Federal ITC 30% (tax credit)
State tax credit: Yes ($1,000)
Net metering (by utility)
There can be solar tax credits and incentives available at the federal, state and local levels. The calculator above will show you the value of all incentives your home is eligible for.
Massachusetts legislators have made the state one of the best places in the country to install home solar panels. Because of all the great solar incentives here, you can expect a solar payback in as little as 6 years. That rate of return significantly outpaces other investments relative to the low level of risk associated with the sun rising every morning.
Learn what solar incentives are available to Massachusetts homeowners
See what Massachusetts solar incentives you qualify for based on your utility company and city
Find out how much these incentives and/or Massachusetts solar tax credits will reduce your cost to go solar and add batteries
The federal solar investment tax credit will have the biggest impact on the cost you will face to go solar in Massachusetts
If you install your photovoltaic system before the end of 2032, the federal tax credit is 30% of the cost of your solar panel system. This is 30% off the entire cost of the system including equipment, labor, and permitting.
Example: If your solar energy system costs $20,000, your federal solar tax credit would be $20,000 x 30% = $6,000.
The federal tax credit falls to 26% starting in 2033.
With net metering in some states, you get full retail rate credit for the amount of electricity you send back into the grid with your solar panels.
Net Metering requires your utility to monitor how much energy your solar power system produces and how much energy you actually consume, and make sure you get credit for the surplus. Massachusetts has recently reaffirmed its commitment to net metering for residential solar systems, so you can rest easier knowing the state has your back.
For Massachusetts residents under Class I residential net metering rules for solar, any extra energy your panels produce is credited to your bill and carried over indefinitely.
Net metering in Massachusetts is a huge boon for you as a solar owner, especially with electricity prices reaching over $0.30 per kilowatt-hour in Boston.
Massachusetts used to have a nice, simple statewide rebate program called "The Commonwealth Solar II Rebate Program". Sadly, the program has now closed, because it was so effective that funding ran out. Luckily, some local municipal utilities have stepped in to take the place. Unfortunately, these small companies serve only a fraction of the state's population.
Massachusetts has devised an ingenious progressive solar incentive system that favors low-income, small-scale and community solar energy projects. It’s called the SMART program. At the program’s core is a formula that includes a base compensation rate that decreases as your system gets larger.
For every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar energy you produce with your solar panel system as long as it’s 25 kW or less (that’s about an 80 panel installation, way more than enough electricity for a very large household’s needs), you get paid a 230% multiple of the base compensation rate. Special compensation rate adders are available for community shared solar projects, low-income properties, and/or both!
The SMART Program requires the 3 main Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs)—Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil—to make incentive payments directly to homeowners who install solar systems within their territory. The incentive is calculated based on a "block" system, where each block represents about 200 MW of solar energy generation capacity.
Each time a block is filled (i.e. 200 MW of solar are installed), the incentive amount decreases slightly. So people who install systems in the earlier blocks get higher incentive payments than those who wait to install later.
At the current level (2021), people who install solar on their homes are eligible for a net incentive payment of about $.08/kWh for 10 years. Considering the average Massachusetts home solar system generates around 7,900 kWh per year, that's over $630 in incentive payments per year.
Low income households enrolled in the program can expect an additional incentive of between 3 to 5 cents per kWh. That increases average SMART incentive payments to near $950 every year.
The definition of low income for the program is decided by each individual utility, but in general those with a maximum income 80% below the state’s median income will likely meet such requirements, though this is not guaranteed.
Learn more: Read our post about the SMART Solar Program here.
Massachusetts offers a 15% tax credit off the net costs of your solar system, but only up to a maximum of $1,000 (net costs, meaning cost minus the federal 30% tax credit).
Basically, for most systems, count on $1,000 off next year's state income tax bill, on top of the big savings from the Feds.
When the Massachusetts property tax man or woman cometh to assess your new solar home, they can’t assess you another dime for 20 years -- despite the fact that you’ll be adding roughly 20 times your annual electricity bill savings to your property value. In an example 5kW solar system, that adds up to about $19,890 (20 times your annual electricity savings of $995).
In addition to the property tax exemption, you don’t pay sales tax on your system either, so the installed price is the installed price.
Showing data for:
Prices based on a 8.5kW system, after 30% federal tax credit
76 solar companies in Massachusetts provide pricing on SolarReviews. Here are the best rated companies near you.
4.91 109 Reviews
Dick B, over 1 month
Sunergy Solotions salesman Angelo was a gream man to deal with. He was very informative on solar systems. I was a former owner owner of an HVAC company and was very impressed with the entire crew of installers. They were very professional, respectful of my property during the entire process of the solar installation. I highly recommend reaching out to Sunergy Solutions for the installation of your solar project.
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Dick B, over 1 month
Sunergy Solotions salesman Angelo was a gream man to deal with. He was very informative on solar systems. I was a former owner owner of an HVAC company and was very impressed with the entire crew of installers. They were very professional, respectful of my property during the entire process of the solar installation. I highly recommend reaching out to Sunergy Solutions for the installation of your solar project.
4.91 126 Reviews
Andrew Hooks, 4 days ago
Great company and quick install and very professional! Highly recommended
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Andrew Hooks, 4 days ago
Great company and quick install and very professional! Highly recommended
4.86 165 Reviews
James, 1 day ago
From start to finish we had a great experience working with Mass Renewables. The salesperson, Diane, was incredibly helpful, informative, and very pleasant to work with. The system was competitively priced. The installation team was professional, efficient, and on time. They took the time to ask questions and get our input whenever it was required. The leadership was hands-on and involved. Mass Renewables provided us "big company" expertise with a hands-on, small company demeanor. We love the look of our panels, and the system is generating exactly what Mass Renewables predicted. Highly recommend.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$20,000 ($4.00 per watt)
James, 1 day ago
From start to finish we had a great experience working with Mass Renewables. The salesperson, Diane, was incredibly helpful, informative, and very pleasant to work with. The system was competitively priced. The installation team was professional, efficient, and on time. They took the time to ask questions and get our input whenever it was required. The leadership was hands-on and involved. Mass Renewables provided us "big company" expertise with a hands-on, small company demeanor. We love the look of our panels, and the system is generating exactly what Mass Renewables predicted. Highly recommend.
4.86 503 Reviews
Judy, 1 week ago
Of the three companies I interviewed for installing solar panels on my garage, I'm very happy that I selected All Energy Solar! I was impressed by how much the staff I encountered enjoyed their jobs, cared about their customers, and were dedicated to providing high quality work. I'd like to give a special shout-out to Brandon Charboneau (Sales Consultant), Paris Gronberg (Project Manager), and Installation Crew #8 (Andrew, Alex, John, and George). I found them all easy to work with, they were respectful of my property, and they answered my many questions without hesitation. Alex did a masterful job of handling the electrical installation. John and George had to hand dig a 2' deep trench from my garage to the electric meter behind my house (a distance of 70'). They were careful of my flower beds and a nest of baby bunnies they found right by where they were digging. Thanks guys!
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Judy, 1 week ago
Of the three companies I interviewed for installing solar panels on my garage, I'm very happy that I selected All Energy Solar! I was impressed by how much the staff I encountered enjoyed their jobs, cared about their customers, and were dedicated to providing high quality work. I'd like to give a special shout-out to Brandon Charboneau (Sales Consultant), Paris Gronberg (Project Manager), and Installation Crew #8 (Andrew, Alex, John, and George). I found them all easy to work with, they were respectful of my property, and they answered my many questions without hesitation. Alex did a masterful job of handling the electrical installation. John and George had to hand dig a 2' deep trench from my garage to the electric meter behind my house (a distance of 70'). They were careful of my flower beds and a nest of baby bunnies they found right by where they were digging. Thanks guys!
4.84 73 Reviews
C B, 2 weeks ago
I spoke with a number of solar installers before deciding to use NEC Solar, and I felt the need to wash my hands after shaking hands with other companies' sales people (because they were slimy salespeople). My experience with NEC Solar was completely different. They care about their customers, their product, and they environment. Their workmen were efficient and completed the installation more quickly than advertised, and cleaned up after themselves (and even cleaned up messy areas where they hadn't made the mess). The period to get from installation to actively being on net-metering was shorter than anticipated, and we are now banking energy credits and looking at no electric bills.
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C B, 2 weeks ago
I spoke with a number of solar installers before deciding to use NEC Solar, and I felt the need to wash my hands after shaking hands with other companies' sales people (because they were slimy salespeople). My experience with NEC Solar was completely different. They care about their customers, their product, and they environment. Their workmen were efficient and completed the installation more quickly than advertised, and cleaned up after themselves (and even cleaned up messy areas where they hadn't made the mess). The period to get from installation to actively being on net-metering was shorter than anticipated, and we are now banking energy credits and looking at no electric bills.
4.83 74 Reviews
Tom S, over 1 month
Earthlight was a joy to work with. We dragged our feet a bit, but the sales team was never pushy (something I cannot say about some other companies we met with). As new panels became available, which fit our design better, we signed the contract and paid a deposit. We had expected to wait 4-5 months for the installation, but an opening appeared after two months and we grabbed it. The installation crew arrived on time, and all of the panels were installed in a day. The workmanship was outstanding. Our system has been producing electricity for three months now, and we couldn't be happier. Everything is working perfectly.
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Tom S, over 1 month
Earthlight was a joy to work with. We dragged our feet a bit, but the sales team was never pushy (something I cannot say about some other companies we met with). As new panels became available, which fit our design better, we signed the contract and paid a deposit. We had expected to wait 4-5 months for the installation, but an opening appeared after two months and we grabbed it. The installation crew arrived on time, and all of the panels were installed in a day. The workmanship was outstanding. Our system has been producing electricity for three months now, and we couldn't be happier. Everything is working perfectly.
4.79 80 Reviews
Jerry B., over 1 month
I have yet to have multi-day power outage since installing 2-13.5 kwh SunVault batteries. During winter months I leave fully charged since sun & possible snow cover will impede solar production, so a fail-safe for the long power outage possibility. Now that better weather is here and not worried about freezing pipes, I am running the batteries overnight to power the home. So far, has the SunVault system has been working great with balancing the battery, grid and solar production usage in the home. I use about 50% of the batteries (one battery) each evening and it is typically charged up by 11 am local time, a little later on the cloudy days (yes, arrays still produce). My system is sized enough to power home on all but the darkest days where the battery supplements. If we get multiple days of rain, then I'm back on the grid using some of the credits I have stored at Eversource after the batteries are 100% recharged each day. I have no idea when the SunVault system switches to battery from the grid and vice versa, no issues with any electronics in the home when it does and it works in the "normal" daily living space fantastically. I will update this review if my micro-grid fails during a multi-day grid power outage as it is my expectation the solar array will not be shut down so the house and batteries can use the produced electricity until the grid is repaired. This is the real reason I go the batteries as had a 2018 summer Tropical Storm knock out power for 6-days and it was sunny for 5 of those days but my solar array was useless without a battery system attached. Fingers crossed this works as promoted and promised. The staff was great at every process of the sales, install and post-install support process as there are always questions and weird things with electricity that sometimes needs a call. Thank you, Jordan, my install team and Kim for helping and teaching me about the system. SavKat is a local, family-owned operation that is simply the best, highly recommend talking to them before going too far into your solar planning.
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Jerry B., over 1 month
I have yet to have multi-day power outage since installing 2-13.5 kwh SunVault batteries. During winter months I leave fully charged since sun & possible snow cover will impede solar production, so a fail-safe for the long power outage possibility. Now that better weather is here and not worried about freezing pipes, I am running the batteries overnight to power the home. So far, has the SunVault system has been working great with balancing the battery, grid and solar production usage in the home. I use about 50% of the batteries (one battery) each evening and it is typically charged up by 11 am local time, a little later on the cloudy days (yes, arrays still produce). My system is sized enough to power home on all but the darkest days where the battery supplements. If we get multiple days of rain, then I'm back on the grid using some of the credits I have stored at Eversource after the batteries are 100% recharged each day. I have no idea when the SunVault system switches to battery from the grid and vice versa, no issues with any electronics in the home when it does and it works in the "normal" daily living space fantastically. I will update this review if my micro-grid fails during a multi-day grid power outage as it is my expectation the solar array will not be shut down so the house and batteries can use the produced electricity until the grid is repaired. This is the real reason I go the batteries as had a 2018 summer Tropical Storm knock out power for 6-days and it was sunny for 5 of those days but my solar array was useless without a battery system attached. Fingers crossed this works as promoted and promised. The staff was great at every process of the sales, install and post-install support process as there are always questions and weird things with electricity that sometimes needs a call. Thank you, Jordan, my install team and Kim for helping and teaching me about the system. SavKat is a local, family-owned operation that is simply the best, highly recommend talking to them before going too far into your solar planning.
4.79 314 Reviews
jeffoconnor4@gmail.com, 2 weeks ago
New England Clean Energy works with you step by step and provides excellent customer service throughout. I ran into a few hiccups with my electricity provider and everyone at New England Clean Energy worked to ensure that I did not have to lift a finger and took care of the whole process as promised. 100% recommend!!!
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Average cost (5kW system)
$21,450 ($4.29 per watt)
jeffoconnor4@gmail.com, 2 weeks ago
New England Clean Energy works with you step by step and provides excellent customer service throughout. I ran into a few hiccups with my electricity provider and everyone at New England Clean Energy worked to ensure that I did not have to lift a finger and took care of the whole process as promised. 100% recommend!!!
4.79 217 Reviews
Joe, over 1 month
My solar system went down on June 28, It is not August 5 and the projected site visit from the company is October. In the two years the system was installed it has gone down twice during peak production season. While the first issue was resolved in about 4 weeks, this time, the projected repair time is going to exceed 14 weeks. You don't have to believe me. Call their service number (207) 747-0076... you will never get a human when looking for service and you will never get a call back. Press the number for sales and you will get a human on the first ring - even on a cell if needed. I do not recommend using this firm.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$20,050 ($4.01 per watt)
Joe, over 1 month
My solar system went down on June 28, It is not August 5 and the projected site visit from the company is October. In the two years the system was installed it has gone down twice during peak production season. While the first issue was resolved in about 4 weeks, this time, the projected repair time is going to exceed 14 weeks. You don't have to believe me. Call their service number (207) 747-0076... you will never get a human when looking for service and you will never get a call back. Press the number for sales and you will get a human on the first ring - even on a cell if needed. I do not recommend using this firm.
4.77 81 Reviews
Janet H., over 1 month
From start to finish this was an exceptional process. It was a throwback to a time when customer service was all about the customer. We were kept informed every step of the way, called if there was a delay for any reason, work was done timely, staff were more than competent and I was completely comfortable having them in and on my home. The work area was always cleaned before they left for the day. It was so refreshing to work with a company that does quality work, with quality products and cares about the client experience from start to finish.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$18,600 ($3.72 per watt)
Janet H., over 1 month
From start to finish this was an exceptional process. It was a throwback to a time when customer service was all about the customer. We were kept informed every step of the way, called if there was a delay for any reason, work was done timely, staff were more than competent and I was completely comfortable having them in and on my home. The work area was always cleaned before they left for the day. It was so refreshing to work with a company that does quality work, with quality products and cares about the client experience from start to finish.
For more information about going solar near where you live, check out the following resources: