Wisconsin
Wisconsin solar in 2026
Wisconsin has a legitimate reason to move this year: Focus on Energy offers up to $2,400 for a residential solar installation, but the rebate is first-come, first-served and the filing deadline for 2026 installs is January 31, 2027. That is real urgency. The part that is not simple is export compensation, because Wisconsin does not have one statewide net-metering price. Your serving utility tariff is part of the purchase decision.
Wisconsin electricity makes solar plausible. The rebate makes the timing better.
The state's retail price is high enough for a carefully sized roof to deserve attention. The owned-solar comparison gets more compelling when the Focus on Energy rebate is available, but a rebate cannot tell you how your utility credits exports. Keep the cash incentive and the tariff analysis separate. Both matter.
| Energy source | Type | Average price | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin residential electricity | Electricity | 19.74¢ per kWh | The May 2026 EIA observation for Wisconsin household power. |
| Wisconsin household gas | Natural gas | $11.79 per Mcf | EIA's Wisconsin residential gas figure for 2026-05, near 3.9 cents per thermal kWh. |
| Solar electricity from an owned roof | Electricity | ~9.2¢ per kWh | A 25-year levelized production cost drawn from the EnergySage state cash figure and our PVGIS runs. It is not the utility's export-compensation promise. |
Electricity pricing comes from EIA Table 5.6.A for May 2026. Gas pricing uses EIA natural gas prices, 2026-05. At about 304 kWh of thermal energy, 1 Mcf provides the conversion used here. The rooftop calculation is documented on the methodology page.
Wisconsin solar output is steadier than the weather mythology
The four cities here sit in a narrow modeled band. Madison is at the top and Green Bay at the bottom. A house can certainly underperform because of shade, roof planes, or snow cover, but the statewide resource is not a license for an installer to use a wildly low baseline without explaining it.
| Location | Annual production per kW | 13.33 kW array total |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 1,338.8 | 17,846 kWh |
| Madison | 1,346.4 | 17,948 kWh |
| Green Bay | 1,305.9 | 17,408 kWh |
| Eau Claire | 1,311.8 | 17,486 kWh |
PVGIS v5.2 model runs by Solar Learning Lab on August 18, 2026, using the NSRDB radiation database. Assumptions: fixed roof mount, south facing, 30 degree tilt, 14 percent losses. Your roof will differ. PVGIS v5.2.
Wisconsin has utility-set net metering, not a statewide rate
Compensation is set utility by utility through tariffs approved by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Interconnection for distributed generators of 15 MW or less follows PSC Chapter 119. At We Energies, CGS NM is the available net-metered option for systems below 300 kW, while CGS DS applies at 300 kW and above and CGS NP applies for certain post-October 7, 2014 customers.
The legacy rate names matter because CGS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and CGS-PV are closed to new accounts and additional generation. The grandfathering period for CGS 1, 2, 6 and 8 customers operating or applied by October 7, 2014 ran through December 31, 2024. Do not rely on an old neighbor's tariff. Get the current tariff for your own service address and ask how an approved rate review changes credits.
| Rule | Threshold or term | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide compensation | No single price | Tariff set by serving utility |
| We Energies CGS NM | Under 300 kW | Currently available net-metered option |
| Interconnection rule | 15 MW or less | PSC Chapter 119 |
Policy source: PSC Wisconsin customer-owned generation guidance. Ask the serving utility for its current customer-generation tariff before you price exports.
Focus on Energy is cash, live, and deadline-driven
| Item | Value | Fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Focus on Energy solar rebate | Up to $2,400 per home | For purchases and installations from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. First-come, first-served. (Focus on Energy) |
| Focus on Energy filing deadline | January 31, 2027 | Apply within 60 days of installation and no later than the deadline. Grid-tied, behind-the-meter systems at participating utilities need a minimum five-year warranty. (Focus on Energy) |
| Property tax | Solar systems exempt | Wis. Stat. § 70.111(18). (Wisconsin Legislature) |
| Federal 25D | Ended December 31, 2025 | A lease or PPA business can claim the federal 48E credit and may account for a share of it in the customer price (CRS) |
This is the uncommon state where an actual residential solar cash rebate is a sensible centerpiece. Do not overstate it. The system must meet the program terms, there is one rebate per residential site per calendar year, and the annual budget is first-come, first-served.
In Wisconsin, schedule the paperwork before treating the rebate as savings
Focus on Energy rebate up to $2,400 with deadline January 31 2027. That is the practical calendar line for a qualifying residential project, but it is not the whole set of conditions. The 2026 program covers purchases and installations from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. An application must arrive within 60 days of installation and no later than January 31, 2027. Funding is first-come, first-served, so this is a sequence problem, not a reason to skip the tariff review.
The Focus on Energy program also requires a grid-tied, behind-the-meter system on a participating utility and a minimum five-year warranty. There is one residential rebate per site per calendar year. Put those requirements on the proposal checklist in plain language. A vague promise that someone will handle the paperwork leaves the homeowner holding the deadline.
Interconnection has its own paper trail. Wisconsin's Public Service Commission directs applicants to the serving utility using state-approved Distributed Generation Interconnection Forms. The listed materials include Form 6031, a Solar Photovoltaic Supplement, an Energy Storage Supplement, Form 6032 and Form 6033 pre-application data reports, and Form 6029 for the agreement, all dated May 1, 2024. The PSC customer-owned generation page is a better starting point than an old neighbor's paperwork.
At We Energies, the current residential option is CGS NM for systems under 300 kW. Older CGS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and CGS-PV rate categories are closed to new accounts and added generation. The utility says an approved rate review can change the retail energy price used for the kWh credit, with reviews normally every two years. Ask which tariff the address will enter, then decide what exports are worth.
There is one more durable item to keep separate from rebate timing. Wis. Stat. § 70.111(18) exempts qualifying solar energy systems from general property taxes. That exemption does not establish an export price, and it does not remove the program's installation and filing conditions. A clean proposal shows the property-tax treatment, the rebate, and the utility tariff as three different pieces of the economics.
Run the Wisconsin calculator, then verify your utility tariff
The calculator uses the statewide price and city production range to frame a rooftop purchase. It does not substitute for the serving utility's customer-generation tariff. Apply the Focus on Energy rebate only after confirming the project qualifies and can meet the filing deadline.
Slider bounds come from our PVGIS runs across four Wisconsin cities. Your roof can differ because shade, orientation, and equipment choice matter.
Cash quotes in Wisconsin cluster near $3.06 per watt, against a $3.50 national 2024 median (LBNL). Use your quote.
Assumptions you can change
Use the rate on your actual lease or PPA quote. There is no published statewide average we trust enough to hardcode.
Cash purchase
$15,606 after state credit
- Year 1 benefit
- $111/mo
- Payback
- 11 years
- 20 year net position
- $16,789
No state income-tax credit is included. Wisconsin homeowners may qualify for a Focus on Energy rebate up to $2,400, subject to program terms and first-come, first-served funding.
Solar loan
$195/mo 15 yr payment
- Year 1 net
- -$84/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- -$2,755
We price loans at $4.26 per watt, the EnergySage cash figure plus the $1.20 national loan-over-cash spread LBNL documents.
Lease / PPA
$0 down you buy the power
- Year 1 net
- -$24/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- -$5,098
A lease or PPA provider can still claim the federal 48E business credit. Compare its terms with a purchase that can use the Focus on Energy rebate if eligible.
Estimates, not quotes. Inputs use Wisconsin EIA pricing, our PVGIS production runs, and EnergySage cost data. Export compensation is set by your utility tariff. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures.
Wisconsin details to put on the project checklist
- Treat January 31, 2027 as a filing deadline, not an installation deadline. Applications also need to be filed within 60 days of installation.
- Ask the installer to name the serving utility tariff. Wisconsin has no one-size-fits-all export price.
- At We Energies, do not use a closed legacy CGS rate as a savings assumption for a new account.
- The PSC supplies standardized interconnection forms, including Form 6031 and the solar photovoltaic supplement, dated May 1, 2024.
Wisconsin installers to ask about both rebate paperwork and tariffs
A helpful installer here is not just a panel seller. They should be able to identify the serving utility program and keep the Focus on Energy paperwork from becoming an afterthought. The review counts below are a snapshot, not an endorsement.
Everlight Solar
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
4.7(376 Google reviews)
Arch Solar
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
4.9(90 Google reviews)
Home Team Energy Company
Brookfield, Wisconsin
5.0(84 Google reviews)
Lehmann Electrical & Design
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
4.9(463 Google reviews)
Midwest Solutions Inc
Serves southeastern Wisconsin
4.9(224 Google reviews)
Google Maps ratings and review counts, captured in August 2026 through the DataForSEO SERP feed. Zero companies paid us and none are endorsed by us. Confirm the project's applicable state and local licensing before you commit.
Get a Wisconsin estimate while the 2026 rebate window is still useful
Take four questions against the EIA rate and PVGIS production information on this page. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. Our disclosures explain the relationship.
What does your monthly electric bill look like?
Wisconsin average is $111 per month (EIA, 2024).