Key takeaways
- No Massachusetts program installs solar for free. The closest is low-cost: the Energy Saver Home Loan charges 0.5% for owners under 80% of area median income and 2.0% under 135%.
- The Mass Solar Loan is closed. A pitch naming it is out of date.
- SMART 3.0 pays the owner of the system. In 2026 that is $0.03 per kWh for 20 years, or $0.06 per kWh for income-qualified homes. In a lease or PPA, the company collects it.
- Owners also claim the state tax credit of 15% of the cost, up to $1,000. Lease and PPA customers cannot.
- No federal home tax credit for a system installed after December 31, 2025.
About this review
Every figure here was checked against the statute, tariff, program or utility page in the sources between September 29 and October 5, 2026; program statuses on October 5. The writer and checker named above link to their profiles. This guide explains programs and contracts; it is not tax, legal or financial advice.
How we pick sources and fix errors: editorial process and content standards.
Massachusetts homes pay some of the highest electricity prices in the country, and that is exactly why “free solar” mailers land here so often. But nobody is giving away solar equipment. Every “free” ad is financing with nothing due at signing, and the real price is tucked into the obligations that follow.
What makes the Bay State different is SMART 3.0, the state program that pays a fixed rate for every kilowatt-hour (kWh, the unit on your bill) your panels make. It is real money, and whoever owns the system collects it. That one question, who owns the panels, decides more about a $0-down offer here than any monthly payment on the brochure.
Low-cost, not free: the Energy Saver Home Loan
The state-backed route for households that want to own solar but cannot pay cash. You repay it, at a rate far below a typical installer loan, and because you own the panels, SMART and the state tax credit are yours. You apply through the program, not EcoGen.
Already replaced fossil-fuel or electric-resistance heat with a heat pump installed after January 1, 2019? Then a solar-only route is open, if the panels cover at least 20% of your yearly energy use.
MassHousing: Energy Saver Home LoanRun by MassHousing and the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank. Program page rechecked October 5, 2026.
- Interest rate
- 0.5% fixed under 80% of area median income; 2.0% under 135%. Fixed for 20 years.
- Loan size
- $10,000 to $100,000, and the work must cut your home’s total energy use by at least 20%
- Who can apply
- Owners living in a one- to four-family home (not a condo or co-op), with income limits set by county
- Status
- Open. On October 5, 2026, MassHousing’s program page showed no pause, waitlist or end date. You start through the Concierge Service Provider for your town, before any work begins.
Closed or Paused: Programs a Pitch May Still Name
- Mass Solar Loan. MassCEC lists it as closed to new applications since December 2020.
- Cape & Vineyard Solar Loan. Cape Light Compact’s loan has spent its first round of money. On October 5, 2026 it said a second round would open in late 2026, pending funding.
- Solar for All. On pause since the EPA cancelled the federal grant in August 2025. Federal courts ruled that cancellation unlawful in September 2026 (Rhode Island on September 18, Washington, DC about a week later), and as of October 1 the EPA was weighing an appeal. On October 5 the state had announced no restart.
Open now: SMART 3.0 (taking 2026 applications since January 1, 2026), the state tax credit and the Energy Saver Home Loan. For a battery, Mass Save’s 0% HEAT Loan lends up to $25,000 per account; it does not cover panels. More in our Massachusetts solar incentives guide.
Zero-Down Solar in Massachusetts: Who Keeps SMART, the Tax Credit and the Bill Credits
If you do not use a state loan, zero-down solar here is one of three private contracts. They split the Massachusetts money very differently. One thing a lease does not take from you: net metering credits (the bill credit for power you send to the grid) land on your own utility bill, because you are still the utility’s customer. The company prices its payment against them.
| Contract | SMART 3.0 payment | State tax credit | Your monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0-down solar loan | Yours, paid by your utility by check or bill credit | Yours, up to $1,000 | A loan payment, plus what is left on your bill |
Pros and cons in Massachusetts: $0-down loanPros
Cons
Can fit if: the payment, minus your SMART check, sits close to what the panels cut from your bill. | |||
| Solar lease | The company’s | Nobody’s: it is for owners | A set monthly fee, often with a yearly increase |
Pros and cons in Massachusetts: leasePros
Cons
Can fit if: the fee is well below your current bill and the contract shows how SMART income lowered it. | |||
| Power purchase agreement (PPA) | The company’s | Nobody’s | A price for each kWh the panels make |
Pros and cons in Massachusetts: PPAPros
Cons
Can fit if: the PPA price, with every yearly increase, stays under your Eversource, National Grid or Unitil price per kWh for the whole term. | |||
Lease: a fee for the hardware
A dark December costs the same as a bright June. Weak output is your loss unless the contract promises a minimum.
PPA: a rate for the output
Low output means a smaller bill, so the company shares the weather risk. Your risk is the yearly increase.
A 8.74 kW system on Eversource, National Grid or Unitil, at 2026 SMART rates over 20 years. EcoGen calculation; bill credits are not shown because they reach your bill either way.
| Owned: SMART plus state tax credit | about $7,750 |
|---|---|
| Lease or PPA: SMART to the company | about $6,750 |
Assumes about 11,790 kWh in year one, falling slightly each year. An income-qualified owner at the $0.06 per kWh rate would collect about $13,500 from SMART instead. SMART rates for systems that qualify in 2027 may differ: DOER’s draft was due October 1, 2026 and the final rates December 1, 2026.
So ask of any $0-down offer: who files for SMART, at which rate, and how much of it lowers my payment? Get the 20-year SMART total in writing. A company that cannot answer is a red flag. To compare loan terms and APRs, see our solar financing guide.
Eversource, National Grid, Unitil or a Town Light Plant
Which company sends your electric bill changes what any zero-down deal is worth. At the three big utilities, each extra kWh you export earns a credit built from the basic service, distribution, transmission and transition charges, close to full price for home systems of 25 kW or less. Unused credits roll forward and do not expire. The Department of Public Utilities is reviewing credit values in D.P.U. 25-200, with a technical conference set for October 15, 2026; when we checked the docket on October 19, 2026, it listed no filing after September 30 and no change had been ordered.
| Utility | SMART 3.0 | Battery payment | What to ask a seller |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eversource or National GridIncludes Cape Light Compact towns | $0.03 per kWh | ConnectedSolutions: $275 per kW of average summer discharge a year | Who enrolls the battery, and who is paid? |
| UnitilCheck the name on your bill | $0.03 per kWh | None for now | Did the quote count battery income that Unitil homes cannot get? |
| Town light plantHingham, Ipswich, Wakefield and others | Not eligible | Set by your town | What does my town credit for exports? Some pay rebates: Hingham $0.60 per watt, Wakefield up to $0.80 per watt, Ipswich $0.30 per watt. |
National Grid says enrolled battery owners have received $1,200 a year on average. In a lease with a battery, ask who keeps it.
When $0-Down Solar Is Not the Right Move
- Your town runs its own light plant. SMART does not apply, and export credits can sit well below retail.
- Your roof needs replacing soon. With New England snow loads, fix it first. The Energy Saver loan can finance roof work tied to solar; a lease will not.
- You plan to sell in two or three years. A lease or PPA has to transfer to the buyer, and a loan balance may outlast the resale bump.
- The payment plus your remaining bill beats today’s bill. Then it is not saving you anything, whatever the mailer says.
Five Questions for Any Massachusetts “Free Solar” Offer
- Is it a loan, a lease, a PPA or a state program?
Get it in writing. Any program it names should be open, not the Mass Solar Loan.
- Who receives SMART, and at what rate?
If you qualify for the low-income rate of $0.06 per kWh (one route is income at or below 80% of area median income), make sure the paperwork claims it for you.
- What is the cash price?
A typical 8.74 kW system runs about $26,395 before incentives. See what solar costs in Massachusetts.
- Does the payment rise each year?
Ask for the year-20 payment and the buyout price. See solar lease exit options.
- Is the installer registered?
Ask for a Construction Supervisor License and Home Improvement Contractor registration. SMART paperwork errors delay payments.
Walk away if a seller calls the panels free, will not say who gets SMART, or wants a signature today.
Read the solar scam warning signs and check bidders in our Massachusetts solar companies guide.
Get Massachusetts Quotes to Own and to Lease
Ask each installer for a cash, loan and lease or PPA price, plus the SMART income counted in each. Side by side, they show what $0 down costs.
Start with your ZIP code: installers price SMART 3.0 by utility
This is a commercial quote request, not an application for the Energy Saver Home Loan or SMART. What installers and lenders offer depends on your ZIP code, utility and home. For the state loan, use the official program route.
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 Massachusetts Solar Guides
- Massachusetts solar guideUtilities, incentives and installers in one place
- Massachusetts solar incentivesSMART 3.0, the state credit and tax exemptions
- Cost of solar in MassachusettsCash prices to test a $0-down quote against
- Is solar worth it in Massachusetts?Payback by utility territory
- Massachusetts solar companiesInstallers working across the state
- Free solar panels in the USHow other states compare
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you really get free solar panels in Massachusetts?
No. “Free” means nothing down; you repay through a loan, a lease fee or a PPA price. Income-qualified owners can get a low-cost Energy Saver Home Loan, but it is still a loan.
Can I get zero-down solar in Massachusetts?
Yes. Installers sell $0-down loans, leases and PPAs. With a loan you own the system and keep SMART and the state credit; with a lease or PPA the company keeps SMART. Compare the cash price first.
Is the Mass Solar Loan still available?
No. MassCEC lists it as closed to new applications since December 2020. Income-qualified owners can look at the Energy Saver Home Loan instead.
If I lease or sign a PPA, do I get the SMART 3.0 payments?
No. SMART pays the system owner, which in a lease or PPA is the company. On a typical home that is about $6,750 over 20 years. You do keep the net metering credits on your bill.
Can I still claim the federal solar tax credit?
Not for a home system installed after December 31, 2025. Leasing companies use a separate business tax credit, which helps them advertise $0 down. The state credit of up to $1,000 still works for owners.
What if my town has a municipal light plant?
SMART does not cover town light plants. Each sets its own export credit, and some pay a rebate. Ask yours before signing.
Sources and review
Massachusetts program, tax and utility facts were checked between September 29 and October 5, 2026, against these sources. Rules change; the administrator’s current page always wins.
- Eversource SMART 3.0 tariff, M.D.P.U. No. 88 (rates in Appendix A)
- MassCEC, guide to the SMART 3.0 program (June 10, 2026)
- M.G.L. chapter 164, section 139 (net metering)
- Department of Public Utilities, Notice of Inquiry in D.P.U. 25-200 (April 3, 2026)
- M.G.L. chapter 62, section 6 (state income tax credit)
- M.G.L. chapter 64H, section 6 (sales tax exemption)
- M.G.L. chapter 59, section 5 (property tax exemption)
- National Grid, ConnectedSolutions battery program
- Mass Save, HEAT Loan financing
- MassHousing, Energy Saver Home Loan
- Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant, solar rebate
- Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department, solar rebate
- Ipswich Electric Light Department, solar rebate
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit
- MassHousing, Energy Saver Home Loan Program Guide (rates and income tiers)
- MassCEC, Mass Solar Loan program (closed to new applications, December 2020)
- Cape Light Compact, Cape & Vineyard Solar Loan
- Mass.gov, SMART 3.0 program details (program year schedule)
- Mass.gov, Massachusetts' Solar for All program
- Department of Public Utilities, D.P.U. 25-200 hearing officer memo (July 22, 2026)
- pv magazine USA, Federal court strikes down EPA cancellation of Solar for All (September 21, 2026)
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