Key takeaways
- No program in Louisiana installs free solar today. Solar for Y’all never opened, and the New Orleans $5,000 subsidy had no application dates on October 5, 2026.
- “Free” solar here means a zero-down loan or a lease. A home power purchase agreement (PPA) has no clear legal footing.
- Outside New Orleans, power you send to the grid earns less than a third of its retail value: 3.86 cents per kWh at Entergy Louisiana against a statewide average of 12.99 cents per kWh.
- Entergy New Orleans is the exception. The City Council regulates it, and it keeps one-for-one net metering for home systems up to 25 kW.
- No federal home tax credit for a system installed after December 31, 2025, and no state credit to replace it.
About this review
We checked every Louisiana rate, fee and rule here against the source linked at the bottom. Utility figures were checked between September 29 and October 1, 2026. Program statuses and the Solar for All rulings were rechecked on October 5, 2026. 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.
Louisiana draws a sharper line than most states between a solar lease and a power purchase agreement. A lease is clearly allowed here. A residential PPA has no clear authorization. Read the top of a Louisiana “free solar” contract before the price.
Both leave the company owning the panels. Under a lease you pay a set monthly fee for the equipment. Under a PPA you pay for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) the panels make. If a Louisiana offer quotes you a price per kWh, stop and ask what the contract actually is. It may be a loosely described lease, or a product the seller has no clear right to sell here.
What Is Pending: The New Orleans Subsidy and Solar for Y’all
Two income-based programs come up in Louisiana searches. Neither was taking applications on October 5, 2026.
City of New Orleans: Solar for All NOLA subsidy
A planned city subsidy for lower-income New Orleans residents. It lowers the price; it does not make solar free. You would apply through the City, never through a salesperson or EcoGen.
City of New Orleans: Solar for AllRun by the City of New Orleans Office of Resilience and Sustainability with the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Checked October 5, 2026.
- Who it is for
- Low-to-moderate income households in New Orleans
- What it offers
- $5,000 toward the cost of a home solar system
- Status
- Not open. On October 5, 2026, the City’s page (last updated August 14, 2025) still said details “will be provided on this webpage as updates become available”. No application dates.
Solar for Y’all never reached a rooftop. It was Louisiana’s share of the federal Solar for All grant, run by the state energy office (now the Department of Conservation and Energy). The state was still planning it when the EPA ended the grants in August 2025, and no household could ever apply.
The court rulings do not reopen anything yet. In September 2026, federal courts in Rhode Island (September 18) and Washington, DC (September 22) ruled the EPA’s termination of Solar for All unlawful. The EPA said it was considering an appeal. As of October 5, 2026, neither the state nor the City had announced a restart. Nobody can sell you a place in either program.
The City page is also out of date. It still names PosiGen, the New Orleans lease company, as a partner. PosiGen stopped most operations in August 2025 and filed for bankruptcy that November. A long lease is only as steady as the company behind it.
Zero-Down Solar in Louisiana: A Loan or a Lease, Not a PPA
With no program open, Louisiana zero-down solar means two clearly legal contracts, plus one to question. Louisiana has no solar renewable energy certificate (SREC) market and no state rebate, so there is no state payment for a leasing company to keep.
| What you sign | Legal footing in Louisiana | What it has to beat |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-down solar loan | Plain consumer credit. You own the system from day one. | Your power bill, with the loan payment added |
Pros and cons in Louisiana: zero-down loanPros
Cons
Can fit if: the payment is close to what the panels save at home, and you will stay until it is paid off. | ||
| Solar lease | Explicitly allowed, per the national DSIRE legal map | Your whole bill, for the full term, escalator included |
Pros and cons in Louisiana: leasePros
Cons
Can fit if: the fee is clearly below your bill, the escalator is small or zero, and the contract says who services the system if the company is sold. | ||
| Power purchase agreement (PPA) | Status unclear. No clear authorization for home PPAs. | Your utility’s price per kWh |
Pros and cons in Louisiana: PPAPros
Cons
Can fit if: the company shows you, in writing, the legal basis for selling you power in Louisiana. Most cannot. | ||
The DSIRE map of third-party PPAs (May 2026) lists Louisiana’s PPA status as “unclear or unknown” and says solar leases are explicitly allowed. So we do not compare leases and PPAs here: only the lease is clearly legal. For loan terms and APRs, see our solar financing guide.
New Orleans Answers to a Different Body
The Louisiana Public Service Commission sets one rule for 15 utilities, co-ops included. Homes that applied or installed after December 31, 2019 earn only the utility’s avoided cost, its wholesale price, for power they send out.
Entergy New Orleans answers to the City Council instead. Orleans Parish keeps one-for-one net metering: each kWh you send out cancels one you buy. A quote built on statewide numbers undervalues a New Orleans home’s exports.
Your utility | Who sets the rule | Credit per kWh sent out | One-time meter charge |
|---|---|---|---|
Entergy LouisianaRate since April 1, 2026 | State commission | 3.86 cents per kWh | $100 |
Cleco PowerRate since March 1, 2026 | State commission | 3.85 cents | Ask Cleco |
SWEPCONorthwest Louisiana | State commission | 3.66 cents | Ask SWEPCO |
DEMCORate since March 1, 2026 | State commission | 3.85 cents | Ask DEMCO |
SLEMCORate since February 1, 2026 | State commission | 3.93 cents | Ask SLEMCO |
Other co-opsFull 2026 range | State commission | 3.58 to 3.99 cents per kWh | Ask your co-op |
Entergy New OrleansOrleans Parish | New Orleans City Council | One for one, up to 25 kW | $50 |
City-owned utilityFor example Lafayette | The city | Set locally | Ask in writing |
Entergy Louisiana’s own net metering web page still showed the 2025 rate of 2.59 cents per kWh when checked, so trust the tariff. Homes on the old rules keep full credit through December 31, 2034.
What a Lease Has to Beat
Outside New Orleans, 100 kWh used at home saves about $12.99 at the statewide average rate. The same 100 kWh sent to Entergy Louisiana earns $3.86. Exported power is worth less than a third of power you use yourself. That is the most important number in any Louisiana comparison.
The Gulf Coast helps: peak output and peak air conditioning arrive together, so less goes to the grid.
Ownership has lost some ground. The federal home credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025, and the 2025 Form IT-540 instructions list no state credit for solar. A leasing company may still claim a federal business credit, so a lease is closer than it was. Ask how much reaches your fee.
Batteries add a second split. Entergy Louisiana pays $75 per kWh for a new battery, up to $1,000, if you apply within one year of installation, plus up to $600 a year for letting it help the grid. The upfront reward is for a purchased battery, so a leased one may not earn it.
You Likely Will Not Qualify If
- You were told a program pays for it. Solar for Y’all never opened, and the New Orleans subsidy had no application dates on October 5, 2026.
- Your credit does not clear the company’s bar. A lease turns on your credit, not your roof.
- You live in New Orleans and the quote uses statewide numbers. Your exports earn one-for-one credit, not the Commission’s avoided cost.
Read the Louisiana Contract Before the Price
- What does the top of the contract call it?
Loan or lease. If it prices power per kWh, ask for the legal basis in writing.
- Does the seller hold a Louisiana contractor license?
The State Licensing Board for Contractors requires a Solar Energy Equipment license for most home systems. It also covers companies that only sell or lease.
- Which utility and which export rate did the estimate use?
Your utility and a rate from the table above, or net metering at Entergy New Orleans.
- Does the payment rise each year, and by how much?
An escalator that outruns your utility rate turns a saving into a cost.
- What happens at the end, at a sale, and if the company fails?
Get the buyout, removal, home-sale and servicing terms in writing. See solar lease exit options.
- Is output guaranteed?
Find the remedy if production falls short, then compare the cash price with what solar costs in Louisiana for a typical 7.84 kW system.
Pause if a seller claims a government program, quotes a per-kWh price without explaining the contract, or will not put your utility’s export rate in writing.
Learn the solar scam warning signs and compare bidders in our Louisiana solar companies guide.
Put Louisiana Offers Side by Side: Owned and Leased
Ask each installer for the cash price, the zero-down payment with its escalator, and the export rate it assumed.
Your ZIP code starts the comparison
This is a commercial quote request, not a subsidy application. Offers depend on your ZIP code and home. For subsidy news, use the City of New Orleans page.
How EcoGen is paid
EcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us.
Read how we make money and our privacy policy.
More Louisiana Solar Guides
- Louisiana solar guideUtilities, incentives and installers in one place
- Louisiana solar incentivesExport credits by utility and the New Orleans exception
- Cost of solar in LouisianaCash prices to hold a lease against
- Is solar worth it in Louisiana?Payback when exports earn so little
- Louisiana solar companiesInstallers working in the state
- Free solar panels in the USPrograms and offers in other states
Louisiana Solar FAQs
Can I get free solar panels in Louisiana?
Not from a program today. Solar for Y’all never opened, and the New Orleans subsidy was not open on October 5, 2026. “Free” offers are leases or zero-down loans you pay for over time.
Can I get zero-down solar in Louisiana?
Yes, as a zero-down loan, where you own the system, or a lease, where the company owns it. Question any per-kWh PPA offer.
What is the difference between a solar lease and a PPA?
A lease is a monthly fee for the equipment, often rising yearly. A PPA is a price per kWh for the power. The company owns the panels in both. In Louisiana, only the lease is clearly legal.
Why is New Orleans different for solar?
The New Orleans City Council regulates Entergy New Orleans, not the state commission, so the Commission’s avoided-cost rule never applied there. Homes keep one-for-one net metering for systems up to 25 kW.
Is the New Orleans $5,000 solar subsidy open?
Not yet. On October 5, 2026, the City’s page had no application dates. It is a price cut for lower-income residents, not free panels.
Is leasing better than buying in Louisiana now?
It is closer than it was. Owners lost the federal home credit after December 31, 2025, while a leasing company may still claim a business credit and pass some of it on. Compare both over the full term.
Sources and review
Louisiana utility, law and tax figures were checked between September 29 and October 1, 2026. The New Orleans subsidy, Solar for Y’all and the Solar for All rulings were rechecked on October 5, 2026. The administrator’s or utility’s current page always wins.
- Louisiana Public Service Commission, Electric Net Metering page (checked September 30, 2026)
- Louisiana Public Service Commission, 2026 Avoided Cost Rate by Electric Utility (checked September 30, 2026)
- Louisiana Public Service Commission, 2025 Avoided Cost Rate by Electric Utility (checked September 30, 2026)
- Entergy Louisiana, Rider Schedule DG with Attachment A (checked September 30, 2026)
- Entergy Louisiana, Net metering (checked September 30, 2026)
- Entergy New Orleans, Net Metering Service Schedule NM-4 (checked September 30, 2026)
- Entergy Solutions (Entergy Louisiana), Home Battery program page and FAQ (checked September 30, 2026)
- Louisiana Department of Revenue, 2025 Form IT-540 resident income tax instructions (checked October 1, 2026)
- Louisiana Legislature, La. R.S. 47:1706, solar energy systems property tax exemption (checked September 29, 2026)
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit (checked September 30, 2026)
- City of New Orleans, Solar for All (subsidy status, checked October 5, 2026)
- DSIRE (NC Clean Energy Technology Center), 3rd Party Solar PV Power Purchase Agreement map, May 2026 (checked October 5, 2026)
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Contractors Licensing Law, R.S. 37:2156.3, August 1, 2026 edition (checked October 5, 2026)
- Solar for All NOLA, program site (partners, checked October 5, 2026)
- Louisiana energy office, Solar for Y’all FAQs (checked October 5, 2026)
- Southern Environmental Law Center, Court strikes down EPA cancellation of the Solar for All program (September 2026)
- Utility Dive, Second federal judge overturns Solar for All cancellation, September 25, 2026
- pv magazine USA, Residential solar installer PosiGen files for bankruptcy, December 8, 2025
Read our editorial standards.
