 | $898.70 | $224.70 | 13.94% |
$1,673.92 | 13000 | 80% | 10400 | 5.78 | $1,168.34 | $934.65 | $233.69 | 13.96% |
$1,736.13 | 13500 | 80% | 10800 | 6 | $1,213.27 | $970.60 | $242.68 | 13.98% |
$1,798.35 | 14000 | 80% | 11200 | 6.22 | $1,258.21 | $1,006.54 | $251.66 | 13.99% |
$1,860.56 | 14500 | 80% | 11600 | 6.44 | $1,303.14 | $1,042.49 | $260.65 | 14.01% |
$1,922.78 | 15000 | 80% | 12000 | 6.67 | $1,348.08 | $1,078.44 | $269.64 | 14.02% |
$1,984.99 | 15500 | 80% | 12400 | 6.89 | $1,393.02 | $1,114.39 | $278.63 | 14.04% |
$2,047.20 | 16000 | 80% | 12800 | 7.11 | $1,437.95 | $1,150.34 | $287.62 | 14.05% |
$2,109.42 | 16500 | 80% | 13200 | 7.33 | $1,482.89 | $1,186.28 | $296.60 | 14.06% |
$2,171.63 | 17000 | 80% | 13600 | 7.56 | $1,527.82 | $1,222.23 | $305.59 | 14.07% |
$2,233.85 | 17500 | 80% | 14000 | 7.78 | $1,572.76 | $1,258.18 | $314.58 | 14.08% |
$2,296.06 | 18000 | 80% | 14400 | 8 | $1,617.70 | $1,294.13 | $323.57 | 14.09% |
Disclaimer: Please note that the numbers and figures represented above are based on a number of variable factors and assumptions. This chart is intended as a guide to help illustrate potential savings yet any change to one of these variables (e.g. your electricity consumption year-over-year or energy adjustment percentage) will impact all calculations illustrated above. As such, individual savings will vary on a case-by-case basis.
We support you.
If you find that you need extra assistance, please contact Community Energy Project, our low-income nonprofit partner.
CommunityEnergyProject.org
Community Solar Coordinator
971-544-8718
971-544-8720 (Spanish)
[email protected]