City of Ames and solar
City of Ames is a municipal utility serving about 25,123 homes in Iowa. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 12.6¢11% below Iowa average
- Typical bill
- $75597 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- Never3 kW, cash
Export rules for City of Ames customers
Full retail net metering (Iowa rule).
Iowa's two investor-owned utilities (MidAmerican and Alliant) credit solar exports at the retail energy rate through net billing or inflow-outflow billing. Customers who connect before a future value-of-solar rate takes effect (by July 2027 at the latest) keep retail-rate export credit for 20 years.
Solar for a typical City of Ames home
| System | 3 kW (58% of 597 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $13,250 |
| First-year savings | $521 |
| Payback | never within 25 years |
| 25-year net | −$935 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 215
- Share of customers
- 0.9%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 25,123
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about City of Ames and solar
Does City of Ames have net metering?
City of Ames follows Iowa's rules: Iowa's two investor-owned utilities (MidAmerican and Alliant) credit solar exports at the retail energy rate through net billing or inflow-outflow billing. Customers who connect before a future value-of-solar rate takes effect (by July 2027 at the latest) keep retail-rate export credit for 20 years.
How much does electricity cost with City of Ames?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 597 kWh a month, a bill of about $75.
Is solar worth it with City of Ames?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 3 kW system costing about $13,250 does not pay back within 25 years, with −$935 net over 25 years.
How many City of Ames customers have solar?
About 215 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.9% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: City of Ames - (IA) (EIA ID 554). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.