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.
There are two huge factors working to boost home solar in Rhode Island: the state's Small-Scale Solar grant program and the Renewable Energy Growth Program. Combined, they mean you'll save thousands up front on a new solar system and can sell the electricity it produces for thousands more.
Solar is cheaper than ever, so the Rhode Island incentives combined with the Federal 26% tax credit for solar means a solar panel system pays itself back quickly and makes you lots of money over its 25-year warrantied life!
Learn what solar incentives are available to Rhode Island homeowners
See what Rhode Island solar incentives you qualify for based on your utility company and city
Find out how much these incentives and/or Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
This perk is commonly known as the ITC, short for “Investment Tax Credit”. If you install your photovoltaic system in 2020, the federal tax credit is 26% of the cost of your solar panel system. This is 26% 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 26% = $5,200.
The federal tax credit falls to 22% at the end of 2022.
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.
Rhode Island has a strong net metering program that ensures you get credit for your surplus energy production -- up to 125% of your monthly consumption. Surplus is credited to you at the utilities avoided-cost rate, and may be either carried forward to the next bill or purchased by the utility, at their discretion.
After 2016, the legislature doubled the net metering limit to 10 Megawatts of total generation capacity, and also added net metering for 3rd-party-owned systems.
That’s a pretty solid law overall, but there are definitely some easy tweaks the legislature could implement to make net metering even stronger. For one, municipal and cooperative electric companies are currently exempt from the statewide net metering standards. The law should be expanded to cover all utilities.
We’d also like to see the option for bill rollovers or cash payments moved from the utility to you, so you can decide how the savings help you most.
While Rhode Island does not have a dedicated state rebate for solar panel installation, some manufacturers like LG offer their own solar rebates. These programs are usually time sensitive. For example, LG offers a $600 solar rebate on their equipment, which your installer can help you redeem over the next year.
National Grid’s Renewable Energy Growth program in Rhode Island provides an awesome incentive to go solar. You get a performance based incentive (PBI) payment which is reflected both as a credit to your monthly electric bill and as a cash payment every month.
For 2021, you can expect the PBI to be at $.25- $.29 cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh). The PBI gets split between a credit to your existing electric bill and that cash payment. Since an average 6-kW home solar system generates about 10,000 kwh annually, you can expect bill credits and payments of $2,500 annually for a term length of 15-20 years! Even though the cash portion of the PBI is taxable income (meaning you’ll get an IRS 1099 form), this program is a huge boon to you for installing solar.
Rhode Island policymakers also created a fund for those who may not be sure if they’re going to live in their homes for the next 20 years to go solar as well. If you decide not to participate in the PBI above, you can elect to take a solar grant from the Rhode Island Renewable Energy Fund instead.
For 2021, the grant amount is up to $850 per kilowatt of installed solar, up to a maximum of $7,000. On an average 6-kW system, that amounts to $5,100 upfront! This solar grant program is among the best in the nation. Way to go, Rhode Island!
Thankfully there are tax exemptions for solar power here as well. When you install a solar power system, your home goes up in value by a factor of 20 times your electricity bill savings. No one should ever be penalized for converting to renewable energy, a sentiment with which the Rhode Island legislature agrees.
That’s why they passed a property tax law ensuring that your solar power system will never be assessed at any higher value than the equivalent standard, non-renewable energy production system. That means all that increase in value you get from a solar power system over a conventional system stays with you and not with the state tax collectors.
Those shiny new solar panels are also 100% exempt from all sales and use taxes when you purchase and install them.
Showing data for:
Prices based on a 8.0kW system, after 26% federal tax credit
13 solar companies in Rhode Island provide pricing on SolarReviews. Here are the best rated companies near you.
4.79 41 Reviews
Tonys1965, over 1 month
I had solar panels installed at my house last year by NEC Solar and everything went perfectly. Dana did a great job explaining everything to me and my wife to make us feel at ease and I feel confident that the products they used will preform for the life of the system. The installers did excellent work, were very attentive to our needs and the system looks and works great. We were concerned with the aesthetics and didn't want pipes running on the roof so they ran all the wires through the attic and walls. The system was sized properly and I generate plenty of electricity to cover my whole electric bill, it's nice not to have to pay an electric bill or have to worry about price increases. Great job NEC Solar!
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Tonys1965, over 1 month
I had solar panels installed at my house last year by NEC Solar and everything went perfectly. Dana did a great job explaining everything to me and my wife to make us feel at ease and I feel confident that the products they used will preform for the life of the system. The installers did excellent work, were very attentive to our needs and the system looks and works great. We were concerned with the aesthetics and didn't want pipes running on the roof so they ran all the wires through the attic and walls. The system was sized properly and I generate plenty of electricity to cover my whole electric bill, it's nice not to have to pay an electric bill or have to worry about price increases. Great job NEC Solar!
4.75 27 Reviews
Tony Moretinni, over 1 month
We looked at a dozen+ Solar companies Mike was then straightest with us and delivered as promised. Definitely go w Sunergy Sunergy.
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Tony Moretinni, over 1 month
We looked at a dozen+ Solar companies Mike was then straightest with us and delivered as promised. Definitely go w Sunergy Sunergy.
4.74 290 Reviews
O. Benyo, over 1 month
NECE Installed our system on time and with no hassle. Managed the whole process (including rebates). The team was extremely helpful and kind. We enjoyed working with them and would recommend them to anyone looking to do solar panels!
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Average cost (5kW system)
$21,450 ($4.29 per watt)
O. Benyo, over 1 month
NECE Installed our system on time and with no hassle. Managed the whole process (including rebates). The team was extremely helpful and kind. We enjoyed working with them and would recommend them to anyone looking to do solar panels!
4.72 84 Reviews
Emingers, over 1 month
Going solar was a really smooth process and we couldn’t be happier with how the install went, the results and the reduction in our electric bill each month are amazing!
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Emingers, over 1 month
Going solar was a really smooth process and we couldn’t be happier with how the install went, the results and the reduction in our electric bill each month are amazing!
4.66 18 Reviews
Candace Bartsch, 2 weeks ago
From start to finish Premier Improvements was amazing. They were very efficient, informative, and thorough. Working with them was a pleasure. Our panels are up on a new roof and running beautifully! Thank you Premier Improvements for making this process, painless, educational, and easy! 5 Stars all the way.
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Candace Bartsch, 2 weeks ago
From start to finish Premier Improvements was amazing. They were very efficient, informative, and thorough. Working with them was a pleasure. Our panels are up on a new roof and running beautifully! Thank you Premier Improvements for making this process, painless, educational, and easy! 5 Stars all the way.
4.43 268 Reviews
DaveP, 6 days ago
We are very happy with Venture Solar. They provided great service from beginning to end. They explained everything, kept us informed throughout the process and are genuinely interested in making sure our system is working well and that we understand everything about it. I would no hesitate to recommend Venture Solar.
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DaveP, 6 days ago
We are very happy with Venture Solar. They provided great service from beginning to end. They explained everything, kept us informed throughout the process and are genuinely interested in making sure our system is working well and that we understand everything about it. I would no hesitate to recommend Venture Solar.
4.17 7 Reviews
Karlo Berger, over 1 month
I highly recommend Sol Power. Every step of the way, they were professional, above-board, and efficient in their planning, installation, and wrap-up process. We even got the installation finalized through the pandemic! Plus they are cooperative, which keeps the money in the community.
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Karlo Berger, over 1 month
I highly recommend Sol Power. Every step of the way, they were professional, above-board, and efficient in their planning, installation, and wrap-up process. We even got the installation finalized through the pandemic! Plus they are cooperative, which keeps the money in the community.
4.08 141 Reviews
Brian Bernard, over 1 month
The sales process was great. They were very attentive and offered the best deal on the best equipment. Then.. After signing the deal, they stopped returning e-mails and phone calls. It took them 6 months to get the materials delivered. Then it took 2 weeks before installation started. And the meter was installed incorrectly. They corrected that quickly as I was still holding the final 10% progress payment and their sales team was back to calling and e-mailing every other day. 4 years in, one of the micro-invertors stopped working. For 4 weeks, no one at RGS responded to my calls; e-mails; or web-chats. I initiated the replacement part request with the manufacturer and the next day RGS e-mailed me back to say a replacement part had been ordered and should be arriving in 2-4 weeks. I got the part in 4 weeks, notified RGS, and, again, they went silent on me. 4 weeks after that, I got an e-mail from RGS with a workorder stating that I would have to pay $350 plus additional costs for them to complete the work under warranty. That is where we stand now. If I had to do it again, I would go with a company that had positive reviews after the sales process. That is when you are going to need them they most. Good luck with your solar projects.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$23,400 ($4.68 per watt)
Brian Bernard, over 1 month
The sales process was great. They were very attentive and offered the best deal on the best equipment. Then.. After signing the deal, they stopped returning e-mails and phone calls. It took them 6 months to get the materials delivered. Then it took 2 weeks before installation started. And the meter was installed incorrectly. They corrected that quickly as I was still holding the final 10% progress payment and their sales team was back to calling and e-mailing every other day. 4 years in, one of the micro-invertors stopped working. For 4 weeks, no one at RGS responded to my calls; e-mails; or web-chats. I initiated the replacement part request with the manufacturer and the next day RGS e-mailed me back to say a replacement part had been ordered and should be arriving in 2-4 weeks. I got the part in 4 weeks, notified RGS, and, again, they went silent on me. 4 weeks after that, I got an e-mail from RGS with a workorder stating that I would have to pay $350 plus additional costs for them to complete the work under warranty. That is where we stand now. If I had to do it again, I would go with a company that had positive reviews after the sales process. That is when you are going to need them they most. Good luck with your solar projects.
Jack Breen, over 1 month
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4.06 4 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
After comparing prices with other companies SunWatt had the most value without any inflated system performance predictions. Every part of the system, the incentives and the return on cost was carefully explained during the sale. Fast, professional installation. Excellent performance of the system. Happy to be helping the environment and lowering my energy costs.
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Anonymous, over 1 month
After comparing prices with other companies SunWatt had the most value without any inflated system performance predictions. Every part of the system, the incentives and the return on cost was carefully explained during the sale. Fast, professional installation. Excellent performance of the system. Happy to be helping the environment and lowering my energy costs.
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