New Hampshire Solar Incentives, Cost & Payback (2026)
Written by Aditya Patil · Last updated 2026-09-24
Thinking about going solar in the Granite State? Despite the end of the statewide residential rebate, New Hampshire's high electricity rates make solar an attractive way to lock in long-term energy savings under the state's Alternative Net Energy Metering policies.
$166
Avg. monthly bill
27.01¢/kWh
Avg. rate
$3.52/W
Real installed cost
LBNL Tracking the Sun
12 yrs
Est. payback (solar only)
typical household
Cost of solar in New Hampshire
The real median installed residential solar cost in New Hampshire is $3.52/watt, based on public data from LBNL's Tracking the Sun (2023-2024, host-owned residential systems). That data also indicates a typical system size of 9.94 kW at a typical gross cost of $34,819 before incentives. That equates to about $3.50/watt for a typical-sized setup.
To put this in perspective: if you use New Hampshire's average of 7,372 kWh per year, you'd need a solar energy system of roughly 5.63 kW. At the median price of $3.52/W, the gross cost would be around $19,811. With the federal residential clean energy credit phasing out for systems placed in service after 2025, your net cost on a direct cash or loan purchase in 2026 would remain $19,811.
Solar only, no battery
~40% self-consumption — standard usage pattern, partial grid export
$1,460 / yr
12-year payback · $49,769 over 25 years
Solar + battery
~70% self-consumption — maximizing on-site use of generated power
$1,725 / yr
11-year payback · $58,824 over 25 years
New Hampshire solar incentives & rebates
Historically, New Hampshire offered a state rebate through the Renewable Energy Fund, but the program was permanently closed following the passage of Senate Bill 303 in 2024. However, the state still has legislation allowing for a local property tax exemption, as well as bonuses for inclusive community solar programs.
| Program | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption (RSA 72:61-62) | No statewide percentage or dollar amount -- RSA 72:62 lets each city or town vote to adopt an exemption from the added assessed value of a qualifying renewable energy system, with the exemption amount and process set locally under RSA 72:27-a. Adoption is opt-in; check with your town or city assessor to see if it applies where you live. | open |
| Residential Renewable Electrical Generation Rebate (NH Renewable Energy Fund) | No current rebate schedule is published -- the NH Department of Energy states 'all rebate programs are closed to new projects until further notice.' The underlying residential small renewable generation rebate program was permanently repealed by Senate Bill 303 (2024). A cutoff allowed Step 1 applications submitted by June 30, 2025 to proceed to Step 2 filing, but the program is not accepting new applicants. | closed |
| Low-to-Moderate-Income Group Net Metering (Community Solar) Adder | A 2.5 cents/kWh bonus credit is added to the net metering credit for qualifying low-to-moderate-income group net metering ('community solar') projects (the adder was 3 cents/kWh from July 2019 to July 2021, then dropped to 2.5 cents/kWh). New qualifying LMI project capacity is capped at 6 MW of aggregate nameplate capacity per year statewide. | open |
Net metering and grid export rules
New Hampshire's net metering landscape is governed statewide by RSA 362-A:9, but exactly what you get paid for excess power varies heavily by your utility and when your system was connected.
Most residential systems being installed today at major utilities like Eversource NH and Unitil operate under the Alternative Net Energy Metering tariff. Under this setup, when you send electricity back to the grid, you don't get the full retail price. Instead, your credit is a formula: you receive the Default Energy Service charge plus the Transmission charge, but only 25% of the Distribution charge. New Hampshire also has provisions for "group net metering," effectively allowing community solar setups where a host shares credits with others, and there's a 2.5 cents/kWh bonus adder for projects serving low-to-moderate-income participants.
| Policy | Alternative Net Energy Metering (current) |
| Credit Formula | Default Energy + Transmission + 25% Distribution (Eversource & Unitil) |
| Group Net Metering | Allowed (functionally community solar) |
| System Size Limit | 100 kW for most favorable residential terms |
| Statewide Cap | 100 MW total |
There is no single statewide cents/kWh export rate. The credit is a formula applied to each utility's own tariffed rate components (Default Energy Service, Transmission, Distribution), so the effective $/kWh differs by utility, by system size tier, and by the utility's current rate case -- it changes whenever a utility files new rates with the NH PUC. For systems 100 kW or smaller that applied on/after Sept 1, 2017 at Eversource NH or Unitil, the credit is Default Energy Service + Transmission + 25% of Distribution (well below full retail). We could not verify Liberty Utilities' or NH Electric Co-op's exact published formulas independently -- see review notes.
Top utilities in New Hampshire
Your utility company largely dictates the base rates you pay and the exact net metering policy you receive. Below are some of the state's largest utilities and their residential rates.
| Utility | Residential rate | Customers |
|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of NH | 22.65¢/kWh | 279,131 |
| Community Power Coalition of NH | 8.71¢/kWh | 104,562 |
| New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc | 23.83¢/kWh | 72,772 |
Lease vs. buy in New Hampshire
While solar ownership offers the best long-term return through avoided electricity costs, the end of the federal solar tax credit for individuals in 2026 makes third-party ownership more competitive. A leasing company can still claim the federal business investment tax credit (§48E) on the system and may pass part of those savings along to you in the form of lower monthly rates. Read our lease vs. buy guide for an in-depth breakdown.
Estimate your own numbers
The numbers above represent an average New Hampshire household. To see what going solar looks like for your specific roof and usage, use the solar calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there state solar rebates in New Hampshire?
Currently, no. The Residential Renewable Electrical Generation Rebate program run by the NH Renewable Energy Fund was permanently repealed by Senate Bill 303 in 2024 and is closed to new projects.
Does New Hampshire have a solar property tax exemption?
Yes, but it is a local opt-in policy. RSA 72:62 allows individual cities and towns to vote on whether to exempt the added value of a solar system from property taxes. You must check with your local assessor to see if your municipality has adopted the exemption.
Is net metering available in New Hampshire?
Yes, but recent solar adopters typically fall under 'Alternative Net Energy Metering'. Instead of a full retail credit for the electricity you send to the grid, Eversource NH and Unitil customers receive a partial credit consisting of the Default Energy Service charge, the Transmission charge, and 25% of the Distribution charge.
Data sources
Last updated 2026-09-24
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Electricity Data Browser — accessed 2026-09-24
- NREL PVWatts — accessed 2026-09-24
- NREL Solar Resource Data — accessed 2026-09-24
- LBNL Tracking the Sun (public data file, host-owned residential systems) — accessed 2026-09-24
Written by Aditya Patil