AEP Ohio Net Metering and Solar Rules in 2026

Yes. AEP Ohio net metering is still available in 2026 for homes with qualifying rooftop solar. Net metering gives you credit for extra solar power you send back to the grid.

But Ohio has an important rule homeowners should understand before designing the system:

There is another major Ohio wrinkle:

Your generation supplier matters.

AEP Ohio may deliver your power while a different company sells you the electricity itself. That company is called a competitive retail electric supplier.

That can affect what happens to your extra solar power.

Does AEP Ohio Offer Net Metering?

Yes.

AEP Ohio calls its program Net Energy Metering Service. It is a special tariff (rate schedule) for customers who make their own power with qualifying private equipment. That equipment must be connected to AEP Ohio's distribution system.

Eligible resources include solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas, hydropower, certain microturbines and fuel cells.

The equipment must sit behind the customer's meter. It must also be meant mainly to offset the customer's own electricity use.

For most homeowners, that means rooftop solar qualifies.

How Does AEP Ohio Net Metering Work?

The basic idea is:

1. Your solar system produces electricity.
2. Your house uses that electricity first.
3. If the home needs more than the system is producing, AEP Ohio delivers the difference.
4. If the system produces more than the home needs, power flows back through the meter.
5. You earn a credit under your net-metering arrangement.

Ohio law requires net metering to use a meter that can measure power flowing in both directions.

What Is Ohio's 120% Solar Sizing Rule?

Current Ohio net-metering rules limit how big a customer-generator (a customer who makes their own power) can build. The system cannot exceed 120% of the customer's electricity requirements at the time of interconnection. Interconnection is when the system is approved and hooked up to the grid.

The utility usually measures those requirements using the previous three years of electricity usage.

Sometimes that history is not available. That can happen with new construction, vacancy, expansion or other unusual cases. Then the utility can use a reasonable usage estimate instead.

Why 120% Matters

Suppose your house uses 12,000 kWh per year. A kWh (kilowatt-hour) is the unit of electricity on your bill.

Under the 120% rule, a typical qualifying system should generally not be designed to produce more than about 14,400 kWh per year.

That leaves some room for expected growth. Examples include EV charging, a new heat pump, electric water heating, or added living space.

But Do Not Automatically Build to 120%

The limit is not a target. It is a ceiling.

Say the house now uses 15,000 kWh a year. The cause might be an inefficient AC, electric resistance heat, poor attic insulation, or leaky ducts. Fixing those problems could cut use to 11,000 kWh. In that case, a solar system designed around 15,000 kWh may cost more than it needs to.

The better order is:

How Are Excess Solar Credits Calculated?

This is where Ohio gets more complicated.

Some customers stay on the utility's standard net-metering tariff. Over a billing cycle, they may send more power to the utility than the utility supplied. Ohio rules say that excess becomes a monetary credit based on the energy component of the utility's Standard Service Offer.

The Standard Service Offer is the utility's default electricity supply for customers who have not picked a different supplier.

That monetary credit then carries forward to future bills.

The utility generally does not have to pay you that balance as a cash check.

The Credit Is Not the Full Retail Electricity Rate

This difference matters.

Ohio's standard utility net-metering rule refers only to the energy component of the Standard Service Offer.

So don't assume every extra kWh you export is worth your full retail rate. That all-in rate also includes distribution, transmission, riders, taxes and fixed charges.

Solar still cuts what you buy when your home uses the solar power directly.

But the value of extra exports needs to be modeled carefully.

What Happens to Unused Solar Credits?

Ohio rules allow the monetary credit to keep carrying forward on future bills.

However, the utility does not have to pay the balance out as cash. The credit may also be lost if you stop taking service from the utility or never use the balance.

That is another reason not to badly oversize a system.

What If I Use a Competitive Supplier?

This may be the single most important Ohio solar issue.

Ohio lets customers choose a Competitive Retail Electric Service provider, or CRES provider. This is a company that sells you electricity in place of the utility.

AEP Ohio still handles distribution, metering, grid reliability and outages. But another company may provide the generation part of the bill.

AEP Ohio says customers with a CRES provider should ask that supplier directly how extra solar power will be treated.

Competitive Suppliers Can Set Their Own Net-Metering Terms

Ohio rules let CRES providers offer net-metering contracts at any negotiated price, rate, credit or refund for excess generation.

They are also not required to offer net metering at all.

So two AEP Ohio customers with identical solar systems could get different export credit. It depends on which supplier each one uses.

Check Your Supplier Before Installing Solar

AEP Ohio gives homeowners a simple way to find their supplier.

If AEP Ohio is the only generation company shown on your bill, you are generally on AEP Ohio's Standard Service Offer.

If another company appears in the generation charges, you have a competitive supplier.

Before signing a solar contract, ask:

• Who is my supplier?
• Does it offer net metering?
• How are exported kWh credited?
• Does the credit expire?
• Does switching suppliers change the solar agreement?

The answers can change the math in a big way.

Can I Switch Back to AEP Ohio?

Yes.

AEP Ohio says customers can return to its Standard Service Offer. They cancel their competitive supplier contract and ask to switch back.

Supplier changes usually happen around your scheduled meter-read date.

But check cancellation fees, contract terms and solar credit rules before switching.

Is an Interconnection Agreement Required?

Yes.

AEP Ohio says customers must submit a Net Energy Metering Service application. They must also sign an Interconnection Agreement before the net-metering tariff starts.

This lets AEP Ohio review the project for safety, grid fit, metering and technical standards.

Solar should not simply be installed and turned on without utility approval.

Ohio Updated Distributed-Energy Interconnection Standards in 2026

Ohio's updated distributed-energy interconnection rule took effect July 20, 2026. Distributed energy means smaller power sources at homes and businesses, like rooftop solar.

It requires utilities to align their technical hookup steps with standards including IEEE 1547-2018, UL 1741-SB and NEC 2023.

These standards cover how solar, batteries and other distributed energy resources safely connect to the grid.

Does AEP Ohio Need to Change the Meter?

Net metering needs a meter that can track power flowing both ways.

Under Ohio law, the existing meter may not be able to do that. If so, the customer may have to pay the cost of upgrading or installing the right meter.

Ohio rules also let customers request advanced or interval metering.

Can Solar Eliminate My Entire AEP Ohio Bill?

Usually not.

Solar may offset most of your yearly energy use. You can still owe fixed monthly charges, certain riders and taxes. Some distribution charges may also not be fully offset by exported power.

Think of solar as reducing grid purchases, not making the utility bill literally disappear.

Can I Add a Battery to Solar in AEP Ohio?

Battery storage can be paired with solar, subject to interconnection rules.

A battery may help with outage backup, using more of your own solar, shifting when you use power, and sending less solar to the grid.

That last point can matter in Ohio.

Exported power may be worth less than power used directly in the home. If so, storing solar for later can raise how much of it your home uses itself.

But Batteries Are Not Automatically a Better Financial Deal

A battery costs money.

If your main goal is monthly bill savings, the battery must add enough value to justify its extra cost.

For some households, it may not.

For others, backup power may be worth it no matter the payback.

Solar Does Not Automatically Provide Backup Power

A standard grid-tied solar system normally shuts down when the grid goes down.

That protects line workers from power being fed onto utility lines they believe are dead.

For outage backup, the system generally needs battery storage, a backup-capable inverter, transfer equipment and the right setup.

That should be designed on purpose.

Ohio's Current Solar Economics Changed in 2026

Be especially careful with outdated online calculators.

The former federal Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for new qualifying spending after December 31, 2025.

So a solar project installed under current 2026 rules should not be modeled with the old 30% federal residential credit.

That can change the payback a lot.

Does Ohio Have State Solar Incentives?

Ohio solar savings may also include other local or project-specific incentives. These can depend on your town, financing, utility programs and renewable-energy certificate markets.

But check those at the time of the project rather than assuming them.

When Does Solar Make Sense in AEP Ohio Territory?

Strong candidates often have high yearly electricity use, good roof exposure and little shade. They also tend to plan on staying in the home a long time, expect steady future power needs and get a reasonable project price.

A poor solar candidate may have very low usage, heavy shade, a roof replacement coming soon, expensive financing or a very inefficient HVAC system.

The Ashborn Approach

Ashborn Partners starts with your AEP Ohio usage and your generation supplier. We also look at your HVAC, roof, future EV or electrification plans, solar and battery storage before recommending a system.