Assumes 3%/yr rate increases, 0.5%/yr panel degradation and no federal tax credit (the 30% §25D credit ended for systems installed after Dec 31, 2025). How we calculate
Data approachEIA rates · NREL sun hours · 2026 federal policy · methodology
New Hampshire homeowners who buy solar panels in 2026 should expect to pay roughly $27,000 to $32,000 for a typical 9 kW system, and they should plan without the 30% federal tax credit, which ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025. Even so, high electricity prices keep the economics workable: the EIA reported residential electricity near 27 cents per kWh in New Hampshire in early 2026, well above the national average. That price is what makes a roof full of panels worth considering when no federal credit is available.
This guide uses one transparent example, a 9 kW system at $3.20 per watt, to show costs, incentives, how NEM 2.0 net metering pays for exports, and what payback looks like over 25 years. All calculations are estimates based on the assumptions listed, not quotes, so replace them with your own bills and bids.
💰 System Cost
What Solar Panels Cost in New Hampshire in 2026
Most residential quotes in New Hampshire land between $3.00 and $3.60 per watt before incentives. At the $3.20 midpoint used in this guide, a 6 kW system costs about $19,200, a 9 kW system about $28,800, and a 12 kW system about $38,400. New England labor costs run higher than in many Sun Belt states such as Texas, so expect quotes to vary more than the midpoint suggests.
Data visualization
New Hampshire solar cost by system size: a 9 kW system is about $28,800 before incentives. Calculated at $3.20 per watt with no federal credit for 2026 purchases. Source: Green Energy Calculators estimate based on typical US installed-price ranges (NREL, 2025).
Chart summary: Cost scales almost linearly with size, so each added kilowatt adds roughly $3,200 at this price. A 9 kW system, the size that fits many 2,000–2,500 sq ft homes, sits near $28,800. Because there is no federal credit to soften the difference, avoid oversizing beyond your annual usage.
Roof complexity, shading hardware such as microinverters or power optimizers, and municipal permit fees all push a quote up or down. Collect at least three bids from installers certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), and compare price per watt rather than total price. A solar savings calculator using your own bill is a better starting point than state averages. For national benchmarks, see How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in 2026.
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🏛️ Incentives
Solar Incentives in New Hampshire After the Federal Credit Ended
The federal credit is gone for purchases. The Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) covered 30% of system cost through 2025. Under Public Law 119-21, signed in July 2025, it does not apply to expenditures made after December 31, 2025. The IRS publishes the current rules, and the federal solar tax credit calculator explains what changed. Leases and power purchase agreements are structured differently, and any benefit they pass through depends on the provider, so get the terms in writing.
State and local incentives are limited. New Hampshire has no state solar income tax credit, and the residential rebate funded by the Renewable Energy Fund was repealed in 2024 through SB 303. The state has no general sales tax, so solar equipment is not taxed at purchase. Municipalities may adopt a property tax exemption for solar energy systems under RSA 72:61 and following, but it is a local option, so ask your town assessor whether it applies where you live. The DOE-backed DSIRE database lists any utility or municipal programs that may be open. Compared with Massachusetts and Connecticut, New Hampshire offers a thinner incentive stack, which makes accurate sizing and competitive quotes more important.
⚖️ Policy & Net Metering
How New Hampshire Net Metering (NEM 2.0) Works
Net metering determines how much credit you receive for electricity your panels send back to the grid. New Hampshire’s Public Utilities Commission administers the Alternative Net Metering Tariff, known as NEM 2.0. Under this tariff, each exported kWh is credited at 100% of the supply charge, 100% of the transmission charge, and 25% of the distribution charge. Because only a quarter of the distribution portion is credited, the effective credit is lower than the full retail rate you pay when you draw power from the grid. Many online sources describe New Hampshire as one-to-one retail net metering, but that is not what the tariff pays.
Credits roll forward month to month, which helps offset low-production winter bills with surplus from spring and summer. Credit amounts depend on your utility’s current supply, transmission, and distribution rates, so the effective value varies by utility, including Eversource, Unitil, and Liberty Utilities. The New Hampshire Electric Cooperative has its own terms. The PUC reviewed net metering in Docket DE 22-060 and kept the NEM 2.0 structure in place; ask your utility or installer for the current term of the guarantee before you sign.
Solar Payback Period and 25-Year Savings in New Hampshire
Here is the example math. A 9 kW system produces about 10,350 kWh per year at 1,150 kWh per kW. At roughly 27 cents per kWh and an assumed 80% average realized value after the reduced export credit, first-year savings are about $2,240. Against a $28,800 cost, simple payback is about 13 years. These figures assume flat electricity prices and 0.5% annual panel degradation; if utility rates rise, payback gets shorter, and if you pay a premium for equipment or have a shaded roof, it gets longer.
Data visualization
Cumulative cash flow for a 9 kW New Hampshire system turns positive near year 13 and reaches about $23,800 by year 25. Assumes $28,800 cost, $2,240 first-year savings, 0.5% yearly degradation, and 0% electricity price escalation. Source: EIA residential price and NREL PVWatts yield, Green Energy Calculators model.
Chart summary: The blue line starts at minus $28,800 and crosses zero between years 10 and 15, which matches the roughly 13-year payback. The orange line shows total bill savings reaching about $52,600 by year 25, or about $23,800 beyond the system cost under flat rates. Higher electricity prices would lift both lines; heavy shading or lower usage would flatten them.
Payback also depends heavily on what you pay per watt, as the next chart shows.
Data visualization
Simple payback runs from about 12 to 14 years across $3.00 to $3.60 per watt. Assumes a 9 kW system saving $2,240 per year with no incentives. Source: EIA residential price and NREL PVWatts yield, Green Energy Calculators model.
Chart summary: Each 20-cent change in price per watt moves payback by under a year, so the biggest lever is the quote you accept. The cheapest bid pays back in about 12 years and the priciest in about 14. Add roughly 3–4 years of extra interest-driven delay if you finance at a high rate.
Some studies, including a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analysis of US home sales, have found solar homes sell at a premium, but that finding is national and not specific to New Hampshire, so treat resale value as an unquantified bonus rather than part of payback.
Solar vs utility company · 25-year comparison
25-year totals: 3%/yr rate increases, 0.5%/yr degradation, no federal credit. Methodology
Choosing the Right System Size for a New Hampshire Home
Size the system to your annual usage, not to the biggest roof area. NREL’s PVWatts tool estimates roughly 1,100–1,250 kWh per year for each installed kW on a well-oriented roof in central New Hampshire, so a 9 kW system produces about 10,000–11,000 kWh a year. Use your own 12 months of kWh from your bills, then run your address in PVWatts. Our solar system size calculator does the same division for you.
Shading is common in New England. On a string inverter, shade on part of a string can reduce output across the whole string. Microinverters or DC power optimizers let panels work independently and usually cost more up front; they are most worthwhile on partly shaded roofs. Higher-efficiency panels cost more per watt, but they help when usable roof area is limited.
Batteries are worth a separate decision. Winter storms can cause outages, and a battery can provide backup power, but home batteries bought in 2026 no longer qualify for the 25D credit that applied through 2025. Judge a battery as a resilience purchase, not a payback improver, and run the numbers in the battery storage calculator before adding it to a quote.
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Direct answers for US homeowners in New Hampshire.
Not for homeowners who buy their own system. The 30% residential clean energy credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, under Public Law 119-21. A system you purchased and paid for in 2026 does not qualify, and neither do home batteries bought under 25D. Leases and power purchase agreements are structured differently, so ask any installer in writing what credits they claim and how much of the benefit reaches you.
Most New Hampshire quotes fall between roughly $3.00 and $3.60 per watt before incentives, which puts a 9 kW system at about $27,000–$32,400. Roof complexity, microinverters or optimizers for shaded roofs, and local permit fees move the price. Because the federal credit no longer reduces your cost, comparing at least three quotes from NABCEP-certified installers matters more than before.
New Hampshire uses the Alternative Net Metering Tariff, known as NEM 2.0. Exported kWh are credited at 100% of the supply charge, 100% of the transmission charge, and 25% of the distribution charge, so the credit is below the full retail rate. Credits roll forward month to month on your bill. Terms differ for some customers, such as members of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, so confirm the credit with your own utility.
There is no state solar income tax credit and no active state residential rebate, because the Renewable Energy Fund residential rebate program was repealed in 2024 (SB 303). New Hampshire has no general sales tax, so equipment is not taxed at purchase. Cities and towns may adopt a local property tax exemption for solar systems under RSA 72:61 and following, so check with your town assessor.
Divide your annual kWh use by the yield per installed kW. NREL's PVWatts tool shows roughly 1,100–1,250 kWh per kW per year for well-oriented roofs in central New Hampshire, so a home using about 10,000 kWh a year needs close to 9 kW. Shading, roof tilt and direction, and planned loads such as an EV or heat pump can change that number, so model your own address in PVWatts.
$175/month electric bill by state
System size and payback vary by electricity rate and sun hours — see your state.
26.79¢/kWh — New Hampshire average residential price. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B (year-to-date through July 2026), residential average retail price (July 2026) (EIA)
Solar production
4.2 peak sun hours/day × 0.82 system derate. Approximate state-average daily solar resource (peak sun hours) based on NREL solar resource data (NSRDB); not location-specific — use NREL PVWatts for an address-level estimate. (NREL PVWatts)
Installed price
$3.00 per watt before incentives. Blended 2026 US residential installed price used by this site; EnergySage marketplace reported about $2.60/W (mid-2026); full-market medians are higher.
Federal tax credit
$0 for homeowner-owned systems installed in 2026 — the 30% §25D credit ended Dec 31, 2025 (IRS)
Net metering
Full retail net metering — solar assumed to offset 87% of the bill. New Hampshire's net metering credits most of the retail rate for small residential systems.
Estimates only — not tax, legal or financial advice. Get at least three installer quotes and confirm incentives with your utility and a tax professional.