Key takeaways
- No New York program puts free panels on your roof. “Free solar” here means a $0-down loan, lease or power purchase agreement (PPA).
- The one free thing is a bill credit. Statewide Solar for All adds a community solar credit to the bill of households in their utility’s Energy Assistance Program, with no cost or fees.
- The state credit can follow you onto a lease. New York’s 25% credit, up to $5,000, also counts lease or PPA payments when the contract runs at least 10 years.
- NY-Sun rebates are closed for most homes. Only Affordable Solar on Long Island ($0.40 per watt) was still being awarded when we checked.
- Every new system pays a monthly charge. The Customer Benefit Contribution runs from $0.97 to $1.67 per kW each month, depending on your utility.
About this review
Tax, NY-Sun and utility figures were checked against the linked New York State, NYSERDA and IRS sources on September 29 and 30, 2026. Solar for All, Affordable Solar and the federal court rulings were rechecked on October 5, 2026. This guide is not tax, legal or financial advice. See our editorial process and content standards.
The federal home solar credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. New York’s own credit did not: 25% of your cost back against state income tax, capped at $5,000. And unlike almost every other state credit, it is not only for buyers.
So the central question of a New York $0-down offer is about the contract, not ownership. How long does it run, and do you owe enough New York tax to use the credit? On a typical 8.98 kW system at $27,120, the credit is the full $5,000, since you reach the cap at $20,000 or more.
The Only Free Solar in New York Never Touches Your Roof
If your household qualifies on income, New York will credit your electric bill every month from a community solar project. Nothing is installed, and your utility does not change. Most people searching for free panels never find it.
Statewide Solar for All
Community solar savings, passed to income-eligible households as a labeled credit on their bill. Enrolling in your utility’s Energy Assistance Program enrolls you here too.
NYSERDA: Statewide Solar for AllRun by NYSERDA with the utilities, under Public Service Commission rules. Checked October 5, 2026.
- Who gets it
- Customers in the Energy Assistance Program at Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, RG&E, Central Hudson or Orange & Rockland
- What you pay
- Nothing. NYSERDA says no upfront costs, monthly charges or fees
- What it is not
- Panels on your roof, or equity in a system
- Status
- Active. On October 5, 2026, NYSERDA’s page said households in Energy Assistance see the credit on their monthly bill, with no costs or fees.
So the step that matters is Energy Assistance, not solar. Ask your utility whether your household qualifies. National Grid says newer enrollees get the solar credit only if they live in a disadvantaged community. PSEG Long Island is not on NYSERDA’s list.
Pilot Solar for All, the original version that signed people up from 2017 to 2024, still pays its existing members. On October 5, 2026, NYSERDA said it takes new applications only in Central Hudson territory and the Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Sullivan county parts of NYSEG, with no waitlist.
The federal grant is separate. NYSERDA’s federal Solar for All grant was terminated by the EPA in August 2025. Federal courts in Rhode Island (September 18, 2026) and Washington, DC ruled that unlawful, and the EPA said it was weighing an appeal. As of October 5, 2026, NYSERDA had announced no household program under the grant. The two state programs above are not affected.
Solar for All builds no equity. But a household that qualifies on income often owes too little New York tax to use the credit, so for them the bill credit is the option that pays.
Zero-Down Solar in New York: Where the $5,000 Credit Lands
Otherwise, New York zero-down solar is one of three contracts. In most states a lease hands the tax credit to the company. New York’s Form IT-255 also counts lease and PPA payments on a contract of at least 10 years at your main home. The credit is not refundable; unused credit carries forward 5 years.
| Zero-down option | Your New York credit | Property tax side | At the end of the term |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0-down solar loan | 25% of the price, up to $5,000, in the year it goes into service | Added value exempt for 15 years under RPTL 487, unless your town opted out; New York City has its own abatement | You own the system outright |
Pros and cons in New York: $0-down loanPros
Cons
Can fit if: you owe New York income tax each year, plan to stay, and the loan payment is close to what the system saves you. | |||
| Solar lease | 25% of your lease payments, up to $5,000, if the lease runs at least 10 years | The company owns the equipment; ask in writing who claims any exemption | Renew, buy at the stated price, or have it removed |
Pros and cons in New York: leasePros
Cons
Can fit if: the lease is at least 10 years, says you claim the credit, and the year-one payment sits well below your bill savings. | |||
| Power purchase agreement (PPA) | 25% of what you pay for the power each year, up to $5,000 in total, on a contract of at least 10 years | Same as a lease | Same choices as a lease |
Pros and cons in New York: PPAPros
Cons
Can fit if: the per-kWh price, with its escalator, stays below your Con Edison, PSEG Long Island or upstate rate. | |||
Lease or PPA in New York: what you are really buying
Question | Lease | PPA |
|---|---|---|
You pay for | Use of the equipment, a set monthly rent | The power, a price per kWh |
After a snowy January | Same rent, smaller savings | A smaller solar bill |
Who carries output risk | You, unless the contract promises output | Mostly the company |
Ask two questions: “How long does this agreement run?” and “Who claims the New York credit?” For loan terms and APRs, see our solar financing guide. NYSERDA also offers its own residential loans of up to $25,000.
NY-Sun Has Closed for Almost Every Buyer
NY-Sun’s per-watt home incentive, paid through the installer, is gone: Con Edison closed May 29, 2025, the last upstate block December 17, 2025, and Long Island back on April 17, 2016. The income-based Affordable Solar blocks also closed in Con Edison territory (October 15, 2025) and upstate (March 9, 2026).
One piece remains. Long Island homeowners with income under 80% of the area median can still get Affordable Solar at $0.40 per watt, about $3,592 on a typical system, paid to a participating contractor and taken off the price. NYSERDA publishes no remaining budget, so it could close without warning. Anywhere else, a NY-Sun discount is a closed program.
Con Edison, PSEG Long Island or Upstate: The Charge a Quote Leaves Out
Every home system connected on or after January 1, 2022 pays a Customer Benefit Contribution: a monthly charge per kW of system size. It resets every year. On a typical Con Edison system it is about $139 a year, and a quote that leaves it out overstates every year.
| Your utility | Per kW each month | Typical system, per month | Free bill credit route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Con EdisonNew York City and Westchester | $1.29 | $11.58 | Statewide Solar for All through Energy Assistance |
| PSEG Long IslandRun for LIPA | $1.13 | $10.15 | Not listed; Affordable Solar is the income route |
| National GridUpstate | $0.97 | $8.71 | Statewide, for newer enrollees in disadvantaged communities |
| NYSEG | $1.19 | $10.69 | Statewide; Pilot in four counties |
| RG&ERochester area | $1.31 | $11.76 | Statewide |
| Central Hudson | $1.67 | $15.00 | Statewide; Pilot still open |
| Orange & Rockland | $1.00 | $8.98 | Statewide |
Rates: NYSERDA 2026 CBC fact sheet. Upstate power is cheaper than in the city, which stretches payback. In New York City, first settle whether you control your roof: co-op and condo rules decide that.
When $0-Down Solar Is the Wrong Move in New York
- You qualify for Energy Assistance. Get the free bill credit first. A contract can wait.
- You owe little New York income tax. The credit cannot become a refund, so a price that assumes the full credit overstates your savings.
- The contract is shorter than 10 years. That takes the state credit off the table for a lease or PPA.
- Your roof needs replacing soon, or you may sell within a few years. Removal costs and a buyer who must take over the contract both land on you.
Six Questions for Any New York Solar Contract
- Who claims the state credit, by name?
On a qualifying lease or PPA it can be you. Get it in writing.
- What is the payment in year one, year ten and the last year?
Ask for dollars, not a percentage. Compare the total with what solar costs in New York.
- Is the Customer Benefit Contribution in the savings math?
It should be a line in the projection, at your utility’s rate.
- Does the quote show a NY-Sun incentive?
Outside Long Island Affordable Solar, it should not.
- Did you file for the property tax exemption?
Owners file Form RP-487 with the local assessor, unless the town opted out.
- What happens at sale, at the end of the term, and when the roof needs work?
Get the buyout, transfer and removal costs in writing. See solar lease exit options.
Walk away from a 2026 quote that counts a federal home tax credit for you, a seller who calls a lease “Solar for All”, or a deal that expires tonight.
See the solar scam warning signs and check bidders in our New York solar companies guide.
Get New York Quotes With the Credit Spelled Out
Ask each installer for the cash price, the $0-down payment and contract length, and who claims the 25% state credit on each.
Enter your ZIP code to compare New York installers
This is a commercial quote request, not an application for Statewide Solar for All or NY-Sun. For the free bill credit, start with your utility’s Energy Assistance Program or the official NYSERDA page.
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More New York Solar Guides
New York Free Solar FAQs
Are solar panels free in New York?
No. “Free solar” means a $0-down loan, lease or PPA. The free option is Statewide Solar for All, a bill credit for income-eligible households that installs nothing on your roof.
Is there a government program for free solar in New York?
Not for panels. NYSERDA’s Statewide Solar for All gives a free community solar credit to households in their utility’s Energy Assistance Program. The federal Solar for All grant to NYSERDA had no open program on October 5, 2026.
Can I get zero-down solar in New York?
Yes. Installers sell $0-down loans, leases and PPAs. With any of them you can claim the 25% state credit, as long as a lease or PPA runs at least 10 years. Compare the cash price and total payments first.
Can I claim the New York solar credit on a lease?
Yes, if the lease or PPA spans at least 10 years and covers your main home. You claim 25% of your payments on Form IT-255, up to $5,000 in total, and no credit is allowed after the 15th year.
Can seniors get free solar panels in New York?
No program pays for panels because of age. Help runs on income: Solar for All and, on Long Island, Affordable Solar. A retiree with little state tax may not use the full credit.
Is a NY-Sun rebate still available?
Only Affordable Solar on Long Island, $0.40 per watt for households under 80% of area median income. Every other home block closed by March 9, 2026.
Is solar worth it in upstate New York?
Often, but the margin is thinner: rates are lower than in the city, and the monthly contribution runs from $0.97 per kW (National Grid) to $1.67 (Central Hudson).
Sources and review
Figures checked September 29 and 30, 2026; Solar for All, Affordable Solar and the court rulings rechecked October 5, 2026. The administrator’s current page always wins.
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Instructions for Form IT-255 (2025)
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Solar energy system equipment credit
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, sales tax bulletin on residential solar energy systems equipment
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Assessor Manual, Real Property Tax Law Section 487
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, places that opted out of Section 487
- NYC Department of Finance, Solar Electric Generating System Tax Abatement
- NYSERDA, 2026 Customer Benefit Contribution rates
- NYSERDA, Paying for solar
- NYSERDA, Long Island Dashboard (Affordable Solar)
- NYSERDA, NY-Sun Upstate block data
- NYSERDA, NY-Sun Con Edison block data
- NYSERDA, Statewide Solar for All
- NYSERDA, Community Solar
- NYSERDA, Residential Financing Programs
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit
- NYSERDA, Pilot Solar for All
- NYSERDA, New York State Solar for All work plan (EPA grant)
- pv magazine USA, Federal court strikes down EPA cancellation of $7 billion Solar for All program, September 21, 2026
