The pitch for free solar panels is louder here than in most states, even though New Hampshire has less to give away. What New Hampshire lacks is exactly the thing that makes those ads work elsewhere: a stack of state incentives to hand out.
There is no state income tax so there is no state solar tax credit. There is no state sales tax to waive either. And the one cash rebate the state used to offer was repealed in 2024.
What is left is simpler and, in its own way, more durable: some of the highest power prices in the country, and a net-metering deal the Public Utilities Commission has promised to honor through the end of 2040.
Find out if you're eligible for $0-down solar in New Hampshire!
Why You’re Seeing “Free Solar” Offers in New Hampshire in 2026
New Hampshire Power Prices Rank Eighth-Highest in the Nation
By the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s statewide measure, New Hampshire households pay 27.24¢ per kWh, which is 44.7% higher than the national average of 18.83¢ and the eighth-highest rate in the country. That figure is a statewide blend used for ranking, not any one company’s tariff.
For planning your own bill, the number that matters is your utility’s current all-in residential rate. Liberty Utilities customers face the steepest at 26.277¢ per kWh. Unitil sits at 23.508¢. Eversource, the state’s largest utility, comes in at 22.568¢, split between 11.265¢ of delivery and 11.303¢ of supply. Members of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative pay 22.053¢. Fixed monthly customer charges stack on top before a single kilowatt-hour: $14.74 at Liberty, $16.22 at Unitil, $19.81 at Eversource, and $29 at the co-op.
When the typical household bill runs $168.62 a month, even a modest per-kWh discount starts to look attractive. That is the offer behind every $0-down “free solar” offer being advertised in New Hampshire.
The Federal Residential Credit Hit Zero, and Third-Party Owners Moved In
For years the 30% federal residential credit, Section 25D, took a large bite out of the cost of a purchased system. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21), that credit dropped to $0 for host-owned systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. A New Hampshire homeowner who buys panels today gets nothing back from Washington.
Lease and power-purchase-agreement providers are a different story. They can still pursue the business-side Section 48E credit, which is claimed by the third-party owner of the system, not the homeowner. To qualify, a project generally had to begin construction by July 4, 2026, a deadline that has now passed, and then be placed in service by the end of 2027. Providers that met the begin-construction test are using that credit to underwrite the $0-down offers now reaching New Hampshire mailboxes.
There is no homeowner-claimable 48E percentage, so any pitch that promises you a 48E credit is describing something you will never file for.
What Does “Free Solar” Really Mean in New Hampshire?
The term “free” in free solar offers typically refers to the upfront cost, not the solar panels themselves being free.
The panels, inverter, racking, wiring, and labor all carry real price tags. In New Hampshire the installed cost of residential solar is $3.03 per watt, so a typical 5.63 kW system costs $17,064 before financing.
New Hampshire’s 4.82 peak sun hours a day translate to 1,319 kWh of annual production per kilowatt installed, so that 5.63 kW system generates enough to cover most of a household’s 619 kWh of monthly use.
Under a $0-down arrangement, the system cost does not disappear. Instead, it gets folded into a loan balance, absorbed by a leasing company, or built into the per-kilowatt-hour rate you agree to pay for the next 20 to 25 years. For a full breakdown of what equipment and installation run in the state, see our Guide to the Cost of Solar Panels in New Hampshire.
What makes the New Hampshire version of this decision distinct is what is not on the table…
There is no state income tax, so the state solar credits that are common in other New England states are legally impossible here.
There is no state sales tax to exempt either and the state’s residential solar rebate, which was worth a few thousand dollars at one point in time, was permanently closed when the Legislature repealed it under SB 303 in 2024.
The value of going solar in New Hampshire is not a pile of incentives. It is the electricity you stop buying at 22¢ to 26¢ a kilowatt-hour, protected by a net-metering program that runs to 2040.
The Net-Metering Guarantee That Runs to 2040
Net metering is the single most valuable and least advertised feature of New Hampshire solar.
In November 2024, the Public Utilities Commission issued Order No. 27,074 in Docket DE 22-060, setting the state’s Alternative Net Metering tariff and guaranteeing its terms through December 31, 2040.
Here is how it works: Your meter nets what you produce against what you use each month. Surplus energy sent to the grid earns a credit worth 100% of the energy charge, 100% of the transmission charge, and 25% of the distribution charge, which works out to 80% to 85% of the full retail rate at the investor-owned utilities. Credits carry forward month to month, and any balance above $100 is cashed out to you each March 31.
For an owner, that 2040 guarantee is a long, predictable runway of value.
Who Actually Keeps the Net Metering Credits Under a Lease or PPA?
There is a common misconception that a leasing company “keeps your net-metering credits,” but that is not the case in New Hampshire. Under RSA 362-A, the customer-generator on the account is the host, so the credits still post to your utility account in your name.
What a lease or PPA provider does is price the value of those credits into the fee or per-kWh rate it charges you. The credits are yours on the meter; the economic benefit has been captured by the provider through the contract. When you compare offers, that is the number to focus on.
Your $0-Down Solar Options in New Hampshire
Three $0 down solar options dominate the New Hampshire market and they each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Solar Loan vs Solar Lease vs Power Purchase Agreement:
$0 Down Option | Solar Loan | Solar Lease | PPA |
|---|---|---|---|
Who Owns the System? | You | Provider | Provider |
Who Keeps the 2040 Net-Metering Value? | You | Provider (priced in) | Provider (priced in) |
Municipal Property-Tax Exemption | Yours if your town offers it | Not yours | Not yours |
Federal 48E Credit | Not applicable | Provider claims | Provider claims |
When You Sell | Stays with the home you own | Must transfer or buy out | Must transfer or buy out |
Solar Loan – Full Ownership From Day One
A loan covers the entire system cost with nothing down. You own the panels, you are the customer-generator keeping the net-metering value, and if your town offers the property-tax exemption, the added home value is shielded.
The trade-off in 2026 is that, without the federal tax credit to knock down the balance in year one, your monthly payment is higher than a buyer would have faced a year ago. If that payment runs higher than your current electric bill, the “savings from day one” line does not hold.
Once the loan is paid off, though, you are producing power against rates that have climbed at a compound rate of about 3.14% a year.
Solar Lease – A Fixed Payment and No Ownership
A leasing company installs and owns the system and charges you a flat monthly fee, handling maintenance and monitoring. Leases are legal in New Hampshire and under a solar leasing arrangement the provider pursues the Section 48E business tax credit and prices its offer below your utility bill rate.
You give up ownership, which means you are not the party benefiting economically from the 2040 net-metering value or any municipal property-tax exemption, and a lease attached to the house has to transfer to a buyer or be bought out when you sell.
Power Purchase Agreement – Paying by the Kilowatt-Hour
A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is legal and authorized in the state of New Hampshire (DSIRE, 2026).
Instead of a flat fee, you pay for the electricity the system produces at a contracted rate that starts below your utility’s current price.
Watch the escalator clause: a yearly increase that compounds over 25 years can push your contracted rate past what the utility charges, especially in a state where rates already rank among the nation’s highest and may not climb as fast from here.
How Payback Changes by Utility
Because the case for New Hampshire solar rests on avoided electricity rather than incentives, your payback depends heavily on which utility bills you.
Utility | All-In Residential Rate | Estimated Payback | 25-Year Net Benefit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
Liberty Utilities | 26.277¢/kWh | 9.5 years | $45,200 |
Unitil | 23.508¢/kWh | 10.5 years | $39,100 |
Eversource | 22.568¢/kWh | 11.0 years | $36,900 |
New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) | 22.053¢/kWh | 12.3 years | $31,200 |
Liberty customers, paying the most for grid power, see the fastest return, breaking even in year nine.
New Hampshire Electric Cooperative members sit at the other end of the spectrum. As a cooperative, NHEC credits exported energy at 13.760¢, 62% of its retail rate rather than the 80%-plus that investor-owned customers see, which stretches payback toward 12 years or more.
Across all four utilities the economics are driven almost entirely by how much of your own use you offset, not by selling power back. Whether that return justifies the commitment for your household is the question we look at in Are Solar Panels Worth It in New Hampshire?
The Incentives Still Available in New Hampshire
The solar incentives in New Hampshire are relatively limited, but there are some worth mentioning. A few programs still move the math, and they apply mainly to owners.
Municipal Property-tax Exemption: Under RSA 72:61 and 72:62, New Hampshire cities and towns may exempt the added home value of a solar array from property taxes, up to $25,000 of assessed value, if you file Form PA-29 with your assessor by April 15. It is a local option, not a statewide guarantee. A 2018 count found 135 of the state’s 234-plus municipalities had adopted it, so confirm with your town before you count on it.
Eversource Battery Incentive: Through the New Hampshire Clean Energy Fund, Eversource offers a home-battery incentive of $230 per kWh of storage, capped at $3,000.
Low-income Community Solar Adder: New Hampshire pays a 2.5¢ per kWh adder for qualifying low- and moderate-income community solar under RSA 362-A:9, subject to an annual cap of 6 MW.
For a complete, current rundown of every program and how to claim it, see our Guide to New Hampshire Solar Incentives.
Do Batteries Make Sense in New Hampshire?
In New Hampshire, a battery does not make financial sense on bill savings alone. The value of shifting your own stored power is so small against current rates that the simple payback runs past 80 years.
What a battery does buy is resilience during outages and the ability to enroll in utility demand programs. If those matter to you, the Eversource incentive of $230 per kWh helps, so buy storage for backup power during outages; on bill savings alone it does not pay.
Who Should Think Twice About $0-Down Solar in New Hampshire?
Not every roof and not every offer makes sense.
Wait, or walk away, if:
- You are a New Hampshire Electric Cooperative member with a modest bill. The lower export credit and slower payback make the case weakest in co-op territory.
- Your monthly bill is under $100. Financing or lease costs can swallow the savings entirely.
- Your roof needs work. Replacing a roof first adds the cost of a full re-roof before a panel goes up, and New Hampshire’s snow loads make roof condition non-negotiable.
- You expect to sell within two or three years. A lease or PPA can complicate a sale, and a loan balance may not be recovered in the resale premium that fast.
- You rent or live in a condo. Rooftop ownership is off the table, but a new state law offers a fallback: under SB 540, effective July 27, 2026, plug-in and balcony solar units of 1,200 watts or less are exempt from permitting, a modest option for renters and condo owners. Group net metering under RSA 362-A:9 is another route worth exploring.
How to Vet a “Free Solar” Offer in New Hampshire
The state has seen the same aggressive marketing as everywhere else. Before you sign:
Pull apart the escalator clause: Ask what a PPA payment looks like in year 10, year 15, and year 25, and compare it against where New Hampshire rates are realistically headed.
Ask who benefits from the net-metering value: Because the credits post to your account but a provider prices them into your rate, make them show you, in dollars, how that value is split.
Check the license: New Hampshire does not issue a separate solar license. Electrical work is overseen by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification’s Electricians’ Board under RSA 319-C, and NABCEP certification is a voluntary quality signal, not a legal requirement.
Weigh installer durability: A warranty is only as good as the company behind it, and several national installers have folded or exited, stranding customers. Established local firms such as ReVision Energy, an employee-owned B Corporation with New Hampshire operations in Brentwood and Enfield, show the kind of staying power worth prioritizing.
To compare vetted installers across the state, see our Guide to the Top Solar Companies in New Hampshire.
Does Your Roof Qualify for $0-Down Solar in New Hampshire?
With rates among the nation’s highest and net metering guaranteed through 2040, the question in New Hampshire is rarely whether solar can pay off, but which structure lets you keep the most of that value.
Enter your ZIP code below to see what $0-down options are available in your area and whether your home and utility make the numbers work.
Find out if you're eligible for $0-down solar in New Hampshire!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you cannot get free solar panels in New Hampshire in the literal sense. “Free solar” refers to $0-down financing, a loan, lease, or PPA where you pay nothing upfront. The system’s cost is recovered through your payments or your contracted electricity rate. No company gives away equipment for free.
No. New Hampshire does not have a state solar tax credit because there is no state income tax, and its residential solar rebate was repealed under SB 303 in 2024. What remains is a local-option property-tax exemption, a utility battery incentive, and a low-income community solar adder.
Liberty Utilities customers see the fastest payback, 9.5 years, because they pay the most for grid electricity. New Hampshire Electric Cooperative members see the slowest, past 12 years, because the co-op’s export credit is lower.
Not as a homeowner buying a system. The 30% residential credit, Section 25D, fell to $0 for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Only third-party owners under a lease or PPA can pursue the business-side Section 48E credit, and there is no homeowner-claimable version.
*Methodology: Payback, system-size, and net-benefit figures in this guide are modeled with the EcoGen Solar Cost Index, the EcoGen Payback Methodology, and the EcoGen State Profile for New Hampshire, drawing on EIA rate data, NREL PVWatts production estimates, and current utility tariffs. Individual results vary with usage, roof, and utility.
References & Research Sources: EcoGen America reviewed federal electricity price data, New Hampshire net metering orders, federal tax guidance, begin-construction guidance for clean energy credits, New Hampshire property tax statutes, state net energy metering statutes, and state renewable energy rebate program materials for this article. Sources were accessed July 13, 2026, unless another publication, release, effective, or update date is listed below.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Federal electricity price data table, including residential average retail electricity prices. Data for April 2026; released June 25, 2026. Accessed July 13, 2026.
- New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (NHPUC). Order on Net Metering. Docket DE 22-060; Order No. 27,074. Issued November 18, 2024. Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Working Families Tax Cuts. Federal tax guidance resource related to One Big Beautiful Bill provisions, including home energy credit expirations. Accessed July 13, 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Beginning of Construction Requirements for Purposes of the Termination of Clean Electricity Production Credits and Clean Electricity Investment Credits for Applicable Wind and Solar Facilities. Notice 2025-42. Federal begin-construction guidance related to Sections 45Y and 48E. Accessed July 13, 2026.
- New Hampshire Revised Statutes. RSA 72:62: Exemption for Solar Energy Systems. Property tax exemption statute for solar energy systems. Accessed July 13, 2026.
- New Hampshire Revised Statutes. RSA 362-A:9: Net Energy Metering. State net energy metering and group net metering statute. Accessed July 13, 2026.
- New Hampshire Department of Energy. Renewable Energy Rebates. State renewable energy rebate program resource, including Senate Bill 303 program closure information. Accessed July 13, 2026.
