New Hampshire is unusual in 2026 for one fact most state guides don't emphasize: the net metering rules are LOCKED through January 1, 2041. NH PUC DE 16-576 (Order 26,029) gave NEM 2.0 about 15 years of guaranteed certainty — the strongest commitment in the United States, in sharp contrast to California (NEM 2.0 cut to NEM 3.0 in 2023), Nevada, or Hawaii where rules were tightened.
That certainty is the real lead. Two corrections to the marketing layer come right behind it:
- NEM 2.0 is NOT "1:1 retail" net metering despite what many NH installer pages claim. It's a percentage-haircut formula that nets out to about 85% of retail — 100% supply + 100% transmission + 25% distribution.
- The OLD state solar rebate ($0.20/W up to $1,000) was PERMANENTLY REPEALED by SB 303 in 2024. Several NH-focused sites still list it as live; it is dead.
Plus the federal §25D credit is $0 for 2026 purchases (OBBBA repeal). Despite all that, NH is structurally solid: 15-year NEM certainty + high retail (about $0.25/kWh — among the highest US rates) + no state sales tax + the Eversource ConnectedSolutions battery program add up to a respectable case even at the "longest payback in New England" label NuWatt assigns it (about 9.5 years).
What changed federally — and what's still on New Hampshire quotes that shouldn't be
The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (§25D) — the 30% homeowner credit — was repealed for systems installed after December 31, 2025. For 2026 New Hampshire buyers, the federal credit on a purchased system is $0. The same applies to home batteries purchased outright. The §48E commercial credit (30%) still exists, but only for leased or third-party-owned systems where construction begins before July 4, 2026 — and the lessor claims it, not you. Full federal context here.
The repeal came through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21), signed in July 2025. Some NH-focused solar sites (solarreviews still cites "30% $6,622" and similar) have not updated — outdated. Palmetto LightReach is an example of an active NH §48E leased path. If a 2026 New Hampshire quote includes "30% federal solar tax credit" on a purchase, ask the contractor to redo the math with $0 federal and verify with IRS.
VERIFIED 2026-06 · IRS §25D repeal under OBBBA P.L. 119-21NEM 2.0 — locked through 2041, but NOT 1:1
This is the part most NH solar coverage either understates (the lock-in) or overstates (1:1 retail). Both matter.
The lock-in is real and unusually strong. NH PUC DE 16-576 (Order 26,029) gave NEM 2.0 a legislative guarantee through January 1, 2041 — about 15 years of certainty for a 2026 install. Compare to:
- California: NEM 2.0 → NEM 3.0 in 2023, exports dropped to avoided-cost.
- Nevada: net metering haircuts in 2015 reversed but limited.
- Hawaii: NEM closed for new in 2015, replaced with less-favorable programs.
- Vermont: PUC has cut adjustor rates 7 years running; Case 26-0291-INV pending.
NH's 2041 lock is rare. If you install in 2026, you're holding the current export math for 15 years regardless of future PUC reviews.
But the export math is not 1:1 retail. NEM 2.0 uses a specific haircut formula:
- 100% supply + 100% transmission + 25% distribution ≈ 85% of retail.
- On Eversource (default, about 71% of NH residential customers): about 84% effective ($0.21/kWh export on $0.25 retail).
- On Unitil and Liberty: about 85%.
- On NHEC (rural electric cooperative): about 86%.
Several NH installer pages describe New Hampshire as "1:1 net metering." That is wrong. The self-vs-export gap is about $0.04/kWh — small, but real.
Credit handling:
- Monthly kWh rollover. If your banked credit is under 600 kWh, annual carryover is allowed.
- Annual cash-out at the NM rider tariff rate (Eversource true-up: March).
- Meter fee is paid in cash and not offset by credits.
- Residential cap: 100 kW. Large systems up to 1 MW. NH removed the aggregate cap — highest in New England.
The Eversource under-15-kW nuance
The Eversource tariff states that the distribution adjustor does NOT apply to residential systems under 15 kW. In principle, small residential systems may see export rates closer to 100% retail than the modeled 84%. Reliable secondary sources still cite about 85% as typical for residential — but if your system is under 15 kW, verify with Eversource whether the full distribution share applies. This nuance can move your effective export rate up by several cents per kWh.
VERIFIED 2026-06 · NH PUC DE 16-576; Order 26,029; Eversource NM riderState rebate is DEAD — important debunk
If you see a New Hampshire solar quote that includes the state rebate of $0.20/W up to $1,000, it is propagating outdated information.
The NH state solar rebate ($0.20/W, max $1,000 residential) was PERMANENTLY REPEALED by Senate Bill 303 (2024). No pending restoration. No replacement program. The state-level financial incentive picture for new 2026 residential solar in NH is the NEM 2.0 framework, the no-sales-tax structural advantage, the conditional town-by-town property tax exemption, and the Eversource ConnectedSolutions battery program — and nothing else.
If a contractor builds the $1,000 rebate into your quoted payback, ask them to remove it.
No state sales tax — structural advantage
New Hampshire has NO state sales tax at all. Not on solar specifically — on anything. NH is one of only 5 US states without a state sales tax (Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, Alaska).
Solar equipment is automatically untaxed at retail — saving roughly $1,000-1,800 versus typical sales-tax-state install pricing on a residential system. That's not a solar incentive; it's a structural feature of NH tax law that benefits solar buyers as a side effect.
For context: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maine, and Louisiana confirmed do NOT exempt solar from sales tax — buyers there add $1,000-1,350 in real cost. NH buyers don't.
NH also has no state income tax on wages — which limits the universe of state-level tax incentives that could exist (there's no Massachusetts-style $1,000 Schedule EC equivalent, because there is no NH income tax to credit against), but you also pay zero state tax on your wages.
Property tax — conditional, town-by-town
This is where NH differs from straightforward "exempt" states like Florida or Delaware. NH property tax exemption for residential solar is CONDITIONAL under RSA 72:62 — individual municipalities must vote-adopt the exemption locally.
The status:
- About 66% of NH towns (roughly 153 municipalities) have voted to adopt the exemption.
- Where adopted: 100% of the added home value from solar is exempt. Requires Form PA-29 filed by April 15.
- Where NOT adopted: solar is property-taxable on added value. NH residential property rates can run high, so this matters.
- February 2026 statewide repeal attempt FAILED — the exemption framework remains alive in adopting towns.
Verify your specific town's adoption status before counting on this benefit. Ask your town assessor or check town meeting records. Don't assume the exemption applies — about a third of NH municipalities have not adopted.
VERIFIED 2026-06 · RSA 72:62; SB 303 (2024); NH PUCBattery — Eversource ConnectedSolutions is among the better US programs
If you're on Eversource, the battery program is meaningful.
Eversource ConnectedSolutions:
- $230/kWh of enrolled storage, capped at $3,000 residential.
- Performance-based — Eversource dispatches the battery during peak events.
- On a typical 10 kWh battery: 10 × $230 = $2,300 rebate (under the $3,000 cap). Modeled default in the calculator.
- Among the more meaningful US residential battery incentives.
Federal storage credit is $0 (§25D repealed for storage purchase too).
Arbitrage gap on NEM 2.0 is small — about $0.04/kWh (retail $0.25 vs export $0.21 at 85%). Battery economics are driven mostly by the ConnectedSolutions rebate + resilience (NH winter storms, multi-day outages) rather than arbitrage ROI.
Where the local town has adopted RSA 72:62, the battery may also be covered by the property tax exemption — verify locally.
NHEC, Unitil, and Liberty do NOT have programs comparable to Eversource ConnectedSolutions. If you're not on Eversource, the battery economics are weaker — primarily a resilience purchase.
Renewable Energy Credits — small and not modeled
NH has a Renewable Portfolio Standard and residential solar owners can sell RECs (Eversource assists residential customers with the process). But residential REC values are small and volatile — not modeled in this calculator's payback math, same treatment as PA / MD / VA / NJ live-but-volatile SREC markets.
Don't budget for a specific REC revenue stream; consider any REC income a small bonus on top of the modeled payback.
The honest payback — "longest in New England" but solid
At default install pricing of $3.00/W (range $2.83-3.06; NuWatt, EnergySage May 2026, solarreviews), our model puts typical New Hampshire solar-only payback at about 9.5 years — NuWatt calls NH the "longest payback in New England." That label is true on the headline number, but the structural picture is solid: 15-year NEM lock + no sales tax + high retail. 25-year savings estimates run $55,000-92,500 on an 8 kW system.
Where New Hampshire fits in our verified set:
- Massachusetts (about $0.30/kWh retail + SMART): high single digits.
- New Jersey (about $0.26/kWh + SuSI): about 6.5 years.
- Connecticut (about $0.29/kWh + Netting minus SEA): about 8-10 years.
- Rhode Island (about $0.29/kWh + 80% NM + REF or REG): about 8-10 years.
- Delaware (about $0.165/kWh + 1:1 NM + rebate / SREC + no sales tax): about 9-11 years.
- New Hampshire (about $0.25/kWh + 85% NEM 2.0 locked-2041 + no sales tax): about 9.5 years.
- Ohio (about $0.16/kWh + energy-only SSO export): about 12-14 years.
- Vermont (about $0.2146/kWh + blended-rate export): about 13 years.
The headline number puts NH at the long end of New England, but two factors that don't show in payback alone matter:
- The 2041 lock-in is rare. Most US NM rules are subject to PUC review every few years (and VT has cut rates 7 years running). NH guarantees the current rate through 2041 — a 15-year forward certainty most other states don't offer.
- No sales tax saves real money — $1,000-1,800 on a typical install — and the modeled $/W already reflects market pricing.
How to read this — New Hampshire's case for solar
NH solar pays back honestly over about 9.5 years, but the structural advantages (2041 lock + no sales tax + battery program) matter for the long-term picture.
- The NEM 2.0 lock through 2041 is rare and valuable. If you're worried about future NM changes, NH is one of the safest US states to install in 2026.
- Don't accept "1:1 retail net metering" as a description of NH's mechanism. Exports credit at about 85% of retail via the supply + transmission + 25% distribution formula.
- Reject any quote that includes a 30% federal credit. Repealed for 2026 purchases.
- Reject any quote that includes the $0.20/W or $1,000 state rebate. Permanently repealed by SB 303 (2024).
- Verify your town's property tax adoption under RSA 72:62. About a third of NH towns have not adopted — your municipality may be one of them. Where adopted, file Form PA-29 by April 15.
- No need to budget for sales tax — NH doesn't have one. Saves about $1,000-1,800 versus sales-tax-state pricing.
- Right-size to annual consumption. Monthly rollover with annual carryover under 600 kWh — don't oversize, exports are at about 85% retail, not full.
- Eversource ConnectedSolutions battery is real — about $2,300 on a 10 kWh battery. Performance-based dispatch commitment. Major reason batteries pay better on Eversource than on NHEC, Unitil, or Liberty.
- Battery for resilience + ConnectedSolutions rebate, not for arbitrage. Gap is small (~$0.04/kWh) under NEM 2.0.
- Under-15 kW Eversource nuance — small residential systems may see export rates closer to 100% retail (distribution adjustor doesn't apply). Verify with Eversource if your system is in this range.
If your household runs a normal residential load on Eversource, you can self-consume most of what you generate, and your town has adopted the property tax exemption, New Hampshire solar is a structurally solid 2026 case despite the "longest payback in New England" label. If you were counting on the federal credit, on the old state rebate, on 1:1 retail net metering, or on universal property tax exemption — none of those apply.
Run your real New Hampshire payback →The honest picture
| Fact | New Hampshire (Eversource default) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Federal credit | $0 (purchase) | IRS — §25D repealed under OBBBA P.L. 119-21 |
| State income tax credit | None (NH has no income tax on wages, so no credit possible) | (no statute) |
| State solar rebate | DEAD — $0.20/W max $1,000 permanently repealed by SB 303 (2024) | SB 303 (2024) |
| Net metering | NEM 2.0 — locked through January 1, 2041 | NH PUC DE 16-576; Order 26,029 |
| Export formula | 100% supply + 100% transmission + 25% distribution ≈ 85% of retail | NH PUC DE 16-576 |
| Export rate — Eversource | About 84% retail (about $0.21/kWh on $0.25 retail) | Eversource NM rider |
| Export rate — Unitil / Liberty | About 85% retail | Unitil / Liberty NM tariffs |
| Export rate — NHEC | About 86% retail | NHEC NM tariff |
| Eversource customer share | About 71% of NH residential | (industry estimate) |
| Eversource under 15 kW nuance | Distribution adjustor doesn't apply — small systems may see closer to 100% retail | Eversource tariff |
| Self-consumed | Full retail offset (about $0.25/kWh on Eversource) | (mechanical) |
| True-up | Monthly kWh rollover; annual carryover if under 600 kWh; cash-out March on Eversource | NH PUC DE 16-576 |
| Residential cap | 100 kW; no aggregate cap (highest in New England; large up to 1 MW) | NH PUC |
| Retail rate | About $0.25/kWh (range $0.23-0.28; EIA 2023 about $0.282; among highest US) | eia.gov |
| Sales tax | NONE — NH is one of 5 no-sales-tax US states (saves about $1,000-1,800 on typical install) | NH tax code |
| Property tax | CONDITIONAL — town-by-town under RSA 72:62; about 66% of towns adopted; Form PA-29 by April 15 | RSA 72:62 |
| Property tax February 2026 repeal attempt | FAILED — exemption alive in adopting towns | NH legislature |
| Battery — Eversource ConnectedSolutions | $230/kWh enrolled, max $3,000 residential, performance-based | Eversource ConnectedSolutions |
| Battery — NHEC / Unitil / Liberty | No comparable program | (none) |
| Battery federal credit | $0 (§25D repealed for storage) | IRS — §25D repealed |
| REC market | Live but small and volatile (Eversource assists) — not modeled in payback | NH RPS |
| $/W | About $3.00 (range $2.83-3.06) | NuWatt; EnergySage; solarreviews |
| Typical solar-only payback | About 9.5 years ("longest in New England") | This calculator; NuWatt |
| 25-year savings estimate | About $55,000-92,500 on an 8 kW system | (industry estimate) |
Before you commit:
- Reject any quote that includes a 30% federal credit. Repealed for 2026 purchases.
- Reject any quote that includes the NH state rebate ($0.20/W, $1,000). Permanently repealed by SB 303 (2024).
- Reject any description of NH as "1:1 retail net metering." Exports credit at about 85% retail under the NEM 2.0 formula.
- The 2041 NEM lock is real. If you install in 2026, you're guaranteed the current export math through January 1, 2041 — one of the strongest US NM commitments.
- Verify your town's RSA 72:62 adoption before counting on the property tax exemption. About a third of NH towns have not adopted.
- No need to budget for sales tax — NH doesn't have one. Saves about $1,000-1,800.
- Don't oversize. Monthly rollover with annual carryover under 600 kWh.
- Under-15 kW Eversource nuance — verify whether the full distribution share applies to your specific system. Small residential may see closer to 100% retail.
- Battery on Eversource — ConnectedSolutions is real; arbitrage is weak; resilience + the $2,300-ish rebate are the case.
- If you're on NHEC, Unitil, or Liberty, expect weaker battery economics — no comparable program.
Estimates only — Eversource NM rider tariff rates can update with rate cases, ConnectedSolutions program enrollment and dispatch terms vary by individual contract, RSA 72:62 property tax exemption depends on your specific town's adoption status. Verify with the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, your utility (Eversource, NH Electric Cooperative, Unitil, or Liberty Utilities), your town assessor for RSA 72:62 status, and the NH Department of Revenue Administration. This is not financial advice.