New Hampshire Solar Panels

New Hampshire’s Net Metering 2.0 (NEM 2.0) policy allows residential solar customers to receive bill credits for excess electricity their solar panels send back to the grid. The credit is calculated as 100% of the energy supply charge + 100% of the transmission charge + 25% of the distribution charge, which works out to approximately 85% of the full retail rate — roughly $0.23/kWh on average. This rate structure is locked in through January 1, 2041 under NH PUC Docket DE 16-576, giving homeowners long-term certainty on their solar savings.

All four major New Hampshire utilities participate in NEM 2.0: Eversource, Liberty Utilities, Unitil, and the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC). Residential systems up to 100 kW and commercial systems up to 1,000 kW are eligible. Unused monthly credits can be carried forward, and if banked credits are less than 600 kWh, they can even be carried forward on an annual basis.

For a typical 8 kW home solar system, NEM 2.0 credits can significantly offset your electricity bill — especially during sunny summer months when your panels produce more than you consume. Over the life of a solar system, these credits can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in savings, making NEM 2.0 the cornerstone of solar economics in New Hampshire.

Under RSA 72:62, New Hampshire municipalities can vote to exempt solar energy systems from property tax assessment. Approximately 153 towns — about 66% of all NH municipalities — have adopted this exemption. Where it applies, 100% of the value your solar panels add to your home is excluded from your property tax bill. For a typical 8 kW system that adds roughly $15,000 in home value, this translates to an average savings of about $584 per year.

Many towns have also expanded their interpretation of RSA 72:62 to include battery storage systems (such as the Tesla Powerwall or Enphase IQ Battery) as an integral part of a solar energy system, potentially exempting those from property taxes as well. You should confirm with your local assessor whether battery storage is covered in your specific town.

To claim this exemption, you must file Form PA-29 (Permanent Application for Property Tax Credit/Exemptions) with your local Board of Assessors or Selectmen’s Office by April 15th of the year following your installation. Check with your town clerk or assessor first to confirm your municipality has adopted the exemption before applying.

New Hampshire is one of only five states in the U.S. with no state sales tax, and this benefit applies automatically to all solar and battery storage purchases. Whether you’re buying solar panels, inverters, battery storage systems, monitoring equipment, or paying for installation labor, you will not pay any state sales tax — no application or special exemption filing is required.

This is an automatic, across-the-board savings that applies at the point of sale. On a typical residential solar installation costing around $24,000, the absence of a sales tax saves homeowners roughly $1,500–$2,000 compared to what they would pay in a state with a 6–8% sales tax rate.

The no-sales-tax advantage also extends to battery storage add-ons and any future equipment upgrades or replacements, making New Hampshire one of the most tax-friendly states in the country for going solar.

The Eversource Connected Solutions Battery Storage Program, administered in partnership with the New Hampshire Clean Energy Fund (NHCEF), provides residential Eversource customers with an upfront rebate of $230 per kWh of battery capacity enrolled in the program, capped at $3,000 per residential account. Commercial accounts can receive $250 per kWh, up to $10,000. The rebate is paid by check once your battery receives permission to operate from Eversource’s interconnection group and is accepted into the demand response program.

To qualify, your battery storage system must have been purchased after October 1, 2022, and you must agree to participate in demand response events for a minimum of three years. During demand response events — which occur between June 1 and September 30, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM — Eversource may draw on your battery’s stored energy to help manage grid demand. You can expect approximately 40 events per summer, each lasting no longer than three hours. Eligible battery models include Sonnen eco (Gen 2+), ecoLinx, sonnenCore, sonnenCore+, Enphase IQ Batteries, FranklinWH aPower, and other approved models.

Note that this program has limited funding — as of late 2024, remaining funds were approximately $750,000, so availability may be restricted. This incentive is only available to Eversource NH customers. Contact Eversource or visit their website to confirm current funding availability and to begin the enrollment process.

New Hampshire’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) includes a Class II solar carve-out that allows residential grid-connected solar systems to generate Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). For every 1,000 kWh (1 MWh) of solar electricity your system produces, you earn one REC that can be sold to electricity suppliers who need them to meet their RPS compliance obligations.

RECs are traded through the NEPOOL GIS marketplace, typically via aggregators who bundle small residential RECs for sale. Prices in recent years have been modest — often in the range of tens of dollars per MWh — but selling your RECs can add a few hundred dollars per year to your solar project’s economics, improving your overall payback period.

To participate, your system must be registered with NEPOOL GIS. Many solar installers and third-party aggregators can assist with registration and ongoing REC sales on your behalf. While the REC market in New Hampshire is not as lucrative as in some neighboring states, it remains a real, additional revenue stream for solar homeowners.

The Low-Moderate Income (LMI) Solar Grant Program is funded through New Hampshire’s Renewable Energy Fund (REF) under RSA 362-F:10, which mandates that at least 15% of the REF be allocated annually to programs benefiting low-to-moderate income (LMI) residential customers. The program supports new solar PV projects that provide a direct, quantifiable benefit to a minimum of five residential electric customers within the same utility service territory, with the majority of participants being LMI households.

This program is primarily designed for project developers, housing organizations, nonprofits, and community organizations — not individual homeowners applying directly. Eligible entities such as affordable housing developers or community action agencies can apply for grants to install solar on behalf of LMI residents. Interested parties should monitor the NH Department of Energy’s website for open solicitations and application windows.

Note that pursuant to HB 2 (2025), all rebate programs administered through the NH Department of Energy were closed to new projects until further notice as of mid-2025. Applications submitted on or before June 30, 2025 will continue to be processed. Check the NH Department of Energy website for the latest status on program availability and new solicitations.