SRP Solar Plans Explained: How Going Solar Works on SRP
Going solar on SRP is a little different from going solar on APS. On SRP you usually move to a special solar rate plan, and those plans often charge you partly for your single biggest hour of power use, not just your total power. Here is what that means in plain words, why a battery helps so much, and how we walk you through your exact plan.
Reviewed May 2026 · Source cited and listed at the bottom.
SRP solar plans: the bottom line
- If you go solar on SRP, you usually move to a special solar rate plan.
- SRP solar plans often charge you partly for your single biggest hour of power use in the month. That fee is called a demand charge.
- So how and when you use power matters, not just how much. A battery and smart timing help a lot.
- We will walk you through your exact SRP plan and run your real numbers before you decide.
SRP solar plans: key facts at a glance
- Special plan required
- SRP generally moves solar homes onto a special solar rate plan.
- How the bill is built
- An energy charge for total power used, plus a demand charge based on your single biggest hour.
- What a demand charge is
- A fee set by your highest hour of power use in the month, not just your total kWh.
- Why a battery helps
- It gives power back during the busy evening hours to hold your peak hour, and your demand charge, down.
- How SRP differs from APS
- SRP uses demand-based solar plans set by its elected board. APS uses export-rate net billing under the state commission.
- Your exact numbers
- Confirmed during the free review, on your actual SRP plan and bill.
How SRP solar plans work, in plain words
Short answer: When you add rooftop solar on SRP, you are generally moved onto a special solar rate plan. SRP solar plans have historically been demand-based. That means your bill has two parts: an energy charge for the total power you use, plus a demand charge (a fee based on your single biggest hour of power use in the month). So how and when you use power matters, not just how much.
Most homes pay for power one simple way: you use more power, you pay more. SRP solar plans work a little differently. When you go solar on SRP, you usually move onto a special solar rate plan, and those plans split your bill into two parts.
The first part is the energy charge. That is the part most people expect, you pay for the total power you use in the month, measured in kWh. The second part is the one that surprises people: a demand charge (a fee based on your single biggest hour of power use). SRP does not just add up your total power. It also looks at your one highest hour during the month and charges you for that peak.
Here is what that means at home. Say you run the air conditioner, the oven, and the dryer all at the same time on a hot evening. For that one hour, your home is pulling a lot of power at once. On a demand-based plan, that single hour can set a higher fee for the whole month, even if your total power use for the month was not that high. So with SRP solar plans, how and when you use power matters, not just how much.
To be honest about the details: SRP has used different solar rate plans over the years, and the exact plan names and the exact dollar amounts change. We are not going to put a made-up number on this page. What is steady and well established is the shape of it, a special solar plan, an energy charge, and a demand charge tied to your peak hour. We will walk you through your exact SRP plan and your real numbers during the free review.
| What you pay for | Regular SRP plan | SRP solar plan |
|---|---|---|
| Total power you use | Yes, an energy charge for your total kWh | Yes, an energy charge for your total kWh |
| Your single biggest hour | Usually not billed on its own | Yes, a demand charge based on your peak hour |
| Special plan needed? | No | Yes, a special solar rate plan |
| What helps you save | Using less power overall | Using less power AND keeping your peak hour low (a battery and smart timing help) |
This compares the general structure of the plans, not specific rates. Your exact SRP plan and numbers are confirmed during the free review. SRP electric pricing public process.
Why this matters for your savings
On a normal plan, the way to save with solar is simple: make your own power so you buy less from the utility. That still helps on SRP. But because SRP solar plans also charge for your biggest hour, there is a second thing that matters just as much, keeping that peak hour low.
This is the part that trips people up. Daytime solar does a great job of covering the power you use while the sun is out. But your biggest hour often lands in the evening, after the sun is down, when the air conditioning is still running and the family is home cooking and doing laundry. Panels alone do not always help with that evening peak. That is why the savings on SRP can fall short if a system is designed without the demand charge in mind.
The bottom line: On SRP, solar pays off more when you control your single biggest hour of power use, not just your total power. A battery and smart timing keep that peak hour low, which keeps your demand charge down. That is why a battery is often the difference maker on SRP, and why the system should be designed around your real SRP plan.
Make solar work best on SRP
Short answer: Because SRP solar plans charge for your biggest hour, the strongest setup usually pairs right-sized panels with a battery. The battery charges from your panels during the day and gives that power back during the busy evening hours, which holds your peak hour, and your demand charge, down.
The good news is that the demand charge is not a reason to skip solar on SRP. It is a reason to design the system the right way. For most SRP homes, the strongest setup pairs panels with a battery.
Here is how it works. During the day, your panels make more power than your home needs, so the extra charges up your battery. Then in the evening, when your home would normally spike and set a high demand charge, the battery gives that stored power back instead. That keeps your biggest hour low, which is exactly the hour SRP charges you for. Pair that with smart timing, like running the dishwasher or charging an EV later at night, and you lean on the grid even less during the busy hours.
The right SRP system is built around your actual plan and your actual bill, not a one-size template. That usually means right-sized panels plus a battery set up to shave the evening peak. Here are the pieces that make it work, and an easy way to see the numbers for your home.
SRP solar plans versus APS
If a neighbor in a different city told you how their solar works, it may not match yours. SRP and APS are two different utilities, and they handle solar in two different ways.
On SRP, you usually move to a special solar plan with a demand charge, and SRP’s prices are set by its own elected board of directors. On APS, solar is handled mainly through export-rate net billing, the credit you get for the extra power your panels send back to the grid, and APS is overseen by the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state body. They are not the same, so the right system for an SRP home can look different from the right system for an APS home.
On APS instead? See how APS net metering works.
Cities SRP serves in the East Valley
SRP provides power to much of the East Valley. If you live in one of these cities, the SRP solar plans on this page are the plans you would be on, and we install solar in your area. Tap your city to see how solar looks where you live.
Not sure which utility you have, or which SRP plan you are on? We will check when we run your free savings review. Estimate my savings Book a free review
What to do next
Short answer: The demand charge on SRP solar plans is a reason to design your system carefully, not a reason to skip solar. A free savings review runs your real numbers on your actual SRP plan, sizes panels and a battery around your peak hour, and gives you an honest answer, even if the answer is no.
SRP solar plans look more complicated than they are. The whole game is this: make your own power, and keep your biggest hour low. Panels handle the first part. A battery and smart timing handle the second. Get both right and solar can pay off well on SRP, even with the demand charge.
We are not going to oversell it. Solar does not fit every roof or every bill, and on SRP the right system design matters even more because of the demand rate plans. If your roof, shade, usage, or plan means it does not pencil out, we will tell you that to your face. The free review is exactly that: we run your real numbers, on your actual SRP bill and plan, and give you an honest answer.
SRP solar plans: common questions
Do I have to change rate plans to go solar on SRP?
Usually yes. SRP generally puts solar homes on a special solar rate plan when you add rooftop panels. It is not the same plan a home without solar is on. We will walk you through your exact SRP plan during the free review so you know what to expect before you decide.
What is an SRP demand charge?
A demand charge is a fee based on your single biggest hour of power use in the month, not just how much power you use in total. SRP solar plans have historically used a demand charge, so running several big appliances at once during the busy evening hours can raise your bill, even if your total power use is modest. How and when you use power matters.
Is solar worth it on SRP?
Yes, for many homes, especially with a battery and smart timing. Because SRP solar plans often charge for your biggest hour of use, the goal is not only to make your own power but to keep your peak hour low. A battery and smart usage do that. We run your real numbers on your actual SRP plan and tell you honestly if solar does not fit your home.
Should I get a battery with SRP solar?
On SRP, a battery helps a lot. Panels alone mostly lower the power you use during the day. They do not always lower your evening peak, which is when many homes spike and when a demand charge is set. A battery charges from your panels during the day and gives that power back during the busy evening hours, which holds your peak hour down.
Who sets SRP rates?
SRP’s elected board of directors sets SRP rates, not the state. Unlike APS, SRP is not regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. SRP is a public, community-owned power utility, and its prices, including its solar rate plans, are set by a publicly elected board through a public price process.
Sources
- SRP, electric pricing public process: overview of residential changes (SRP Board of Directors price process).
SRP solar rate plans, including the exact plan names, the energy charge, and the demand charge, are set by SRP and can change over time. This page explains the general structure of SRP solar plans, a special solar plan with an energy charge plus a demand charge based on your peak hour, and does not state specific rates. Your exact SRP plan and numbers are confirmed during the free review. Bill outcomes are not a guarantee for any individual home.
Get an SRP solar system designed around your plan.
Bring a recent SRP bill. We will explain your exact SRP solar plan, size panels and a battery around your peak hour, and tell you honestly what solar would do for your home, even if the answer is no. No pressure, no hard sell.