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.
When you hear "New Jersey" you probably don't think of bright sunny skies. So you might be surprised to hear that New Jersey is one of the country's best places to install a solar system. The combination of high electricity rates, statewide solar incentives, the 30% federal tax credit, and an excellent net metering policy make solar a worthwhile investment for almost all homeowners.
But it doesn't stop there. New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities is creating an energy storage incentive to make installing solar batteries more affordable. Plus, the state is expanding community solar programs to make solar more accessible to low-income households. That commitment to helping folks go solar is what keeps New Jersey as one of the top states to go solar.
Learn what solar incentives are available to New Jersey homeowners
See what New Jersey solar incentives you qualify for based on your utility company and city
Find out how much these incentives and/or New Jersey 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 New Jersey
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.
New Jersey's net metering rules ensure the utility company tracks your excess power generation and credits it to your next bill at the full retail rate. If you run a surplus for an entire year, the utility will cut you a check for the excess at the company's avoided-cost (wholesale) rate. All investor-owned utilities, certain competitive municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives provide net metering.
This net metering policy greatly benefits you as a New Jersey solar owner, letting you save big on your utility bills.
New Jersey is a state that has placed strict requirements on utility companies to include renewable energy and, specifically home solar in its energy mix. The state has achieved such strong results in transitioning to clean energy through the issuance and sale of solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs). In New Jersey, they are referred to as SREC-IIs. Clean energy generators like home solar owners own these credits and can sell them to the utilities so the companies can meet their renewable energy targets.
Any solar system installed after August 28, 2021, can participate in the "Successor Solar Incentive program," or SuSI for short.
Under the SuSI program, every time a solar system produces one megawatt-hour of electricity, an SREC-II is generated. SREC-IIs are worth $90 each. The average 6 kW system would generate enough SREC-IIs to earn roughly $7,110 over the program's 15-year term.
When the property tax assessor comes knockin' at your front door, by law, they are not allowed to increase your property taxes in New Jersey because you've got a valuable new solar system on your roof. At the same time, your home WILL be worth significantly more when you sell because, hey, what home buyer doesn't like free electricity?
Also, unlike other home upgrades like new kitchen appliances or bathroom fixtures, with solar panels in NJ, you will not have to pay any sales taxes on your system. That's 7% you save upfront, even without statewide solar power rebates.
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Prices based on a 9.6kW system, after 30% federal tax credit
99 solar companies in New Jersey provide pricing on SolarReviews. Here are the best rated companies near you.
4.88 505 Reviews
Marc Zbinden, 3 days ago
Researched several installers in our area before selecting Solar Energy World (SEW), and very glad we did. They were highly recommended by some of our neighbors. Our sales person, Morgan, was extremely helpful, patient, and informative throughout the whole process. He and his management team worked closely with us to ensure we got the right system for our home, answered all my questions and concerns, and helped me make all the numbers work (after all it is a sizable investment). I feel very confident we made the right choice. The rest of the process went quicker than my decision making! The installation team was excellent and professional. They kept us well informed of the progress each day and what was happening. I appreciate they took the time to explain each part of the install and the equipment. It's been 1 month since the system went live, and working as expected. Having the microinverters on each panel is great. It has pointed out that we need to trim a few trees to get optimal output on a few panels. SEW (and most notably Morgan) remains in contact with us and continues to answer promptly any questions I have. I highly recommend Solar Energy World!
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Marc Zbinden, 3 days ago
Researched several installers in our area before selecting Solar Energy World (SEW), and very glad we did. They were highly recommended by some of our neighbors. Our sales person, Morgan, was extremely helpful, patient, and informative throughout the whole process. He and his management team worked closely with us to ensure we got the right system for our home, answered all my questions and concerns, and helped me make all the numbers work (after all it is a sizable investment). I feel very confident we made the right choice. The rest of the process went quicker than my decision making! The installation team was excellent and professional. They kept us well informed of the progress each day and what was happening. I appreciate they took the time to explain each part of the install and the equipment. It's been 1 month since the system went live, and working as expected. Having the microinverters on each panel is great. It has pointed out that we need to trim a few trees to get optimal output on a few panels. SEW (and most notably Morgan) remains in contact with us and continues to answer promptly any questions I have. I highly recommend Solar Energy World!
4.81 221 Reviews
Daniel Sullivan, 1 week ago
Had a great experience with Lenney in the Long Beach office. All the work was done quickly and professionally while also saving us money.
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Daniel Sullivan, 1 week ago
Had a great experience with Lenney in the Long Beach office. All the work was done quickly and professionally while also saving us money.
4.79 320 Reviews
Paul Ponzeka, 1 day ago
Best contractor I have ever worked with. Everything was well communicated, their office was responsive, and they had the best project management i've ever seen. They outlined how long it would take for their part, how permitted would work, and how my energy company (eversource) would be the limited factor in turning on the system. Honestly cant recommend them enough!
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Paul Ponzeka, 1 day ago
Best contractor I have ever worked with. Everything was well communicated, their office was responsive, and they had the best project management i've ever seen. They outlined how long it would take for their part, how permitted would work, and how my energy company (eversource) would be the limited factor in turning on the system. Honestly cant recommend them enough!
4.78 49 Reviews
Bryan, over 1 month
Impact Solar recently finished a solar array installation for my home. I highly recommend them. The whole process was seamless from initial quote to finished install. Jeff, Rob, and Sam were all communicative and professional. Prices are very reasonable and they do not utilize pushy sales tactics that I witnessed with some other solar companies. They did an awesome job with the installation and made sure that the wires were run cleanly with minimal impact to the façade of the house. Definitely give them a call!
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Bryan, over 1 month
Impact Solar recently finished a solar array installation for my home. I highly recommend them. The whole process was seamless from initial quote to finished install. Jeff, Rob, and Sam were all communicative and professional. Prices are very reasonable and they do not utilize pushy sales tactics that I witnessed with some other solar companies. They did an awesome job with the installation and made sure that the wires were run cleanly with minimal impact to the façade of the house. Definitely give them a call!
4.77 89 Reviews
Mark, over 1 month
Solar Me's installers, engineers and customer service staff were very professional, knowledgeable and courteous. Work was completed on time with no problems. System works great.
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Mark, over 1 month
Solar Me's installers, engineers and customer service staff were very professional, knowledgeable and courteous. Work was completed on time with no problems. System works great.
4.77 44 Reviews
Heidi, 3 days ago
From our first meeting with George Nebrat we knew we were dealing with a fantastic company. George and Apollo Energy helped me to work through the entire purchasing, building, approval and installation process. They went above and beyond to help me through every step. Whenever I needed help I could call George and he immediately went to work resolving whatever issue I was dealing with. Even now if I have a concern I can call George and he will make sure everything in a timely and efficient manner. He made the entire process as smooth as possible. Our system looks fantastic and is working well. I look forward to the saving this will bring me over the life of the unit. Please call Apollo Energy to start your solar journey, you will not be disappointed!
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Heidi, 3 days ago
From our first meeting with George Nebrat we knew we were dealing with a fantastic company. George and Apollo Energy helped me to work through the entire purchasing, building, approval and installation process. They went above and beyond to help me through every step. Whenever I needed help I could call George and he immediately went to work resolving whatever issue I was dealing with. Even now if I have a concern I can call George and he will make sure everything in a timely and efficient manner. He made the entire process as smooth as possible. Our system looks fantastic and is working well. I look forward to the saving this will bring me over the life of the unit. Please call Apollo Energy to start your solar journey, you will not be disappointed!
4.73 508 Reviews
Christopher Borrego, 2 days ago
Excellent interpersonal skills, wonderful job
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Christopher Borrego, 2 days ago
Excellent interpersonal skills, wonderful job
4.71 26 Reviews
cheryl, over 1 month
I spoke with Dov at Powerlutions regarding our solar contract. He was very knowledgeable, patient and extremely pleasant to work with. The installation team was very respectful and professional, it was very impressive to watch them do the job. I am looking forward to geeting good use out of our new solar panels. Thank you Dov and Powerlutions for an excellent experience.
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cheryl, over 1 month
I spoke with Dov at Powerlutions regarding our solar contract. He was very knowledgeable, patient and extremely pleasant to work with. The installation team was very respectful and professional, it was very impressive to watch them do the job. I am looking forward to geeting good use out of our new solar panels. Thank you Dov and Powerlutions for an excellent experience.
4.69 47 Reviews
Tom Steele, 1 week ago
We built our house in Wolcott, CT and moved in September 2021. Our electric bill steadily increased each month. Also, we lost power at least 10x during the first full year. Finally, after yet another Eversource rate increase in 2022, I finally decided decided it was time to sit down and do some research on solar. In a couple of weeks I felt it was time to engage several solar companies in the area for pricing, offers, etc. I had three must-haves: 1) overproduce (never want an electric bill again and for future), 2) quality workmanship, and 3) a battery backup for power outages. It didn't take long for me to decide that SAVKAT would be our company of choice. Knowing I had done my research, it was easy to see some of the companies trying to entice us with leasing, lower-quality panels, and shying away from battery backup. At the time, purchasing was far superior to leasing - plus all the tax incentives and early-adoption battery backup plans with Eversource. After sitting down and reviewing the numbers, I could either continue to wonder how much more our electric bill would be each month or pay a fixed amount per month (loan) for electricity at a significantly lower rate per month (based on avg monthly bills over a year). I'm currently writing this review after having the system installed and running for 9 months. In that timeframe, I have continued to receive credits every month on my Eversource account because we overproduce. I receive a quarterly payment at roughly 3 cents per kW we generate. We were early adopters (phase 1) of the SunPower Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program where Eversource uses our battery to help offset grid demand. This program is for 10 years which pays us per average kWh over each period. We are currently on pace to be around 6kWh per event, which will end up covering more than half of our monthly loan payments. The installation was a piece of cake - panel array and electrical in less than a day, and the battery was done the following day. The panel array was placed perfectly on the rear roof of our home, and they installed a single conduit down the roofline into the basement where our electric panel lives. All of the permits, surveys, Eversource meter installs, etc were handled by SAVKAT. All we had to do was sign on the dotted line whenever necessary. Once we got the ok from our town inspector and Eversource inspectors, the system was turned on. I also have to say I love the SunPower app on my phone. I find myself checking it multiple times a week to see how we're doing. It's super convenient and easy to use. Being able to generate custom reports from date x to date y lets me know if I'll be getting a credit or charge on my Eversource account. It also supplies me with the VPP average kWh for the incentive plan. All in all, I couldn't be happier with the decision to go with SAVKAT. From sales, to service, to installers, and everyone involved in the process - it was (and still is) a pleasure. I continue to recommend solar and SAVKAT to anyone who asks (and sometimes when they don't).
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Tom Steele, 1 week ago
We built our house in Wolcott, CT and moved in September 2021. Our electric bill steadily increased each month. Also, we lost power at least 10x during the first full year. Finally, after yet another Eversource rate increase in 2022, I finally decided decided it was time to sit down and do some research on solar. In a couple of weeks I felt it was time to engage several solar companies in the area for pricing, offers, etc. I had three must-haves: 1) overproduce (never want an electric bill again and for future), 2) quality workmanship, and 3) a battery backup for power outages. It didn't take long for me to decide that SAVKAT would be our company of choice. Knowing I had done my research, it was easy to see some of the companies trying to entice us with leasing, lower-quality panels, and shying away from battery backup. At the time, purchasing was far superior to leasing - plus all the tax incentives and early-adoption battery backup plans with Eversource. After sitting down and reviewing the numbers, I could either continue to wonder how much more our electric bill would be each month or pay a fixed amount per month (loan) for electricity at a significantly lower rate per month (based on avg monthly bills over a year). I'm currently writing this review after having the system installed and running for 9 months. In that timeframe, I have continued to receive credits every month on my Eversource account because we overproduce. I receive a quarterly payment at roughly 3 cents per kW we generate. We were early adopters (phase 1) of the SunPower Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program where Eversource uses our battery to help offset grid demand. This program is for 10 years which pays us per average kWh over each period. We are currently on pace to be around 6kWh per event, which will end up covering more than half of our monthly loan payments. The installation was a piece of cake - panel array and electrical in less than a day, and the battery was done the following day. The panel array was placed perfectly on the rear roof of our home, and they installed a single conduit down the roofline into the basement where our electric panel lives. All of the permits, surveys, Eversource meter installs, etc were handled by SAVKAT. All we had to do was sign on the dotted line whenever necessary. Once we got the ok from our town inspector and Eversource inspectors, the system was turned on. I also have to say I love the SunPower app on my phone. I find myself checking it multiple times a week to see how we're doing. It's super convenient and easy to use. Being able to generate custom reports from date x to date y lets me know if I'll be getting a credit or charge on my Eversource account. It also supplies me with the VPP average kWh for the incentive plan. All in all, I couldn't be happier with the decision to go with SAVKAT. From sales, to service, to installers, and everyone involved in the process - it was (and still is) a pleasure. I continue to recommend solar and SAVKAT to anyone who asks (and sometimes when they don't).
4.66 38 Reviews
Calvin Clements, over 1 month
Excellent installation and had a problem with inverter one year later and 100% prompt replacement and stood behind warranty.
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Calvin Clements, over 1 month
Excellent installation and had a problem with inverter one year later and 100% prompt replacement and stood behind warranty.
For more information about going solar near where you live, check out the following resources: