Fairfield Electric Cooperative and solar
Fairfield Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 33,071 homes in South Carolina. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 16.1¢3% above South Carolina average
- Typical bill
- $1871,158 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~19%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 11.4 yrs8.6 kW, cash
Export rules for Fairfield Electric Cooperative customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) (South Carolina rule).
Since June 2021 new solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy SC are on 'Solar Choice' tariffs: you're billed on time-of-use rates, solar offsets usage within the same period, and monthly excess is credited at the low avoided-cost rate (~2-4 c/kWh). Duke has a $30 minimum bill.
Solar for a typical Fairfield Electric Cooperative home
| System | 8.6 kW (90% of 1,158 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $24,570, $21,070 after incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,938 |
| Payback | 11.4 years |
| 25-year net | $29,564 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 33,071
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Fairfield Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Fairfield Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Fairfield Electric Cooperative follows South Carolina's rules: Since June 2021 new solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy SC are on 'Solar Choice' tariffs: you're billed on time-of-use rates, solar offsets usage within the same period, and monthly excess is credited at the low avoided-cost rate (~2-4 c/kWh). Duke has a $30 minimum bill.
How much does electricity cost with Fairfield Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 15.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 16.1¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,158 kWh a month, a bill of about $187.
Is solar worth it with Fairfield Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 8.6 kW system costing about $21,070 pays back in about 11.4 years, with $29,564 net over 25 years.
How many Fairfield Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
Fairfield Electric Cooperative did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc (EIA ID 5929). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.