Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.September 2026 Cost Index prices. Grant round read October 19, 2026. Updated October 19, 2026.
A typical Rhode Island system is 7.91 kW and costs about $22,702 in cash at $2.87 per watt. On Rhode Island Energy net metering it pays for itself in about 8.3 years before incentives in our example. If the state’s $13,052 grant reaches you, it comes off that price, leaving about $9,650. The last 2026 grant round closed October 16, 2026, and no 2027 round is listed yet.
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The same 7.91 kW roof on Rhode Island Energy net metering. Only the grant changes, and it takes more than half off the price. Before incentives, the system pays for itself in about 8.3 years in our example.
| Case | You pay | Yearly savings |
|---|---|---|
| The $13,052 state grant reaches you | $9,650 | $2,733 |
| Full price, no grant | $22,702 | $2,733 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Round 26-3, the last small-scale grant round of 2026, closed October 16, 2026. Rhode Island Commerce listed no 2027 round when we checked on October 19, 2026.
Rhode Island Energy customers take one path per system, never both. Your installer files the paperwork, so the choice is often made inside the quote.
| What changes | Grant plus net metering | RE Growth |
|---|---|---|
| You pay upfront | $9,650 | $22,702 |
| Money over time | Bill credits that move with electric rates | 31.55¢ per kWh, fixed for 15 years |
| Lease or PPA | No grant | Allowed; the payment can go to the company |
| Room left | Last 2026 round closed October 16; no 2027 round listed yet | 3 MW, first come, to March 31, 2027 |
The name on your electric bill decides which paths you can take and what each kWh you send out is worth.
Net metering credit for power left over at month end, October 2026. September 2026: 21.650¢.
Also: the grant, RE Growth and the ConnectedSolutions battery payment.
Every kWh your panels make earns this 2026 rate, reset each year. All power you use is billed at the normal rate. Credits held over two years are lost. Up to 30 kW.
Next: ask the district how much room is left under its 930 kW cap.
All output earns the district’s 2026 power supply rate. Credit left after the December bill is paid by check. Home systems up to 10 kW, with a second meter you pay for.
Next: get the credit terms in writing before you get quotes.
Our paybacks use Rhode Island Energy’s credit and do not fit Block Island or Clear River. RE Growth and ConnectedSolutions do not apply there; ask Rhode Island Commerce about the grant.
At the September 2026 benchmark of $2.87 per watt, tied 27th lowest of 51. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.
| Size | kWh a year | Cash price | Grant | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | 6,716 | $14,350 | $8,250 | $6,100 |
| 7.91 kW (typical) | 10,625 | $22,702 | $13,052 | $9,650 |
| 8.8 kW | 11,820 | $25,256 | $14,500 | $10,756 |
| 10 kW | 13,432 | $28,700 | $14,500 | $14,200 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Beyond the grant, Rhode Island helps through two tax exemptions and three battery programs. Ask your installer in writing which battery programs your project can combine.
Up to $8,000 a project, or $500 per kWh up to $16,000 for income-eligible homes. First come, from a $2 million fund.
Flat, for a battery installed with a solar system that gets the grant. It must meet ConnectedSolutions rules.
A year, per average kW your battery gives in summer peak hours. Rate locked for five summers. Rhode Island Energy customers.
No sales tax on panels, inverters and racking. No property tax on a home system in service after December 31, 2015.
| Way to pay | Who owns the panels | State grant | RE Growth goes to | Check before you sign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | You | Yes | You | The grant amount, and your price if it is not approved |
| Loan | You | Yes | You | Cash vs. financed price; a dealer fee can take back much of the grant |
| Lease | The company | No | The company | Yearly increase; what happens when you sell |
| PPA | The company | No | The company | Price per kWh vs. your own rate; transfer if you sell |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Tax wording reviewed and approved by Layton Smith Sr., EA (October 16, 2026).
Every Rhode Island incentive in detailWho gets paid in a $0-down deal
The three companies on our Rhode Island companies page, A to Z, not ranked. Registrations checked in the state contractor registry October 13 and 14, 2026, and in the state’s solar retailer roster October 19, 2026.
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Ask each installer to price the grant path, and RE Growth if you want it, against your own bills.
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CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.
About Dean
Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.
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