Solar Panels in Maine: Summer Credits Pay Winter Bills

Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Utility rates from July 1, 2026. Updated October 19, 2026.

A typical Maine home system is 8.89 kW and costs about $27,115 in cash at $3.05 per watt. Simple payback before incentives is about 8.9 years statewide and 9.2 years at Central Maine Power, the largest utility (7.9 years at Versant Bangor Hydro). Each kWh you send to the grid comes back as a kWh credit for up to 12 months, so summer power can cover winter use.

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How Maine’s kWh credits bank summer power for winter

Maine’s net energy billing counts credits in kWh, not dollars. A kWh your panels send out cancels a kWh you buy later, at your full price per kWh, for up to 12 months.

Power you use as it is made your full price

  1. Your home uses it the moment the panels make it.
  2. You do not buy that kWh from the grid.
  3. It saves 24.68¢ with Central Maine Power and 30.35¢ with Versant Bangor Hydro.

Power you send to the grid 1 kWh credit each

  1. Each kWh that leaves your home becomes a 1 kWh credit on your bill.
  2. The credit cancels a kWh you buy later, at night or in winter.
  3. Credits you have not used after 12 months expire, with no payment.
Typical 8.89 kW system, $27,115 cash, all credits used within 12 months
Utility and price per kWh usedYear-one valueFixed charge taken outSimple payback
Versant Power, Bangor Hydro District, 28.226¢$3,443$22.41 a month7.9 years
Central Maine Power, 24.064¢$2,935$27.37 a month9.2 years

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Credits cannot be cashed out. A system sized well above your yearly use makes credits that expire unused, so size it to the last 12 months of bills plus any heat pump or EV you plan.

How we calculated this
  • Output: 8.89 kW × 1,372 kWh per kW = 12,197 kWh a year.
  • Value: 12,197 kWh × 24.064¢ = $2,935 with Central Maine Power, and × 28.226¢ = $3,443 with Versant Bangor Hydro. The prices are each utility’s EIA price for the 12 months to August 2026 (29.167¢ at CMP, 32.935¢ at Versant Bangor Hydro) with its fixed monthly charge taken out.
  • About half the power is used at home as it is made and the rest is sent out (53.9% at CMP, as its solar homes reported to the EIA, and about half at Versant Bangor Hydro, where we use Maine’s statewide figure). Because each exported kWh comes back as a kWh credit, both earn the same price, as long as every credit is used within 12 months.
  • Payback: $27,115 ÷ value: 9.2 years at CMP and 7.9 years at Versant Bangor Hydro. Maine’s figure, weighted by customers, is 8.9 years (12 months to August 2026). No upkeep and no price rises are counted, and no financing or panel aging.
  • The fixed monthly charge stays after solar: $27.37 with Central Maine Power, $22.41 with Versant Bangor Hydro. It is not in the savings.
  • We did not model Versant’s Maine Public District (29.66¢) or a consumer-owned utility.

Run your own Maine numbers

Central Maine Power, Versant or a consumer-owned utility?

Your credits are counted in kWh, so they are worth whatever your utility charges per kWh. Find its name at the top of your bill.

Central Maine Power (CMP)

24.68¢ per kWh

11.96¢ delivery plus 12.72¢ standard offer supply, from July 1, 2026. Plus $27.37 a month, which covers the first 50 kWh. 78.6% of Maine’s home electricity use.

Next: ask for savings priced at 24.68¢, not the state average.

Versant Power

29.66¢ to 30.35¢ per kWh

Bangor Hydro District 30.35¢, plus $22.41 a month. Maine Public District 29.66¢, plus $22.76 a month. Each fixed charge covers the first 100 kWh.

Next: check which district is printed on your bill.

A consumer-owned utility

Its own price

About 4% of Maine’s home electricity use. Kennebunk Light & Power charges 16.50¢ per kWh, for example. The kWh credit rule applies, with a 100 kW system limit unless the utility allows more.

Next: get its price and credit terms in writing.

Why we use your utility’s price, not the state average

The 29.60¢ state average (EIA, 12 months to August 2026) blends fixed charges into the price per kWh. Your fixed monthly charge stays whatever your credits, so a utility’s per-kWh price is the better guide to what a credit is worth. The supply part is the standard offer, the default supply the PUC lists; the table is dated July 1, 2026.

Since December 31, 2025, no new net energy billing agreements are signed for projects on the utility side of a meter. A rooftop system on your side of the meter is not affected. A credit agreement can run up to 20 years.

Maine solar prices by system size, and what each makes

The September 2026 benchmark, $0.16 above the US average. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.

Cash price, output and bill value by system size
Size (kW)
Cash price
Power made a year
Worth at CMP’s 24.68¢
5 kW
$15,250
6,860 kWh
$1,693
8 kW
$24,400
10,976 kWh
$2,709
8.89 kW (typical)
$27,115
12,197 kWh
$3,010
12 kW
$36,600
16,464 kWh
$4,063

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

How we got these numbers
  • 8.89 kW is the typical Maine system in our Cost Index, calibrated from Berkeley Lab’s 2025 state median (8.94 kW across 2,549 systems). Size yours to your own 12 months of use.
  • Output uses the Cost Index figure of about 1,372 kWh per kW a year. Shade and snow lower it.
  • Value is a year of output at CMP’s 24.68¢ PUC price, with every credit used within 12 months.
  • A system you own gets no federal tax credit after December 31, 2025.

Full Maine price guide

Two Maine benefits you have to claim: property tax and battery sharing

Neither one is automatic. One is a form for your town, the other a contract with your battery’s maker.

Property tax exemption file by April 1

  1. Get the Application for Renewable Energy Equipment Exemption from Maine Revenue Services.
  2. File it with your town assessor on or before April 1 of the first year you claim it.
  3. Your town then does not tax the value the panels add, for assessments since April 1, 2025.

Battery sharing $126 to $180 per kW a year

  1. Install a battery from one of the 15 makers Efficiency Maine lists.
  2. Let it send power to the grid in 3-hour events, usually weekday evenings: at least 2 a month, no more than 60 a year.
  3. The maker pays you each year for the average kW your battery shared. A 3 kW average earns $480 to $540.
Values Maine Revenue Services accepts for a home solar array
Class
Value kept off the tax roll
Tax saved at an example $15 per $1,000
Class I, minimal importance to the home
$4,000
$60 a year
Class II, moderate importance
$9,000
$135 a year
Class III, covers all or most of the home’s power
$15,000
$225 a year

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

The fine print on both
  • $15 per $1,000 is a round example, not any town’s tax rate. Your assessor can adjust the class value.
  • A home array qualifies when it sits with a net energy billing customer who takes at least 50% of its output, which is how most rooftop systems work.
  • Battery payments come from the maker, not the state. Efficiency Maine pays makers each June for power shared from April 1 to March 31, and each maker sets its own contract length and payment date.
  • Efficiency Maine’s own example, a 15 kWh battery at $160 per kW and 4 events a month, earns about $5,000 over 10 years. It does not guarantee the payments.

Maine incentives guide

No cash rebate in Maine: what is left off the price

Nothing lowers the purchase price of a home system in Maine in 2026. The bill credits do the work.

$0State rebate or tax credit

Maine’s 2025 income tax credit list has no credit for solar or home energy equipment.

$0Federal tax credit

Not for a system you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.

5.5%Sales tax applies

Maine has no sales tax exemption for solar. Ask whether a quote includes it.

Not openMaine Solar for All

The U.S. EPA terminated Maine’s $62 million award in August 2025. In September 2026 federal courts ruled that unlawful, but no Maine application has opened.

Ways to pay for solar in Maine
Way to payWho owns the panelsAsk before you sign
CashYouWhether 5.5% sales tax is in the price
LoanYouFinanced total next to the cash price; no rebate to wait for
LeaseThe companyWho files the property tax form; transfer or buyout if you sell
PPAThe companyPrice per kWh next to your utility’s price

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Two smaller Maine options
  • Plug-in solar: since July 29, 2026, up to 420 watts per address needs no notice to your utility. Up to 1,200 watts is allowed if a licensed electrician installs it on a dedicated circuit, and above 420 watts you send the utility a form within 30 days.
  • Community solar: Maine’s Public Advocate says subscriptions are often designed to save 10% to 15% a year against the normal bill. You can cancel within 5 days of your first bill.

What $0-down solar means in Maine

Is your Maine home a good fit for solar?

  • Winter and snowPanels make far less in winter, and snow can cover them for a while. Banked summer credits fill the gap.
  • Size to your useCredits expire after 12 months. Match a year of your bills, plus a planned heat pump or EV.
  • Shade and roofTrees cut output. Replace an old roof first, or get the remove-and-reinstall cost in writing.
  • Time in the homeSimple payback before incentives is 7.9 to 9.2 years at the two large utilities, 8.9 statewide. Compare your planned stay with your own quote’s payback.

Is solar worth it for your Maine home?

Three installers that serve Maine homes

The three companies on our Maine list, A to Z, not ranked. Maine licenses electricians as people, not companies, so ask each one for its master electrician’s license number. Facts from their own sites, read October 9 to 14, 2026.

Maine Solar Solutions

Office
Freeport, ME; works only in Maine
Maine license
No company license in Maine; ask for the electrician’s number
Warranty
30-year limited warranty on panels, inverters, labor and monitoring; batteries and roof leaks not named
More facts
Founded
2012 (company says)
Ways to pay
Purchase, loan, or Propel financing (a partner owns it for 5 years)
Maine Solar Solutions profile

ReVision Energy

Office
South Portland and Montville, ME; also NH and MA
Maine license
No company license in Maine; ask for the electrician’s number
Warranty
10-year workmanship including roof leaks, on its New Hampshire page; ask for Maine terms
More facts
Founded
2003 (company says)
Ways to pay
Purchase, loan, 25-year lease, prepaid lease, community solar share
ReVision Energy profile

Venture Home (Venture Solar)

Buys leads from EcoGen
Office
Southington, CT (headquarters); Biddeford, ME office
Maine license
No company license in Maine; ask for the electrician’s number
Warranty
Workmanship term set in your service agreement; makers’ warranties on equipment
More facts
Service area
Nine states, Maine to Maryland (company says)
Ways to pay
Purchase, loan, lease or PPA, prepaid plan
Venture Home profile

Venture Home buys homeowner leads from EcoGen America. That does not change its facts or its place in this A to Z list. How we make money.

Compare Maine solar companies in detail

What to ask for in a Maine solar quote

  • Your utility and its priceCMP or the Versant district by name, and the price per kWh behind the savings.
  • Size against 12 months of billsYear-one kWh next to your last year of use, so no credits expire unused.
  • Month-by-month outputThe winter months, and the snow loss the installer assumed.
  • The full price, taxes done rightMaine’s 5.5% sales tax counted once, permits included, and no 30% federal credit on a system you own.
  • The property tax formWho files the exemption application with your town assessor by April 1.
  • An electrician’s licenseThe master electrician’s number, which you can check with the Electricians’ Examining Board.

Comparing Maine quotes?

Ask each installer to size the system to your last 12 months of use and price the credits at your utility’s rate.

Free, no obligation. See your roof and savings first.

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. You never pay us. Privacy policy

Maine Solar FAQs

Does Maine still have one-for-one net metering?

Yes, for a system on your side of the meter. Each kWh you send to the grid earns a kWh credit against later use. Credits cannot be cashed out and expire after 12 months. Only projects on the utility side of a meter lost new agreements after December 31, 2025.

Do solar panels work through Maine winters?

Yes, but they make much less in winter than in summer, and snow can cover them for a while. Summer surplus rolls forward as kWh credits for up to 12 months, so it can cover winter use. Ask for month-by-month output and the snow loss assumed.

Does Maine charge sales tax on solar panels?

Yes. Maine’s 5.5% sales tax applies, with no exemption for solar. Ask whether a quote’s price already includes the tax, so it is not added twice.

Is a home battery worth it in Maine?

Not for the credits: they already return a full kWh for each kWh you export. A battery can earn battery sharing payments of $126 to $180 per average kW a year from its maker, and it keeps power on in an outage. Efficiency Maine’s example 15 kWh battery earns about $5,000 over 10 years.

Can I still get the 30% federal tax credit?

No, not for a system you own that is placed in service after December 31, 2025. A quote that still subtracts it is using last year’s rules.

Sources behind this Maine guide

Sources (21 documents, each with the date we read it)
  1. EcoGen Solar Cost Index, September 2026: Maine$3.05 per watt, 8.89 kW typical size (calibrated from Berkeley Lab’s 2025 median, 2,549 systems), 12,197 kWh a year, 29.60¢ statewide average (EIA, 12 months to August 2026).
  2. Maine PUC: Residential Electricity Rates in Maine, as of July 1, 2026Per-kWh prices, fixed charges and load shares for every utility. Read October 14, 2026.
  3. Maine PUC: Net Energy BillingkWh credit program for all customers; unused credits expire after 12 months. Read October 14, 2026.
  4. Maine PUC Rules, Chapter 313, Net Energy Billing, amended effective February 23, 202612-month credits, 20-year terms, 100 kW limit at consumer-owned utilities, the December 31, 2025 change, 5-day cancellation. Read September 29, 2026.
  5. Versant Power: Net Energy BillingkWh credits for residential customers. Read October 14, 2026.
  6. Maine Legislature: 35-A M.R.S. § 3209-A, net energy billingThe statute behind the credit program. Opened October 14, 2026.
  7. Maine Revenue Services: Property Tax Bulletin No. 29, December 30, 2024April 1 deadline, eligibility from April 1, 2025, 50% rule, Class I to III values. Read September 30, 2026.
  8. Maine Revenue Services: Property Tax ExemptionsApplication for Renewable Energy Equipment Exemption. Read September 30, 2026.
  9. Maine Legislature: 36 M.R.S. § 1811, sales tax rate5.5% general rate. Read October 1, 2026.
  10. Maine Legislature: 36 M.R.S. § 1760, sales tax exemptionsNo sales tax exemption for solar equipment. Read October 1, 2026.
  11. Maine Revenue Services: 2025 Form 1040ME Schedule A, Other Tax Credits WorksheetNo state income tax credit for solar. Read October 1, 2026.
  12. Efficiency Maine: Small Battery IncentivesEvent rules, June payments to makers, 15 kWh example. Read October 14, 2026.
  13. Efficiency Maine: Participating Battery Manufacturers, last updated September 28, 202615 makers, $126 to $180 per average kW a year. Read October 14, 2026.
  14. Maine PUC: Plug-In SolarUtility form within 30 days above 420 watts. Read September 30, 2026.
  15. Maine Legislature: P.L. 2025, c. 644, plug-in solar law420 and 1,200 watt limits, in effect July 29, 2026. Read September 29, 2026.
  16. Maine Office of the Public Advocate: Community SolarSubscriptions often designed to save 10% to 15%. Read September 30, 2026.
  17. Maine Governor’s Energy Office: Solar for All statement, August 8, 2025U.S. EPA termination of the $62 million award. Read September 30, 2026.
  18. U.S. EIA: average residential price by state29.60¢, 12 months September 2025 to August 2026.
  19. IRS: Residential Clean Energy CreditNo credit for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Read September 30, 2026.
  20. Maine Electricians’ Examining BoardElectrical licenses are held by individuals; the board offers a license lookup. Checked October 13 and 14, 2026.
  21. EcoGen: are solar panels worth it in Maine?Per-utility paybacks of October 30, 2026: simple payback before incentives from each utility’s EIA price and fixed charge.
Dean Mahmoud
Written by

Dean Mahmoud

CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.

About Dean
Trevor Guilday
Checked by

Trevor Guilday

Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.

About Trevor

Editorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology