Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative and solar
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 9,757 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.)
- 14.3¢1% above Iowa average
- Typical bill
- $2171,520 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 20.3 yrs6.7 kW, cash
Export rules for Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative 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 Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative home
| System | 6.7 kW (50% of 1,520 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $25,275 |
| First-year savings | $1,312 |
| Payback | 20.3 years |
| 25-year net | $6,425 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 29
- Share of customers
- 0.3%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 9,757
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative 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 Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,520 kWh a month, a bill of about $217.
Is solar worth it with Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 6.7 kW system costing about $25,275 pays back in about 20.3 years, with $6,425 net over 25 years.
How many Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 29 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.3% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Iowa Lakes Electric Coop (EIA ID 9425). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.