Barron Electric Cooperative and solar
Barron Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 19,395 homes in Wisconsin. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 16.6¢11% below Wisconsin average
- Typical bill
- $147883 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~24%Varies by utility
- Typical payback
- 14.4 yrs5.2 kW, cash
Export rules for Barron Electric Cooperative customers
Varies by utility (Wisconsin rule).
Wisconsin has no statewide net metering law; each utility's PSC-approved tariff applies. Most offer monthly netting for systems up to ~20 kW (We Energies up to 300 kW), but some pay only avoided cost for monthly excess.
Solar for a typical Barron Electric Cooperative home
| System | 5.2 kW (65% of 883 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $19,100, $16,700 after incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,144 |
| Payback | 14.4 years |
| 25-year net | $15,533 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 203
- Share of customers
- 1.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 2 MW
- Residential customers
- 19,395
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Barron Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Barron Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Barron Electric Cooperative follows Wisconsin's rules: Wisconsin has no statewide net metering law; each utility's PSC-approved tariff applies. Most offer monthly netting for systems up to ~20 kW (We Energies up to 300 kW), but some pay only avoided cost for monthly excess.
How much does electricity cost with Barron Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 16.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 16.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 883 kWh a month, a bill of about $147.
Is solar worth it with Barron Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 5.2 kW system costing about $16,700 pays back in about 14.4 years, with $15,533 net over 25 years.
How many Barron Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 203 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Barron Electric Coop (EIA ID 1251). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.