Federal ITC 30% (tax credit)
State tax credit: Yes ($5,000)
Net metering (by utility)
There can be solar tax credits and incentives available at the federal, state and local levels. The calculator above will show you the value of all incentives your home is eligible for.
New York is the best place to go solar in the country. Legislators have created the right mix of industry and residential programs to spur huge solar growth, with over two gigawatts installed. Things are looking bright for the future, as the state is on pace for six gigawatts installed by 2025.
Between the New York state solar rebates and federal tax incentives, you could save 40% off the up-front cost of solar, and your panels will pay themselves off in just a few short years, leaving you with free electricity for the next few decades!
Learn what solar incentives are available to New York homeowners
See what New York solar incentives you qualify for based on your utility company and city
Find out how much these incentives and/or New York solar tax credits will reduce your cost to go solar and add batteries
The federal solar investment tax credit will have the biggest impact on the cost you will face to go solar in New York
If you install your photovoltaic system before the end of 2032, the federal tax credit is 30% of the cost of your solar panel system. This is 30% off the entire cost of the system including equipment, labor, and permitting.
Example: If your solar energy system costs $20,000, your federal solar tax credit would be $20,000 x 30% = $6,000.
The federal tax credit falls to 26% starting in 2033.
With net metering in some states, you get full retail rate credit for the amount of electricity you send back into the grid with your solar panels.
In New York, utility companies must provide net metering services for residential systems up to 25 kW. Any net excess electricity generation is credited to your next bill at the retail rate. Excess generation is reconciled annually at the avoided-cost rate.
However, solar customers do have to pay a monthly Customer Benefit Charge (CBC) that cannot be offset by solar generation. The customer benefit charge is based on the size of your solar system and your utility company. The CBC will equate to a few extra dollars per month and doesn't drastically impact your solar investment.
However, New York is looking to transition to a new solar billing structure called the Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER), or Value Stack, program. This program seeks to credit solar energy producers more accurately without pushing costs onto non-solar customers.
Through the NY-Sun PV Incentive Program, New York residents statewide are looking at rebate rates of $200 to $400 per kW on solar installations up to 25 kW. That means you can expect a rebate of $1,200-$2,400 on a 6 kW system. Be aware, however, that the incentive values get lower as state solar capacity goals are met. Long Island is already out of funding, so don’t be late to the awesome incentives party if you live in other areas of New York!
In addition to the 30% federal tax credit, you can qualify for a sizable 25% New York solar tax credit. You simply take 25% of your total installation cost (after you take the NY-Sun rebate) and file this handy New York tax form IT-255 to receive the credit.
Be mindful that there’s a cap of $5,000 on this. So, if your cost is more than $20,000, you won't get a tax credit bigger than $5,000 back from the state.
Lawmakers in New York have been doing their best to make going solar easier for residents. In addition to the above solar power rebates and tax credits, adding solar panels to your home is exempt from property tax increases for a solid fifteen years, even though installing solar panels adds roughly 20 times your annual electricity bill savings to your property value. In the case of our 6 kW example, that's about $28,000 of additional value to your home that you don't have to pay.
Also, contrary to other home upgrades like new kitchen stoves or bathroom fixtures, with solar panels in New York, you will not have to pay any sales taxes on your system! That's a bunch of cash you're saving right up front.
NYSERDA offers battery storage incentives for New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and the rest of the state (ROS). The funding is meant to be paired with the NY-Sun rebate outlined above.
As of 2022, there are only single-family residential incentives for battery storage available in Long Island.
The incentive amount is $250/kWh. So, if you install a Tesla Powerwall battery with a capacity of 13.5 kWh, your Powerwall system would be eligible for a rebate of $3,375. Your costs could be even lower if you are able to take the state and federal tax credits.
Showing data for:
Prices based on a 8.6kW system, after 30% federal tax credit
113 solar companies in New York provide pricing on SolarReviews. Here are the best rated companies near you.
4.85 217 Reviews
Jason C., 5 days ago
If I could give more then 5 stars I would. I was shopping around and had bad experiences everything from no-show appointments to insane pricing. I met with Jeff on a monday and I stated I wanted a week to shop around. He did not pressure me or bother me and the following monday Jeff reached out to me and I told him that I would be going with his company. I expected a delay but within hours he went out if his way to come to my house and help get the process going. The entire process was very simple and to be honest over exceeded my expectations! The crews that came to the house for the install were very clean and professional. Jeffs ability to help me with simple issues of where I wanted the box conduit were quickly overcome. He is very accomodating and was open to listen to what I would like. I have people actually stop by to comment of how sleek the panels look and stated to me how they wish theres looked like that. In ending Jeff and his team made this entire process stress free. He was always willing to help when needed. Thankfully the way he is I really did’nt need much help but the very few times I reached out including on the weekend he did not hesitate to respond. There was no lack of communication with Jeff and his company. It was an absoulute stress free pleasure to have them do the solar in my house. I would HIGHLY recommend Jeff as the salesman!
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Jason C., 5 days ago
If I could give more then 5 stars I would. I was shopping around and had bad experiences everything from no-show appointments to insane pricing. I met with Jeff on a monday and I stated I wanted a week to shop around. He did not pressure me or bother me and the following monday Jeff reached out to me and I told him that I would be going with his company. I expected a delay but within hours he went out if his way to come to my house and help get the process going. The entire process was very simple and to be honest over exceeded my expectations! The crews that came to the house for the install were very clean and professional. Jeffs ability to help me with simple issues of where I wanted the box conduit were quickly overcome. He is very accomodating and was open to listen to what I would like. I have people actually stop by to comment of how sleek the panels look and stated to me how they wish theres looked like that. In ending Jeff and his team made this entire process stress free. He was always willing to help when needed. Thankfully the way he is I really did’nt need much help but the very few times I reached out including on the weekend he did not hesitate to respond. There was no lack of communication with Jeff and his company. It was an absoulute stress free pleasure to have them do the solar in my house. I would HIGHLY recommend Jeff as the salesman!
4.85 99 Reviews
John K, 4 weeks ago
We had a large ground mount solar installed for our house. There were some delays due to county permitting, but Paradise installed at budget and on time. I found them to be honest and easy to work with. Doug Fenninger was particularly helpful with navigating the county requirements (Queen Anne's County), which were not easy. Very happy with our system - it's performing well
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Average cost (5kW system)
$16,000 ($3.20 per watt)
John K, 4 weeks ago
We had a large ground mount solar installed for our house. There were some delays due to county permitting, but Paradise installed at budget and on time. I found them to be honest and easy to work with. Doug Fenninger was particularly helpful with navigating the county requirements (Queen Anne's County), which were not easy. Very happy with our system - it's performing well
4.82 264 Reviews
Ed M., over 1 month
Installation was prompt, fast, extremely neat and professional. We are very happy with our system so far.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$13,750 ($2.75 per watt)
Ed M., over 1 month
Installation was prompt, fast, extremely neat and professional. We are very happy with our system so far.
4.80 103 Reviews
Christopher L. , 3 weeks ago
Just coming up on one year of our solar install, our system was sold to us by their sales team member Mathew Brill who was knowledgeable, polite and responsive to my needs, questions and concerns. Our system which I requested to be slightly oversized for our energy needs due to possible growth of home/energy needs and degradation of panels over time is rated at 135 percent of power needs and will be wrapping up our year just over the 150 percent mark. System has been flawless since install, and also the instal was done beautifully with no conduit showing on the roof whatsoever. Also took my monthly electric bill of $147 balanced down to $71 Solar loan (15 years at 0.9%) plus the grid connection fee that can’t be avoided and that’s around $14 so basically cut our bill in half. Overall extremely pleased with our set up and looking forward to paying it off completely in about 6 years to say goodbye to any electric bills!
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Christopher L. , 3 weeks ago
Just coming up on one year of our solar install, our system was sold to us by their sales team member Mathew Brill who was knowledgeable, polite and responsive to my needs, questions and concerns. Our system which I requested to be slightly oversized for our energy needs due to possible growth of home/energy needs and degradation of panels over time is rated at 135 percent of power needs and will be wrapping up our year just over the 150 percent mark. System has been flawless since install, and also the instal was done beautifully with no conduit showing on the roof whatsoever. Also took my monthly electric bill of $147 balanced down to $71 Solar loan (15 years at 0.9%) plus the grid connection fee that can’t be avoided and that’s around $14 so basically cut our bill in half. Overall extremely pleased with our set up and looking forward to paying it off completely in about 6 years to say goodbye to any electric bills!
4.76 147 Reviews
David Bertrand, 3 days ago
About ten years ago I had a concrete slab installed with plans to build a shed. Along comes a stroke and that plan put on hold. As the years passed solar power started to get a lot of attention. I began to think about utilizing this slab for some kind of solar array My adventure with SunCommon began while driving down I-89 when I decided to stop at SunCommon headquarters to get some information. No one around except for a young lady who helped me fill out form on her office space computer. The next day I received a call and a time was set to meet with the solar. home advisor. He arrived as scheduled and reviewed my situation. I love post and beam construction and a canopy solar system was designed. By luck the post and beam canopy was a perfect fit for the concrete slab. Next came the evaluation person who did the initial layout. The foundation crew had to cut the corners of the slab off to accommodate the installation of 7ft ground screws. The concrete was thicker than anticipated which turned into quite the project. All eight screws were installed into ledge which had to be drilled. This phase of the project was delayed by extreme weather , heavy rain and lightning, and the FLOOD. My road was impassable along with many roads between Waterbury and my house, but within a few days things were repaired and ways of getting here were figured out. The erection of the post and beam canopy was done on the most beautiful day imaginable. What a beautiful structure. The foundation crew came back and did trenching and electrical conduit in pouring rain. The installation of the solar panels and associated wiring and equipment took half a day. I must say that all the people and I mean all the people were very polite, respecful of my property, extremely neat. and willing to explain and answer any questions or concerns that I had. SunCommon gets a grade 10 from me. I highly recomend SunCommon. David Bertrand
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David Bertrand, 3 days ago
About ten years ago I had a concrete slab installed with plans to build a shed. Along comes a stroke and that plan put on hold. As the years passed solar power started to get a lot of attention. I began to think about utilizing this slab for some kind of solar array My adventure with SunCommon began while driving down I-89 when I decided to stop at SunCommon headquarters to get some information. No one around except for a young lady who helped me fill out form on her office space computer. The next day I received a call and a time was set to meet with the solar. home advisor. He arrived as scheduled and reviewed my situation. I love post and beam construction and a canopy solar system was designed. By luck the post and beam canopy was a perfect fit for the concrete slab. Next came the evaluation person who did the initial layout. The foundation crew had to cut the corners of the slab off to accommodate the installation of 7ft ground screws. The concrete was thicker than anticipated which turned into quite the project. All eight screws were installed into ledge which had to be drilled. This phase of the project was delayed by extreme weather , heavy rain and lightning, and the FLOOD. My road was impassable along with many roads between Waterbury and my house, but within a few days things were repaired and ways of getting here were figured out. The erection of the post and beam canopy was done on the most beautiful day imaginable. What a beautiful structure. The foundation crew came back and did trenching and electrical conduit in pouring rain. The installation of the solar panels and associated wiring and equipment took half a day. I must say that all the people and I mean all the people were very polite, respecful of my property, extremely neat. and willing to explain and answer any questions or concerns that I had. SunCommon gets a grade 10 from me. I highly recomend SunCommon. David Bertrand
4.72 77 Reviews
Mario D, over 1 month
SunBlue was professional. The setup was quick and professionally done. I'm an electrical engineer, so I was checked the work done - and was quite happy with all of it. Their quote was priced competitively, and the team is very friendly and easy to work with. They also did a great job handling to city bureaucracy, so that process was very hands off for me. Sales agent also had great hands on knowledge of the system and tech (not common among solar sales people), and also understood the financials involved.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$17,150 ($3.43 per watt)
Mario D, over 1 month
SunBlue was professional. The setup was quick and professionally done. I'm an electrical engineer, so I was checked the work done - and was quite happy with all of it. Their quote was priced competitively, and the team is very friendly and easy to work with. They also did a great job handling to city bureaucracy, so that process was very hands off for me. Sales agent also had great hands on knowledge of the system and tech (not common among solar sales people), and also understood the financials involved.
4.72 491 Reviews
Jon, 9 hours ago
Excellent installation team. I believe their name is muffin men?
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Jon, 9 hours ago
Excellent installation team. I believe their name is muffin men?
4.71 26 Reviews
cheryl, over 1 month
I spoke with Dov at Powerlutions regarding our solar contract. He was very knowledgeable, patient and extremely pleasant to work with. The installation team was very respectful and professional, it was very impressive to watch them do the job. I am looking forward to geeting good use out of our new solar panels. Thank you Dov and Powerlutions for an excellent experience.
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cheryl, over 1 month
I spoke with Dov at Powerlutions regarding our solar contract. He was very knowledgeable, patient and extremely pleasant to work with. The installation team was very respectful and professional, it was very impressive to watch them do the job. I am looking forward to geeting good use out of our new solar panels. Thank you Dov and Powerlutions for an excellent experience.
4.71 129 Reviews
Lois A, over 1 month
We recently had solar panels installed on our home. Our salesman, Drew Divittorio, was outstanding every step of the way. He clearly explained all of our options and answered every question clearly and throughly. He was very knowledgeable and patient with our many inquiries. If you are considering Solar, ask for Drew to be our salesman!
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Lois A, over 1 month
We recently had solar panels installed on our home. Our salesman, Drew Divittorio, was outstanding every step of the way. He clearly explained all of our options and answered every question clearly and throughly. He was very knowledgeable and patient with our many inquiries. If you are considering Solar, ask for Drew to be our salesman!
4.70 64 Reviews
Lu Ann, 5 days ago
I had an excellent experience with the CIR Electric Company for solar panels. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. The entire team, including Kevin , Jordan, Jacob, Andrew , Matt and the installation crew were professional , efficient and exceeded my expectations . Advance notification of the schedule was very helpful and appreciated . The landscaping and vegetable gardens were not disturbed . I highly recommend CIR.
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Lu Ann, 5 days ago
I had an excellent experience with the CIR Electric Company for solar panels. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. The entire team, including Kevin , Jordan, Jacob, Andrew , Matt and the installation crew were professional , efficient and exceeded my expectations . Advance notification of the schedule was very helpful and appreciated . The landscaping and vegetable gardens were not disturbed . I highly recommend CIR.
For more information about going solar near where you live, check out the following resources:
NYSERDA - NY SUN Smart Energy Loan Program