What Is ECIS? Singapore's Solar Export Scheme Explained

ECIS stands for Enhanced Central Intermediary Scheme. It is the mechanism that allows Singapore homeowners with rooftop solar to receive payment for the electricity their panels generate in excess of what the household uses. In practice, ECIS is the reason that solar in Singapore has a viable export revenue stream, without it, surplus generation would flow to the grid uncompensated. Understanding how it works takes less than five minutes and removes any uncertainty about how your quarterly bill will change after installation.

How ECIS Works: The Simple Version

When your solar panels generate more electricity than your home is currently using, the surplus flows through your bi-directional meter and onto the SP Group grid. Your meter records both what you import from the grid and what you export to it. SP Group acts as the central aggregator, it collects all residential solar exports across Singapore, prices them at the Solar Crediting Tariff, and credits each homeowner accordingly on their quarterly bill.

The current Solar Crediting Tariff (SCT) is S$0.2581/kWh for Q3 2026. This is reviewed quarterly by EMA alongside the retail tariff. You do not submit invoices, make claims, or negotiate separately. The credits appear automatically as a line item deduction on your SP Group bill.

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Why ECIS Was Created

Before ECIS, Singapore had an earlier export scheme (SolarBonuS) that required homeowners to negotiate bilateral power purchase agreements with retailers, a complex, commercially demanding process that most households could not practically execute. ECIS replaced this with SP Group as the single buyer and aggregator. This change achieved three things: it eliminated the need for bilateral contracts, it allowed small generators to participate in the market without commercial expertise, and it gave EMA a single administration point to manage and adjust the scheme as the solar market grew.

ECIS launched in 2019 and has been the standard residential solar export scheme since. All solar installations connected to the SP Group grid since 2019 use ECIS for their export credits.

The ECIS Registration Process

Your installer handles the ECIS application as part of the commissioning process. The sequence: after the LEW signs off on the installation, your installer submits the ECIS application to SP Group. SP Group schedules a meter change appointment to replace your standard meter with a bi-directional model. Once the new meter is installed and the GIRO solar account is activated, your system can be switched on and your first export credits will appear on the next quarterly bill.

The wait between LEW sign-off and SP Group meter installation is typically four to eight weeks, this is the longest single step in the whole installation timeline. Your installer should be managing this application; ask for a confirmation email from SP Group once the application is submitted, so you have documentary evidence of the registration date.

One important note: the panel and inverter on your system must be on the EMA approved equipment list to qualify for ECIS registration. SP Group checks this as part of the application. An installation using unapproved equipment will be rejected at this step, requiring replacement of the non-compliant component before resubmission.

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ECIS turns your roof into an asset that pays you automatically every three months. No invoicing, no negotiation, no separate account. The credit arrives with your electricity bill, deducted before you pay.

The ECIS Solar Crediting Tariff is one of the key inputs in any Singapore solar payback calculation. The Sunnify estimate tool uses the current SCT rate alongside the retail tariff to calculate your annual saving and payback period. The cost and payback guide explains how the self-consumption ratio determines how much of your generation earns the full tariff versus the SCT rate.

Further reading: SP Group ECIS solar export credits · EMA solar PV systems and ECIS.