Hartford, CT Solar Panels

The Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES) program is Connecticut’s primary solar compensation program, administered by Eversource and United Illuminating (UI) under oversight from PURA. Residents of Hartford can take advantage of this program when installing a solar system sized at 25 kW or less (sized to your home’s historical electricity usage), and must choose one of two compensation structures: the Netting Tariff or the Buy-All Tariff. Your chosen rate is locked in for a 20-year term from the date of enrollment.

Under the Netting Tariff, your solar panels power your home first, and any excess electricity is exported to the grid in exchange for bill credits at the current retail electricity rate. Credits roll over month to month indefinitely and are only cashed out if you end your electric service. Important for 2026 enrollees: a Solar Energy Adjustment charge of $0.0402/kWh applies to your total solar production — for an average 11 kW system, this costs roughly $520/year. Under the Buy-All Tariff, all solar production is exported directly to the grid and compensated at a fixed rate of $0.3289/kWh for applications approved in 2026, paid as an on-bill credit or quarterly cash payment. This option offers predictable, higher-rate compensation and is especially attractive for third-party-owned systems.

Income-eligible customers may qualify for additional incentive adders. If your household income is at or below 60% of the state median income, or if you participate in programs such as the Winter Protection Program, Matching Payment Program, Electric Discount Rate, or Home Energy Solutions Income Eligible (HES-IE) program, you may be eligible for a higher compensation rate. Contact Eversource directly to confirm your eligibility for income-based adders before applying.

Connecticut provides a full sales and use tax exemption on the purchase of solar energy electricity-generating systems, passive or active solar water or space heating systems, and geothermal resource systems. This exemption applies to Connecticut’s standard 6.35% sales tax rate. On a typical residential solar installation costing around $30,000–$33,000, this exemption saves homeowners approximately $1,900–$2,100 at the time of purchase — an immediate, upfront reduction in your out-of-pocket cost.

To claim the exemption, you must complete Form CERT-140 (available from the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services) and present it to your solar installer or equipment seller at the time of purchase. The seller will then not charge you sales tax on the qualifying solar equipment and installation services. You do not need to file anything with the state after the fact — the exemption is applied at the point of sale.

This exemption applies to both the equipment (solar panels, inverters, racking, etc.) and the associated installation labor and services. It is available to all Connecticut homeowners purchasing a qualifying solar system, regardless of income level, system size, or which utility serves your home. There is no application deadline or annual renewal required.

Installing solar panels typically increases your home’s market value — but in Connecticut, that added value is permanently excluded from your property tax assessment. This means your annual property tax bill will not increase as a result of adding a solar energy system to your home. Given that Connecticut has one of the highest effective property tax rates in the nation (approximately 2.04%), this exemption can represent significant long-term savings for homeowners in Hartford. Over a 25-year system lifespan, the cumulative savings can exceed $16,000 for a typical Connecticut homeowner.

To claim the exemption, you must file a one-time application with your local town’s tax assessor or board of assessors in the municipality where your solar system is installed. Your application must be submitted before November 1 of the assessment year in which you want the exemption to take effect. You do not need to reapply each year — the exemption remains in place unless you make major alterations to your solar system, in which case you would need to refile.

This exemption applies to all residential solar installations in Connecticut and is available regardless of which utility serves your home. It covers rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as well as solar thermal and other qualifying renewable energy systems. Contact the Hartford tax assessor’s office for the specific form required, as the filing process may vary slightly by town.

The Shared Clean Energy Facility (SCEF) program is Connecticut’s community solar program, allowing residents of Hartford who cannot install rooftop solar — such as renters, condo owners, or homeowners with shaded or unsuitable roofs — to benefit from solar energy. Subscribers receive a fixed monthly bill credit equal to $0.025 multiplied by their average monthly electricity usage, applied directly to their Eversource electric bill for up to 20 years. No equipment is installed at your home, and no upfront cost is required to subscribe.

Eligibility for the SCEF program is currently limited to two groups: income-eligible residential customers and residential customers who cannot install solar on their home (e.g., renters, those with structurally unsuitable roofs, or those in multi-unit buildings). You must have an active electricity account with Eversource CT. You do not need to own your home, have a south-facing roof, or pass a credit check in most cases. Projects approved after January 1, 2026 must emit no pollutants, per Public Act 25-173.

The SCEF program was extended from 6 years to 8 years under Public Act 24-31, with eligible projects selected through a competitive bidding process each year. Solar projects are located within your utility territory, and the credits you receive reflect your proportional share of that project’s generation. To find available subscriptions, contact Eversource at their SCEF program page, as available capacity varies by project and enrollment period.