Coastal Electric Cooperative solar quotes should use the current published DG-13 rider, while confirming the account’s retail tariff and billing treatment directly with the cooperative. DG-13 is effective January 1, 2026, explicitly supersedes DG-12 and lists an avoided-energy cost of $0.05956/kWh. Older labels remain elsewhere on the website. Do not combine those versions into a twenty-year forecast without resolving which terms apply to the proposed system.
This is a guide for members of Coastal Electric Cooperative in Georgia. Coast Electric in Mississippi and Coastal Electric Cooperative in South Carolina are different providers with different policies. Start with the utility printed on the property’s electric bill, then use the document checks and application workflow below to compare a rooftop proposal.
Which Coastal solar documents should your quote use?
Documents checked September 30, 2026. The document center links DG-13, while the rates page still lists DG-12, effective January 1, 2024. The newer PDF expressly says it supersedes DG-12. That is stronger evidence than guessing from the age of a search result.
However, DG-13 also references residential tariff RS-8, while the rates directory lists RS-9 effective May 1, 2026. The current interconnection policy includes older rider numbers in some cross-references. These inconsistencies do not justify inventing a corrected bill formula. Request the current retail schedule, generation rider and a written explanation of settlement for the account.
| Document issue | Confirmed public evidence | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase-rider version | DG-13 effective January 1, 2026 supersedes DG-12 | Does DG-13 govern this proposed member account? |
| Published avoided-energy cost | DG-13 lists $0.05956/kWh | How is eligible credited energy determined on this account? |
| Retail tariff reference | Rider mentions RS-8; directory lists newer RS-9 | Which retail tariff and fixed charges apply now? |
| Policy cross-references | Current policy contains older rider labels | Which attached purchase schedule controls the agreement? |
| Commercial proposal | Policy describes a commercial capacity category | Which commercial purchase and retail schedules apply? |
Send this table to the cooperative with the actual account and proposed equipment. A responsible quote can cite the current published purchase figure and still identify unresolved account questions. It should not silently assume every inconsistency has the customer’s preferred interpretation.
Understand what the buyback figure does and does not mean
The $0.05956/kWh figure is a published avoided-energy cost in DG-13, not the value of every kilowatt-hour generated on the roof. It should not be multiplied by all annual production without establishing the settlement method, eligible excess and applicable agreement.
The rider describes billing-period consumption and generation, crediting excess at avoided-energy cost, and applying a credit balance toward the following month’s charges. Ask Coastal to explain how those provisions appear on your actual bill, including how its bidirectional meter registers flows. A meter that records energy in two directions does not, by itself, establish instantaneous or monthly retail netting.
For a deliberately hypothetical calculation, suppose the utility confirms 200 eligible excess kWh under the applicable billing method. At the published DG-13 avoided-energy figure, the arithmetic is 200 × $0.05956 = $11.912 before billing rounding. This is an illustration of the purchase-rate line, not a forecast of your surplus or total savings. The basic facilities charge and other applicable charges still need separate treatment.
Ask for three distinct outputs: energy purchases remaining, eligible excess credit and fixed or program charges. If a proposal calls all three “net metering savings,” request the underlying worksheet. The Georgia export comparison explains why that separation matters across utilities; this page applies the document check specifically to Coastal.
Check eligibility and account class before selecting equipment
The cooperative’s interconnection policy, marked effective January 1, 2026, describes residential generation up to 10 kWAC and nonresidential generation up to 100 kWAC. DG-13’s residential applicability describes a 10 kW generating-capacity limit. Have Coastal confirm the controlling measurement and class for the actual design rather than treating panel DC watts and inverter AC output as interchangeable.
The policy also describes first-come purchase availability tied to aggregate capacity. A published category or limit is not confirmation that your application has a place under it. Ask about current availability before purchasing equipment or relying on export revenue. An installer cannot reserve an entitlement merely by placing a system-size figure on a bid.
Record the meter’s customer class, existing generation, planned expansion and proposed connection point. A business owner should not use the residential DG-13 worksheet without confirming the applicable business arrangement. Likewise, several meters under one owner’s name should not be combined in a forecast unless the cooperative confirms that arrangement.
Use a compact eligibility checklist:
- Correct Georgia cooperative named on the electric bill.
- Correct property owner and account holder.
- Residential or commercial class confirmed.
- DC panel capacity and AC inverter output separately labeled.
- Existing system and connection date disclosed.
- Battery, generator and other relevant equipment disclosed.
- Current program availability and controlling agreement confirmed.
These questions decide which design can be priced. They should precede a claim that the full roof qualifies for a particular buyback program.
Follow the application sequence without confusing review and PTO
The January 2026 policy directs applicants to submit the completed application and attachments at least 45 days before the intended interconnection date. It describes notice of application approval or denial within 30 days. Those are process provisions, not a guarantee that the whole installation, inspection, meter work and permission to operate will finish within 30 days.
Build a milestone sheet with the installer:
| Milestone | Evidence to retain | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Application delivered | Submitted packet and receipt | Approval or a complete installation |
| Application response | Written approval or requested corrections | Final inspection and operating permission |
| Equipment installed | Actual model list and construction records | Compliance with every remaining utility condition |
| Local closeout | Final signed jurisdictional approval | Utility permission to operate |
| Utility completion | Required agreement, metering and review record | Completion without written authorization |
| Written PTO | Authorization for parallel operation | Approval for later unreviewed equipment changes |
The policy requires final signed local approval and written utility authorization; it says the system must not be activated until the cooperative inspection and PTO are complete. Ask who handles each submission and what unresolved condition remains at each step. Avoid a contract whose final-payment trigger is simply “installation complete” when required operating steps are still outstanding.
If a target date depends on local review, equipment delivery or utility modification, identify that dependency. A planned interconnection date is an input to the application, not a utility promise. Your household budget should not assume a savings start date that the responsible parties have not established.
Keep the battery visible in the application
Coastal’s application asks whether the system includes battery storage and requests storage capacity. A battery planned from the beginning should not be left out of a solar-only submission. Exact inverter, battery, controller and connection details belong in the coordinated technical packet prepared by qualified personnel.
For a later battery addition, ask whether the existing approved system needs an amended review or other submission. Do not assume the former solar approval covers every future power-conversion device or operating mode. The scope of the existing agreement and the proposed change need to be reviewed together.
Backup and bill management remain separate design questions. For backup, require the critical-load schedule, continuous and starting power, usable energy, reserve, safe grid isolation and solar-recharge conditions. For bill management, require the charge/discharge assumptions, utility treatment and delivered energy after losses. A single “battery included” line answers neither.
Use the battery quote comparison guide to normalize installed equipment and circuit scope. The battery service provides a route to a load and site discussion, with actual product and address eligibility confirmed before a binding offer. No battery count or product name should substitute for the loads the homeowner expects it to support.
Compare rooftop ownership with Cooperative Solar fairly
Coastal also offers a separate Cooperative Solar program. As checked September 30, 2026, its page says the program is fully subscribed. It describes a waiting list and updates when capacity becomes available. A sign-up link that remains visible does not mean you can enroll immediately.
The published subscription description lists $25 per monthly block, each equivalent to 2 kW, with up to two blocks. Actual energy varies. Those are subscription-program terms, not rooftop installation prices or an approved home-array size. A customer should confirm current terms and availability with Coastal before planning around them.
| Buyer goal | Rooftop project | Cooperative Solar subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Own equipment on the property | Possible under a purchase structure | No homeowner-owned array on the property |
| Avoid roof work | Requires suitable roof or a separate ground option | Generation is elsewhere |
| Outage backup | Requires an appropriately designed local storage/backup system | Subscription does not create home backup equipment |
| Begin immediately | Depends on design and approvals | Current page says fully subscribed |
| Service responsibility | Defined by installer and equipment contracts | Utility maintains its subscribed generation facility |
A renter or a homeowner with an unsuitable roof may prefer to investigate the subscription waitlist. A homeowner focused on backup needs a local electrical solution, regardless of how the energy bill credits a remote solar block. A household seeking ownership should compare the installed rooftop obligations against the subscription’s different payment and control structure.
Do not copy the cooperative’s historical average subscription savings into a rooftop forecast. Different costs, settlement and availability apply. Compare current written offers, not two unlike products presented under one general solar label.
Use the current retail bill in the production model
The retail rate matters as much as the export figure. Request the applicable tariff, fixed charges, riders and billing examples after the May 2026 rate changes. A proposal using an older retail schedule may misstate the value of avoided purchases even if its DG-13 citation is correct.
Ask the modeler to document household use, solar production, settlement and the effect of fixed charges. A historical year of consumption provides context, but it does not automatically establish future load. An EV, electric heating change, addition or home-business use should be included only when the owner has a real plan.
For each array alternative, request:
- Estimated annual production with stated site assumptions.
- Assumed energy used directly and energy credited under the approved settlement.
- Remaining imported electricity and fixed charges.
- Export compensation, fees and source dates.
- Gross installed cost and financing terms shown separately.
- A case with lower production or less favorable consumption alignment.
The Georgia solar cost guide helps compare installed scopes, while the solar cost calculator can organize inputs. Neither tool establishes a Coastal bill or an approved tariff. Ask for the account-specific worksheet rather than a statewide average payback figure.
Put interconnection costs and revisions in the contract
The policy assigns member responsibility for interconnection and protective-equipment costs and discusses direct cooperative costs. That does not tell you the total for a particular site. Ask for included work, allowances and the process for estimating utility-related changes before you treat a quoted total as final.
A useful proposal separates equipment, electrical work, design, permits, utility administration and site work. Identify whether the installer includes ordinary application corrections, engineering revisions, meter-related coordination and inspection corrections. If a charge is not yet known, state who obtains it and how the homeowner approves the resulting change.
Material changes deserve a written scope revision. If Coastal requires a different inverter, disconnect arrangement or other modification, the installer should explain compatibility, performance, price and schedule effects. The revised contract should not preserve an old backup or savings promise that the new configuration cannot support.
Watch substitution clauses. “Equivalent equipment” can be too vague when the proposed inverter’s AC output, battery compatibility or monitoring differs. Require the actual model and the relevant technical and approval review. A supply problem should not become an unreviewed change to the accepted system.
Assess the roof, equipment location and insurance duties
The utility review addresses connection to its system. It does not establish that the roof is ready, that an HOA has approved the layout or that the chosen battery location meets local requirements. Those responsibilities need their own evidence and responsible parties.
For the roof, document condition, material, attachment approach and removal/reinstallation obligations. Compare roof-first work with a solar installation that may need to be disturbed later. Ask the solar roofing service about the requested scope, with address availability confirmed, rather than assuming every roof issue is covered by a solar warranty.
For equipment location, request drawings or photographs identifying access, mounting, weather exposure and required clearances. Battery placement, ground arrays and trenching can change local submission requirements. The Georgia permits guide explains how to identify the actual jurisdiction instead of relying on the postal city.
The policy discusses liability coverage and indemnification. Ask your insurer and, when appropriate, an independent adviser how the signed agreement affects the property. Do not infer that a contractor’s insurance replaces the member’s obligations. Keep copies of applicable insurance and warranty documents with the project record.
Compare financing without an expired homeowner credit
Record the gross cash installed price first. Compare that with the financed amount, APR, term, fees, total payments and any change in payment tied to a planned prepayment. A low opening payment can hide a larger purchase amount or a later step-up.
The IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit page, checked September 30, 2026, states that the homeowner Section 25D credit is unavailable for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. A new 2026 rooftop or standalone battery budget should not subtract an assumed federal 30% homeowner credit.
Any other claimed incentive needs a current source, eligible claimant and timing. Commercial and third-party ownership tax treatment is separate and requires professional review. A utility’s general solar education or an older contractor brochure is not current tax authority.
Compare financing structures with ownership, service, home-sale and total-payment obligations visible. This article does not establish a Sunburst lender offer, lease, PPA or approval. Request actual available terms for the address and project before choosing an ownership arrangement.
Verify the first operating bill against the accepted model
After activation, compare the first complete billing period with the documented settlement explanation. Record the dates rather than judging a partial month against a full-month forecast. Check the named retail tariff, fixed charges, generation-credit line and any credit balance carried forward. Keep the utility bill distinct from the inverter app’s generation total; the two tools measure different boundaries and are not necessarily supposed to display the same number.
If a line looks inconsistent, send the account record, bill dates and accepted program documents to the utility and the installer. Ask whether the issue concerns billing treatment, meter registration, monitoring configuration or a production assumption. Request a documented explanation before declaring that the equipment has failed or that the tariff was applied correctly.
This closeout check makes the original document review useful after purchase. It gives the homeowner a concrete way to identify a wrong model input or unresolved account setup, with responsible parties and records already available.
Request a quote that can survive the document check
An assessment request should make the next decision clear. Provide the electric provider, property address, ownership status, meter class, roof concerns and whether the goal is bill reduction, outage backup or both. Bring competing proposals and ask that their document versions and tariff assumptions be normalized.
Use the published residential solar service as a starting point, then confirm Sunburst’s ability to serve the address and requested scope. A service-area mention does not guarantee equipment availability, scheduling or eligibility under Coastal’s generation program.
Before final payment, retain the signed agreement, approved design, actual equipment schedule, local closeout, written operating authorization, monitoring access and warranty/support records. Ask who handles an unresolved item and how it affects acceptance. Preserve those documents for roof work, later storage changes or a home sale.
Request a Coastal-account solar assessment when you are ready to compare a defined system against the actual bill and controlling documents. The most useful lead information is the account and desired outcome, not an assumed savings figure. A careful review may support a smaller array, a different backup plan, waiting for additional information or proceeding with a clearly documented installation.
Frequently asked questions
Is DG-13 newer than DG-12?
Yes. The published DG-13 PDF is effective January 1, 2026 and explicitly supersedes DG-12. Because other pages and policy cross-references retain older labels, confirm the controlling documents for the account before signing.
What purchase rate does DG-13 publish?
It lists avoided-energy cost of $0.05956/kWh. That is not the value of every generated kWh or a guarantee of eligibility. Confirm settlement, current retail tariff, fees and eligible excess with Coastal.
Does the 30-day application review mean PTO in 30 days?
No. The policy describes an application response, while local approval, installation, utility inspection, metering and written authorization are separate steps. A proposal should show those dependencies without promising an unsupported completion date.
Can I join Cooperative Solar today?
The program page says it is fully subscribed as checked September 30, 2026. Ask Coastal about its waiting list and current availability. A visible subscription description is not confirmation of an immediate opening.
Does Cooperative Solar keep my house powered in an outage?
No subscription creates local backup equipment. Home backup requires a suitable electrical design, equipment and loads. Compare that objective separately from remote-generation bill credits.
Do I need to disclose storage on a rooftop application?
The current application asks about battery storage and its capacity. Include the proposed equipment and operating design, and ask what review applies to a later addition or change rather than assuming existing solar approval covers it.
Sources and methodology
Accessed September 30, 2026. This guide distinguishes the expressly superseding DG-13 document from older website labels and unresolved retail-tariff cross-references. The cooperative must confirm account applicability, settlement and available capacity. The arithmetic example is hypothetical and does not forecast household production or savings. No utility fee, installation price or timeline guarantee is invented.
- Coastal Electric: DG-13, effective January 1, 2026.
- Coastal Electric: Document Center, current document links.
- Coastal Electric: Rate Schedules, current directory and retail references.
- Coastal Electric: Distributed Generation Interconnection Policy, effective January 1, 2026.
- Coastal Electric: Rooftop Solar, member resources.
- Coastal Electric: Cooperative Solar, subscription and current capacity status.
- IRS: Residential Clean Energy Credit, current homeowner-credit cutoff.