Rick Hopper’s electric bill in May for his shop and grain dryers was a $21 metering fee. That’s it.

“That’s pretty typical for this time of year,” said Hopper, a Tama County Farm Bureau member. “It’s a little more in the fall, but still not bad.”

Three years ago, taking advantage of a program offered by VanWall Energy and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Hopper had a solar panel array installed on the roof of his shop. His average monthly charges dropped from just shy...