Solar panels in Massachusetts: cost, payback and the rules that matter
Massachusetts homes pay 30.1¢ per kWh for electricity, the 3rd highest of 51, down 0.3% in a year. A typical home needs 13 panels. With no federal tax credit they pay for themselves in about 7.4 yrs.
Four facts that decide solar in Massachusetts
1. The sun. One kilowatt of panels makes about 1,292 kWh a year in the median Massachusetts city, from 1,263 in Chicopee to 1,333 in New Bedford.
2. The price of electricity. Every kWh your panels make is worth what you would otherwise pay: 30.1¢ in Massachusetts today.
3. What your utility pays for exports. Most Massachusetts utilities still credit exported solar close to the retail rate, but rules differ by utility and change often.
4. Incentives. The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (IRC §25D) ended for systems whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act, P.L. Massachusetts residential renewable energy credit: 15% up to $1,000. Source
Massachusetts's homes
2,785,042 households; 62.5% own their home. 1,441,847 owner-occupied single-family houses: the main market for rooftop solar. The median home was built in 1964; 18.6% heat with electricity.
ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau.
Plan a specific Massachusetts home
Solar in every Massachusetts city with 50,000+ people
| City | Sun hrs/day | kWh per kW | Best tilt | Typical kW | Payback (NM) | Payback (NB) | Solar ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 4.5 | 1,297 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.3 yrs | 12.2 yrs | 11.5 |
| Worcester | 4.5 | 1,280 | 38° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.6 |
| Springfield | 4.5 | 1,268 | 37° | 5.9 | 7.5 yrs | 12.8 yrs | 11.8 |
| Cambridge | 4.5 | 1,292 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.2 yrs | 11.5 |
| Lowell | 4.5 | 1,272 | 38° | 5.9 | 7.5 yrs | 12.8 yrs | 11.8 |
| Brockton | 4.5 | 1,312 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.2 yrs | 12.1 yrs | 11.3 |
| Lynn | 4.5 | 1,290 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.5 |
| Quincy | 4.5 | 1,302 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.3 yrs | 12.2 yrs | 11.4 |
| New Bedford | 4.6 | 1,333 | 36° | 5.5 | 7.1 yrs | 12.0 yrs | 11.1 |
| Fall River | 4.6 | 1,331 | 36° | 5.5 | 7.1 yrs | 12.0 yrs | 11.1 |
| Newton | 4.5 | 1,293 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.2 yrs | 11.5 |
| Lawrence | 4.5 | 1,278 | 38° | 5.9 | 7.5 yrs | 12.7 yrs | 11.7 |
| Somerville | 4.5 | 1,292 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.5 |
| Framingham | 4.5 | 1,288 | 38° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.6 |
| Haverhill | 4.5 | 1,279 | 38° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.7 |
| Malden | 4.5 | 1,290 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.5 |
| Waltham | 4.5 | 1,288 | 38° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.6 |
| Taunton | 4.5 | 1,321 | 36° | 5.5 | 7.2 yrs | 12.1 yrs | 11.2 |
| Revere | 4.5 | 1,293 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.2 yrs | 11.5 |
| Medford | 4.5 | 1,289 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.5 |
| Weymouth Town | 4.5 | 1,306 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.3 yrs | 12.2 yrs | 11.4 |
| Peabody | 4.5 | 1,287 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.3 yrs | 11.6 |
| Chicopee | 4.5 | 1,263 | 37° | 5.9 | 7.6 yrs | 12.8 yrs | 11.8 |
| Methuen | 4.5 | 1,276 | 38° | 5.9 | 7.5 yrs | 12.8 yrs | 11.7 |
| Everett | 4.5 | 1,292 | 37° | 5.5 | 7.4 yrs | 12.2 yrs | 11.5 |
| Barnstable Town | 4.5 | 1,324 | 35° | 5.5 | 7.2 yrs | 12.1 yrs | 11.2 |
NM = exports credited at retail (net metering); NB = exports at ~30% of retail (net billing). Systems sized to the Massachusetts average home. $3.00/W, cash, 25 years.
Rule changes that affect Massachusetts
All changes and deadlines →- Federal: In-service deadline for the lease/PPA solar credit · Tax credits
- Federal: National data: solar prices fell to a median $3.60 per watt · Prices
- Federal: Construction-start deadline passed for the lease/PPA credit · Tax credits
- Federal: The 30% homeowner solar tax credit is gone · Tax credits
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts opens SMART 3.0 solar incentive applications · Programs
Questions about solar in Massachusetts
How much do solar panels cost in Massachusetts?
A 5.5 kW system, the size the average Massachusetts home needs, costs about $13,750 to $20,625 before incentives in 2026. Massachusetts residential renewable energy credit: 15% up to $1,000.
Is solar worth it in Massachusetts?
In the median Massachusetts city, solar pays for itself in about 7.4 yrs if exported power earns the retail rate, or 12.3 yrs if it earns about 30% of retail. Most utilities here still offer some form of net metering; check yours.
Is there a solar tax credit in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts residential renewable energy credit: 15% up to $1,000. The 30% federal credit ended for homeowner systems installed after December 31, 2025.
How many solar panels does a Massachusetts home need?
About 13 panels of 420 watts for the state-average 570 kWh a month. Sunnier cities need fewer: New Bedford gets 1,333 kWh per kW a year, Chicopee 1,263.