Key takeaways
- New Hampshire pays for no one’s panels. The state rebate was repealed by Senate Bill 303 of 2024, and the state does not tax wages, so there is no state solar tax credit to claim.
- Zero-down solar here means a loan, a lease or a PPA. The federal home credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025.
- The real prize is net metering, fixed until December 31, 2040. On Liberty, each exported kWh earns about 23.04 cents per kWh against a 28.74 cents per kWh retail rate. A lease or PPA price is built on that credit.
- Community power can cut the credit to about 7.2 cents per kWh. Check your supplier before any savings estimate.
- Solar for All is not taking households. New Hampshire’s $43.51 million award was for community solar, and its funding is tied up in court.
About this review
We read every tariff, statute and program page in the sources between September 29 and October 5, 2026, and rechecked program statuses on October 5. Where a site blocked our check, we say so. This guide explains offers and programs; it is not tax, legal or financial advice.
How we choose sources and correct errors: editorial process and content standards.
The pitch for free solar panels is loud in New Hampshire, even though the state has less to give away than its neighbors. No income tax on wages means no state tax credit. There is no general sales tax to waive. The one cash rebate the state offered was repealed in 2024.
What is left is simpler and more durable: high power prices, and a net-metering deal the Public Utilities Commission kept until December 31, 2040. Every “free solar” offer here is a bet on that credit. The question is who collects it.
What New Hampshire Still Pays For, as of October 5, 2026
| Help | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| State rebate for home solar | Repealed by Senate Bill 303 of 2024. The Department of Energy calls it permanently closed. | A “state rebate” pitch is selling something else |
| Federal home credit (25D) | Ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025 | A 2026 quote that subtracts a tax credit is wrong |
| Solar for All | Not open to households. The award was for community solar. EPA ended the grants in 2025; two federal courts ruled that unlawful in September 2026, and EPA was weighing an appeal as of October 1. The state program page blocked our check on October 5, 2026. | No application for a household today |
| Town property tax exemption | A local option under RSA 72:62. Each town that adopts it sets the amount. | File Form PA-29 with your assessor by April 15 |
The exemption has no statewide amount or cap; Manchester exempts 100% of the equipment’s assessed value. Full detail: New Hampshire solar incentives.
Zero-Down Solar in New Hampshire: Who Ends Up With the 2040 Credit
Leases and power purchase agreements (PPAs) are legal here. In a PPA a company owns your panels and sells you their power per kilowatt-hour (kWh, the unit on your bill). Under either, the net-metering credits still post to your utility account, but the company prices their value into your payment.
| Route | Net-metering credit | Renewable energy certificates (RECs) | When you sell the house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-down solar loan | On your bill, and all of it lowers your cost | Yours to sell, about 13 a year on a typical 9.87 kW system | Loan is paid off or moved under the lender’s terms |
Pros and cons in New Hampshire: zero-down loanPros
Cons
Can fit if: the payment is below what the panels save at your utility’s credit, not its full retail rate. | |||
| Solar lease | Posts to your account, but the monthly payment is priced against it | Set by the contract; ask in writing | Buyer takes over the lease, or you buy it out |
Pros and cons in New Hampshire: leasePros
Cons
Can fit if: year-one payment plus every increase stays below your credit, and the term ends by December 31, 2040. | |||
| Power purchase agreement (PPA) | Same as a lease, priced per kWh the panels make | Set by the contract; ask in writing | Buyer takes over, or you buy it out |
Pros and cons in New Hampshire: PPAPros
Cons
Can fit if: the PPA price, after any escalator, stays below about 23.04 cents per kWh on Liberty, or your own utility’s credit. | |||
| Eversource 0.00% APR loan (NEIF) | Not for panels: it finances home batteries | Not applicable | Pay it off or pass it to the buyer |
Pros and cons in New Hampshire: NEIF battery loanPros
Cons
Can fit if: you already own panels, or are buying them, and want backup power. | |||
Lease or PPA? Both are legal here, and Sunrun lists New Hampshire. A lease bills the same under snow or sun, so a dark January is your risk. A PPA bills only for kWh produced, so the company carries output risk, but its escalator compounds. Compare APRs and lifetime cost in our solar financing guide.
The Credit Every Offer Is Priced Against
New Hampshire’s current terms are often called net metering 2.0. Exported power earns a dollar credit equal to the default energy service rate (the utility’s supply price), transmission, and 25% of distribution. Credits roll forward. You can ask for cash for a balance above $100 at the end of March, or above $25 quarterly; it is not automatic.
Advocates proposed a richer “net metering 3.0”. The commission did not adopt it: on November 18, 2024 it kept the existing tariff and the December 31, 2040 end date. The case, docket DE 22-060, is still open, and a lower base energy rate for credits is on the table. No order changing the credit had been issued by October 5, 2026.
Your utility | Credit per exported kWh | How it is counted | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
Liberty UtilitiesRate D, August 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027 | about 23.04 cents per kWh, about 80% of the 28.74 cents per kWh retail rate | Netted over the billing period | $200 application fee up to 25 kW |
EversourceThe state’s largest utility | Same formula, at Eversource’s own rates | Netted over the billing period | Its tariff site blocked our check; use the rates on your bill |
Unitil | Same formula, at Unitil’s own rates | Netted over the billing period | Ask for its current default service rate |
NH Electric Co-opSchedule from August 1, 2026 | 14.662 cents per kWh; 12.180 cents each above 2,000 kWh | Each exported kWh credited on its own, not netted | Imports cost 24.713 cents per kWh plus $29.00 a month |
Send 100 kWh to Liberty and you earn about $23.04. The same 100 kWh to the co-op earns $14.66. Co-op members should size a system to daytime use.
The community power trap. If your town buys power through community power or you use a competitive supplier, the supply part of your credit comes from that supplier, not the utility.
The Community Power Coalition says its net-metered customers get no monetary supply credit. On Liberty, that cuts 100 exported kWh from about $23.04 to about $7.20. Co-op members on another supplier lose the 10.546 cents Co-op Power part, leaving about 4.1 cents per kWh. Since August 18, 2026, a solar customer enrolled in community power by mistake can return to default service with up to 4 months of back credits.
Batteries, Plug-In Panels and Renters
Batteries. Eversource’s Clean Energy Fund offer pays $230 per kWh of battery capacity, up to $3,000, so it tops out at about 13 kWh. In return Eversource can draw on it about 40 times a year, June through September, between 3 and 8 p.m., for at least three years. Eversource’s site blocked our check on October 5; confirm it is still open. Liberty’s battery pilot is closed to new applicants.
Plug-in panels. From January 1, 2027, a new law lets a household run one plug-in solar unit of up to 1,200 watts without utility approval or an interconnection fee. It earns no export credit.
Renters and low-income households. State law sets aside group net-metering capacity for community solar projects that pass bill credits to Electric Assistance Program households. The Department of Energy designates them, not a salesperson; its site blocked our check of the current list.
Think Twice About Zero-Down Solar If
- You are on community power and plan to stay. Without a supply credit, exports earn a fraction of retail.
- You are a co-op member with a small bill. The lower export credit makes an oversized system hard to pay back.
- Your roof will need replacing soon. Removing and refitting panels adds real cost.
- You expect to sell within a few years. A lease or PPA must be transferred or bought out at closing.
Five Questions for a New Hampshire Solar Seller
- Which credit did you model?
Get your utility, supplier and cents per kWh in writing. A retail-rate model overstates savings.
- What happens after December 31, 2040?
Ask whether the estimate assumes today’s credit beyond that date.
- What is the escalator?
Ask for the payment in year 10 and year 20, compared with your credit.
- Who sells the RECs?
An owned system makes about 13 certificates a year. In a lease or PPA, find the clause that says who keeps them.
- Does my town’s exemption apply?
Ask the assessor before you sign.
Pause if a seller quotes a state rebate, a 2026 home tax credit, or Solar for All. Read the solar scam warning signs and check bidders in our New Hampshire solar companies guide.
Get New Hampshire Quotes Priced on Your Real Credit
Ask for the cash price, loan total and any lease or PPA payment, each on the same credit rate.
Your ZIP code lines up owned and zero-down New Hampshire offers
This is a commercial quote request, not an application for Solar for All, community solar or a utility net-metering program. Availability depends on your ZIP code and home. Net-metering rules: NH Electric Co-op and RSA 362-A:9.
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More New Hampshire Solar Guides
- New Hampshire solar guideUtilities, incentives and installers in one place
- New Hampshire solar incentivesNet metering, town exemptions, battery offers
- Cost of solar in New HampshireThe cash price a zero-down deal hides
- Are solar panels worth it in New Hampshire?Payback by utility
- New Hampshire solar companiesInstallers serving the state
- Free solar panels in the USWhere real no-cost programs exist
New Hampshire Free Solar FAQs
Can I really get free solar panels in New Hampshire?
No. No state program installs panels at no cost. “Free solar” means a loan, lease or PPA with nothing upfront; you repay the cost through your payments.
Can I get zero-down solar in New Hampshire?
Yes. Installers offer zero-down loans, and leases and PPAs are legal. With a loan you own the system and keep the full net-metering value. With a lease or PPA the company prices that value into your payment.
Will the State of New Hampshire pay for solar panels?
No. The residential rebate was repealed by Senate Bill 303 of 2024, and there is no state tax credit because the state does not tax wages. Your town may offer a property tax exemption.
Is Solar for All available in New Hampshire?
Not to households. The $43.51 million award was planned for community solar, and EPA ended the grants in 2025. Courts ruled that unlawful in September 2026, and EPA was weighing an appeal as of October 1.
Can I still claim the federal solar tax credit in New Hampshire?
No. The home credit is not available for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Lease and PPA companies may claim a business credit; you cannot.
Sources and review
Checked between September 29 and October 5, 2026. Rates change several times a year; your utility’s current tariff always wins.
- Liberty Utilities, Electricity Delivery Service Tariff NHPUC No. 23 (checked October 1, 2026)
- New Hampshire General Court, RSA 362-A:9, net energy metering (checked September 29, 2026)
- New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Schedule of Rates effective August 1, 2026 (checked October 1, 2026)
- New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Net Metering (checked September 30, 2026)
- Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, Net Energy Metering FAQ (checked September 30, 2026)
- Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, REC Aggregation (checked September 30, 2026)
- New Hampshire General Court, RSA 72:62, exemption for solar energy systems (checked September 29, 2026)
- City of Manchester Assessors, Solar Exemption (checked September 30, 2026)
- City of Nashua Assessing Department, Solar Energy Systems Exemption (checked October 16, 2026)
- New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration, Form PA-29 (Version 5 11/2025), as posted by the Town of New London (checked October 1, 2026)
- New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration, Does New Hampshire have a sales tax?
- Eversource, New Hampshire Clean Energy Fund Home Battery Incentives (checked September 29, 2026)
- National Energy Improvement Fund, New Hampshire Residential Clean Energy Loan (checked September 30, 2026)
- Liberty Utilities, Battery Storage Program (checked September 30, 2026)
- New Hampshire General Court, 2026 Laws chapter 262, plug-in solar (checked September 29, 2026)
- New Hampshire Department of Energy, Residential Renewable Electrical Generation Rebate Program
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit (checked September 30, 2026)
- EPA, State of New Hampshire to receive Solar for All award, April 22, 2024 (checked October 5, 2026)
- Utility Dive, Federal judge restores $7B Solar for All program, says EPA illegally axed it, September 2026 (checked October 5, 2026)
- DSIRE / NC Clean Energy Technology Center, 3rd Party Solar PV Power Purchase Agreement map, May 2026: New Hampshire authorized under PUC 902.03 (checked October 5, 2026)
- Sunrun, solar by state (New Hampshire listed; checked October 5, 2026)
- Clean Energy NH, NEM 3.0 proposal, updated August 15, 2024 (checked October 5, 2026)
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