Is solar worth it in New Hampshire in 2026?

How New Hampshire pays for your solar power

Net metering at the retail rate. Eversource NH nets solar against monthly use, then credits net exports at default energy service plus transmission plus 25% of distribution (NEM 2.0); systems up to 100 kW.

In the calculator, 40% of your solar output is used at home at the retail price and the rest is exported at about 100% of retail (our default for this kind of rule), so each solar kWh is worth 100% of the retail price on average. Change it if your utility pays more or less. Method

State or utility incentive	What it is worth
Local solar property tax exemption (RSA 72:62), where the town has adopted it	Exempts the assessed value added by the solar system; varies by town

How exports are credited

New Hampshire’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) sets net metering tariffs for the state’s electric utilities. The current residential tariff is the Alternative Net Energy Metering Tariff, often called NEM 2.0, adopted in PUC Order No. 26,029 and in effect since 2017. A capacity limit on the tariff was removed by that order, according to Eversource, so new customers are not waiting on a cap.

Eversource, the largest utility, describes how it works for customers with systems of 100 kW or less, which covers every home. The net meter measures purchases and sales separately each month. Energy you draw from the grid is offset by your own production within the month, and only the surplus, called Net Sales, earns a bill credit. Each kWh of Net Sales earns a monetary credit equal to the Default Energy Service charge plus the Transmission Charge plus 25 percent of the Distribution Charge.

That means exports lose most of the distribution portion of the rate, but they still earn the full supply and transmission portions. Larger systems (over 100 kW up to 1,000 kW) are credited on the Default Energy Service charge only.

Credits accumulate on your account and do not expire at year end. After the March billing cycle, a customer can ask for a payout if the accumulated credit balance is above $100. A customer who closes an account when moving can request payment at any balance.

Because the supply part of the credit follows Eversource’s Default Energy Service charge, the dollar value moves when that charge changes. Customers served by other utilities (Liberty Utilities, Unitil) or by an electric cooperative should ask them for their tariff. The figures above come from Eversource’s page; the PUC order text itself could not be opened.

Senate Bill 106 (2026) text refers to the existing compensation tariffs running through an initial term ending December 31, 2040. The bill would also change rules for facilities above 100 kW. Its final status could not be confirmed, so check with your installer for the term that applies to your system.

State incentives in 2026

New Hampshire has no statewide residential solar rebate or state income tax credit that could be confirmed.

• Local property tax exemption (RSA 72:62): each city and town may adopt an exemption from assessed value for property with a solar energy system. It is a local option, so the amount and the rules depend on your town. In Durham, for example, the exemption covers the increase in assessed value attributable to the equipment, and homeowners file cost documentation by April 15 for systems operating by April 1. Ask your assessor whether your town has adopted it.

Eversource lists a New Hampshire Clean Energy Fund Home Battery incentive of $230 per kWh up to $3,000, with a three-year demand response commitment and two approved battery brands (Enphase and FranklinWH). The page does not say whether funding is open for 2026, so it is not listed above. Email nhbatteryprogram@eversource.com before counting on it.

The federal residential credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. See the federal credit explainer.

What it means for payback

Monthly netting at the full retail rate is the main benefit: every kWh your panels offset on site saves the entire bill rate, including distribution. Only the monthly surplus is credited at the lower NEM 2.0 formula. A system sized to your annual use, with the biggest summer months producing surplus, works well because credits carry forward to winter months.

Each kWh used on site is worth the full bill rate. Oversizing helps less, since surplus earns less than offset usage. See net metering vs net billing for how credit rules change the math, and how we calculate payback for the calculator’s assumptions.

A battery mainly adds value through outage backup or any demand response payments, not through avoiding low export credits, because surplus is still credited at supply plus transmission plus a quarter of distribution. Check whether batteries are worth it.

Other rules worth knowing

The 100 kW small-generator line and the 1,000 kW upper limit are Eversource’s categories. Projects over 1,000 kW are not eligible for net metering with Eversource.

If you take power from a supplier other than Eversource’s default service, ask how your export credit is calculated before signing, since the Eversource page describes the credit using its own default service charge.

Berkeley Lab does not publish a New Hampshire median from enough systems, so the calculator starts from the U.S. median of $3.60/W. Put your own quote in.