Ohio Solar SRECs

What an Ohio SREC Is

A solar renewable energy credit (SREC), also called an S-REC, is a tradeable certificate that represents the environmental attributes of one megawatt-hour (1 MWh / 1,000 kWh) of solar electricity. It is separate from the kilowatt-hours that offset your electric bill under Ohio net metering.

Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-10-28(B)(11) says renewable energy credits from a customer-generator's net metering facility are the property of the customer-generator unless the customer contracts them to a utility, competitive supplier, or other entity. Read ownership language in any cash, loan, PPA, or Propel agreement before you assume you keep the certificates.

Ohio's RPS Market in 2026 — What Changed

Ohio Revised Code 4928.64 still requires electric distribution utilities and electric services companies to provide 8.5% of retail supply from qualifying renewable resources by the end of 2026. The same statute's benchmark table shows the separate solar energy resources carve-out at 0% for every year from 2020 through 2026.

PJM Environmental Information Services summarizes the same point: Ohio's solar requirement ran through 2019. Solar generation can still create certificates that compete in the broader renewable compliance market (or voluntary sales), but there is no dedicated high solar-carve-out demand like some other states.

We will not publish a snapshot SREC dollar price or a typical yearly check on this page. Market bids move, and neither PUCO nor GATS posts a fixed residential buy price for every system. Treat any aggregator quote as a quote for that day — not a Solar Brokers guarantee.

How Homeowners Actually Create and Sell Certificates

1. PUCO certification. The generator must be certified under Ohio's renewable program before credits are eligible for compliance use.
2. Registry account. PJM-EIS's Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS) FAQ for homeowners: after state certification, open a GATS account, register the unit, then report generation. M-RETS is also named in Ohio rules as a recognized tracker.
3. Issuance. One certificate per megawatt-hour of verified solar production reported into the registry.
4. Sale or retirement. Certificates may be sold to utilities, suppliers, brokers, or aggregators — or retired. AES Ohio, for example, describes a REC purchase application path when an agreement is reached; it does not post a residential price on that page.

Certificates are not automatic at Permission to Operate. Interconnection and PTO get you on the grid; SREC paperwork is a separate registration path. Banking: Ohio's RPS materials and OAC 4901:1-40-04 describe a five-year compliance life after purchase or acquisition — not a homeowner expires January 2028 slogan.

Where SRECs Fit Next to Bill Savings and Incentives

For most Ohio homeowners, the primary solar math is still bill offset under your utility's export rules, system cost, and payment path — cash, loan, PPA, or Propel (SolSource prepaid third-party ownership; the agreement may be structured as a lease or an Energy Services Agreement). SRECs, if you keep them and find a buyer, are a secondary attribute market, not a substitute for a statewide cash rebate.

Program context: Ohio solar incentives. Cost: solar panel cost in Ohio. Financing: solar financing in Ohio. Utility map: Ohio solar utilities.

Ohio SREC — FAQs

Do I automatically get SRECs when my system turns on?

No. You need PUCO certification and registry registration (typically GATS or M-RETS) plus production reporting. PTO alone is not enough.

Who owns the SRECs — me or the solar company?

Under OAC 4901:1-10-28(B)(11), they start with the customer-generator unless a contract assigns them. Check cash, loan, PPA, and Propel documents for attribute language.

How much are Ohio SRECs worth?

We will not publish a statewide dollar figure here. Prices are market-set and change. Ask any aggregator for a current bid and treat it as a bid, not a locked income stream.

Is the Ohio solar carve-out still active?

ORC 4928.64 lists the solar benchmark at 0% for 2020–2026. The broader renewable benchmark runs through 2026 at 8.5%. Confirm any later legislation before assuming an extension.

Sources

• Ohio Revised Code 4928.64 — renewable energy benchmarks
• Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-10-28 — net metering (REC ownership)
• PJM EIS — Ohio program information
• PJM EIS — GATS FAQ (residential SREC registration)
• AES Ohio — renewable energy credits
• Solar Brokers — Ohio solar incentives

Last reviewed: September 2026.