EveryCalc

Finance category

Mortgage, loan, investing, tax, and money calculators.

Browse finance

Solar REC Revenue Calculator

Solar RECs monetize environmental attributes of solar generation separately from electricity.

$

Annual REC revenue

$97,500

Lifetime revenue

$1,462,500

MWh / year

650

How the math works

MWh = kWh / 1000. REC revenue = MWh × $/MWh.

650k / 1000 = 650 MWh × $150 = $97,500/yr × 15 yr = $1.46M lifetime.

How to Use

  1. Enter solar kW system size.
  2. Enter annual production kWh.
  3. Enter REC price per MWh.
  4. Enter REC life years.
  5. Read annual REC revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a REC?

Renewable Energy Certificate: represents the 'environmental attribute' of 1 MWh of renewable generation. Separate from electricity itself. Can be sold to utilities, corporations for renewable energy commitments, or voluntary markets. Solar RECs (SRECs) in some markets command premium over bundled RECs. State compliance markets: NJ, PA, MA, MD, DC, OH, IL, NY, etc.

REC pricing?

Voluntary RECs (national unbundled): $0.50-5/MWh. State compliance SRECs: $20-400/MWh depending on state. NJ SREC: $50-220/MWh. MA SREC-II: $250-400/MWh. DC: $400-500/MWh. PA: $10-40/MWh. Market swings with policy. SREC-2+ (emerging state programs): typically $50-150/MWh for small commercial systems.

Who buys?

Utilities: compliance with Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). Corporate buyers (Microsoft, Apple, Amazon): net-zero commitments. Voluntary market: smaller but growing. Brokers aggregate small producers. Multi-year contracts: landlord can lock in $50-300/MWh for 5-15 years. REC revenue adds significant return to solar system economics.

Bundled vs unbundled?

Bundled: RECs sold with underlying renewable electricity (standard utility PPA). Unbundled: RECs sold separately from electricity (more common). Green-e certified: premium pricing, certification standard. M-RETS, PJM-EIS, NEPOOL-GIS: REC registries depending on region. Landlord captures REC revenue only if not already claimed by PPA provider.

Related Calculators

More Finance Calculators

Browse all finance

Keep exploring

Next steps in Finance

View finance hub →