Most Gilbert homes are served by Salt River Project (SRP), a community-based public power utility the Arizona Corporation Commission does not regulate, with some areas served by APS. Arizona uses net billing, not retail net metering, so SRP puts new solar homes on a demand-based Customer Generation price plan and pays an export credit near 3.45 cents per exported kWh (SRP, verify current). According to MySolarFY’s analysis (August 2026), a typical 6 kW roof in ZIP 85234 makes about 10,502 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts).
Going solar in Gilbert works differently than the ads suggest, and the reason is your utility. Most of Gilbert is served by Salt River Project, a community-based public power utility that runs its own solar rules, rather than by a company the Arizona Corporation Commission oversees. That changes the price plan you land on, how your extra power is credited, and why a battery is worth a serious look here. This page covers what a Gilbert roof realistically produces, how SRP’s demand-based solar plans and export credit work, the permits your project needs, the Arizona incentives that still apply, and the dated federal tax-credit facts, then you can check your address in about a minute.
Why solar in Gilbert starts with your utility: mostly SRP
Most Gilbert homes get their power from Salt River Project (SRP), a community-based public power utility, while some neighborhoods are served by Arizona Public Service (APS). This matters because SRP is not regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission the way APS and Tucson Electric Power are. SRP is governed by its own elected board, and it sets its own solar price plans, export credits, and interconnection rules (SRP residential price plan changes, as of August 2026). So the first step for any Gilbert homeowner is simple: check the utility name on your electric bill, because your solar math depends entirely on whether you are an SRP or an APS customer.
The rest of this page focuses on the SRP case, since that is most of Gilbert. For the statewide picture of how Arizona handles solar, rates, and incentives, see our Arizona solar guide, and for a deeper look at the utility itself, see our Salt River Project solar guide. If your bill says APS instead, your export credit and plan rules are set by the Arizona Corporation Commission and differ from what follows.
| Feature | Gilbert on SRP | Gilbert on APS |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | SRP elected board (not the ACC) | Arizona Corporation Commission |
| Retail net metering? | No, net billing with export credits | No, net billing (RCP export rate) |
| Solar price plans | Demand-based Customer Generation plans | Time-of-use plans |
| Export credit | Near 3.45 cents/kWh (verify current) | Set by the ACC, verify current |
What a Gilbert roof produces, and what it offsets
Gilbert sits in some of the sunniest terrain in the country, and a typical roof turns that into strong output. According to MySolarFY’s analysis (August 2026), a typical 6 kW system in Gilbert (ZIP 85234) produces about 10,502 kWh a year, modeled with the NREL PVWatts calculator at roughly 6.51 kWh per square meter per day of sun. That is a modeled estimate for a well-placed roof, so your own output depends on pitch, shading, and orientation. Estimate your specific roof with PVWatts before you size a system.
The value of that output depends on the rate it offsets. Arizona residential electricity averages about 15.23 cents per kWh (EIA, as of May 2026). At that rate, 10,502 kWh a year is worth roughly $1,599 of avoided grid electricity. SRP sets its own rates and its solar plans layer on demand charges, so read the plan sheet for your exact number. Because SRP’s export credit near 3.45 cents is well below its retail rate, the power you use as your panels make it is worth far more than the power you export, which is exactly why sizing to your usage, and often adding a battery, matters so much in Gilbert.
See what solar programs are available at your Gilbert address
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How SRP’s solar plans and export credit work
SRP retired traditional net metering, so a new Gilbert solar home goes on a demand-based Customer Generation price plan, not one-for-one credit. Under net billing, the solar you use in real time offsets power at your full retail rate, but the surplus you send to the grid earns a lower export credit, near 3.45 cents per exported kWh on SRP’s flat-export solar plans (SRP, as of August 2026, verify current). Several SRP solar plans also add a monthly demand charge based on your highest 30-minute stretch of usage, plus a fixed monthly service charge, so how and when you use power affects the bill as much as how much solar you make.
Because export pays less than retail and demand charges reward smoother usage, the smart design in Gilbert leans toward self-consumption and storage. Sizing your array close to your annual usage, shifting big loads such as pool pumps and AC pre-cooling into daylight hours, and adding a battery to shave your peak demand and store surplus for the evening all raise the value you keep. This is a different optimization than a full one-for-one net-metering state, and it is why so many Gilbert installers now quote a battery by default. For the general mechanics, see how net metering and export credits work, and for Arizona’s specific rules, see our Arizona net billing guide.
Permits in Gilbert: a town permit plus utility interconnection
A Gilbert solar project needs a Town of Gilbert building and electrical permit plus a separate interconnection sign-off from SRP or APS. Your installer pulls the permit through the Town of Gilbert, which runs its own building safety review as the local authority having jurisdiction, distinct from neighboring Chandler and Mesa, which each permit under their own process. Arizona now directs cities toward faster instant permitting for standard rooftop systems, so timelines can be short when a system meets the prescriptive rules, but confirm the current Gilbert process and fees before you sign. Separately, SRP (or APS, if that is your utility) reviews your interconnection application and sets the meter, and only after that approval and inspection is your system cleared to switch on.
The practical takeaway is to hire an installer who works in Gilbert and SRP territory regularly. A company that does SRP interconnections every week already knows the demand-plan math, the battery sizing that makes it work, and the town’s inspection steps, which keeps your Permission to Operate from stalling. For questions to ask before you hire, see the right questions to ask a solar installer.
The federal credit ended, and what still applies in Arizona
The 30% federal homeowner credit is gone for 2026 systems. The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a Gilbert homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit; SEIA, as of 2026). You will still see ads implying the 30% credit is available; the accurate answer for 2026 is that the homeowner version already ended. A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, is claimed by the business that owns a leased or power purchase agreement (PPA) system, not by the homeowner (IRS Clean Electricity Investment Credit, as of 2026).
Arizona, unlike some states, still offers its own state solar incentives. Arizona has a state solar tax credit worth 25% of system cost up to $1,000 (claimed on Arizona Form 310), plus a state sales-tax exemption on solar equipment and a property-tax exemption so the added home value is not taxed (Arizona Department of Revenue, verify current). These are state benefits, separate from the credit that ended after December 31, 2025, so confirm your eligibility with a tax professional. For the full breakdown, see our Arizona solar incentives guide.
How to pay for solar in Gilbert
There is no single right way to pay for solar; the best fit depends on whether you want to own the system or avoid an up-front cost. A lease or PPA can mean no up-front cost for eligible homeowners, but it is a long-term agreement with monthly payments, not free solar, and on a lease or PPA the system owner, not you, holds the tax benefits. Ownership also matters more in SRP territory, because a battery you own is what shaves the demand charges. To weigh the long-run numbers, see whether solar panels are worth it.
| Path | Up-front cost | Who owns it | Who keeps tax benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash purchase | Highest | You | You |
| Solar loan | Low to none | You | You |
| Lease / PPA | Often none | The provider | The provider |
Check which solar programs are available at your Gilbert address →
Gilbert solar FAQ
Reviewed by the MySolarFY team. Figures were verified against the linked SRP, EIA, NREL PVWatts, IRS, SEIA, and Arizona Department of Revenue sources as of August 2026; SRP price plans, export credits, and Town of Gilbert permitting requirements can change, so confirm current terms with your utility and the Town of Gilbert before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about the MySolarFY team and how we work.
MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, or government program. “No up-front cost” refers to qualifying lease or PPA financing, where eligible homeowners may have no out-of-pocket cost at installation. Lease and PPA terms typically run 20 to 25 years, may include an annual price escalator, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase; on a lease or PPA the tax benefits go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Eligibility, savings, incentives, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
