New Hampshire Solar Panels

New Hampshire’s Net Metering 2.0 (NEM 2.0) is the billing mechanism that credits solar owners for excess electricity their systems send back to the grid. Credits are calculated at 100% of the supply charge + 100% of the transmission charge + 25% of the distribution charge — equating to roughly 85% of your retail electricity rate (approximately $0.23/kWh). Credits roll over monthly, and a cash-out threshold of $100 applies at the end of the annual cycle.

All four of New Hampshire’s major 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. Under a recent update (HB 221), the threshold between small and large customer-generators has been increased from 100 kW to 500 kW, providing additional compensation for certain customer-generators.

One of the most important features of NEM 2.0 is its long-term stability — the NH Public Utilities Commission has locked these rates through January 1, 2041, giving homeowners more than 15 years of predictable solar savings. Note that New Hampshire uses a monthly true-up structure, which can reduce the effective value of excess credits compared to an annual true-up, so sizing your system to closely match your consumption is recommended.

Under New Hampshire state law RSA 72:62, municipalities may adopt a property tax exemption that excludes the full assessed value of qualifying solar energy systems — including battery storage — from your property tax bill. As of 2026, approximately 153 towns (~66% of NH municipalities) have adopted this exemption. Where it applies, the added value that solar adds to your home is completely excluded from your property tax assessment, saving the average homeowner an estimated $584 per year.

Importantly, a recent update removed the old $10,000 cap on the exemption, meaning systems are now often exempt at their full assessed value regardless of system cost. The exemption also extends to energy storage systems (batteries), making it especially valuable for homeowners who pair solar with a battery backup system.

To claim the exemption, you must file Form PA-29 (Permanent Application for Property Tax Credit/Exemptions) with your local selectmen or assessors by April 15th of the year following installation. Because this is a local-option program, you should confirm participation with your town clerk or assessor before assuming the exemption applies. Contact your municipality directly to verify eligibility and obtain the required forms.

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.

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. This savings applies equally to battery storage systems purchased alongside or independently of a solar array.

This is a passive, automatic benefit — simply purchasing and installing your solar or battery system in New Hampshire is all that is required to take advantage of it. There are no income limits, no application deadlines, and no municipal opt-in requirements.

The Eversource New Hampshire Clean Energy Fund (NHCEF) ConnectedSolutions Battery Storage Program offers residential customers an upfront rebate of $230 per kWh of battery capacity enrolled in the program, capped at $3,000 per residential account. Commercial customers can receive $250 per kWh, capped at $10,000. For example, a 10 kWh residential battery system would earn a $2,300 rebate. 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.

This program is available to Eversource NH customers only and has limited funding — as of late 2024, remaining funds were approximately $750,000, so availability may be restricted. Homeowners are strongly encouraged to contact Eversource directly to confirm current funding availability before purchasing a battery system. Note that battery storage systems enrolled in this program may also qualify for the RSA 72:62 property tax exemption in participating municipalities.

New Hampshire’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) includes a Class II solar carve-out, which means that grid-connected residential solar systems can generate Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). For every 1,000 kWh (1 MWh) of solar electricity your system produces, it generates one REC. These certificates represent the environmental attributes of your solar generation and can be sold to utilities and other entities that need them to meet their state RPS compliance obligations.

New Hampshire does not operate a traditional, highly liquid SREC market like some other states (e.g., New Jersey or Massachusetts), so REC values in NH tend to be modest. Residential system owners often aggregate their RECs through third-party platforms or brokers to make participation practical. The financial benefit varies depending on current market prices for Class II RECs.

Participation in the REC market is optional — you are not required to sell your RECs, and you may choose to retain them to make your own environmental claims about your solar generation. If you are interested in monetizing your RECs, consult with your solar installer or a REC aggregator familiar with the New Hampshire market to understand current pricing and the enrollment process.