Solar Incentives 2026: The Complete Guide (Federal, State, Utility)
Solar incentives in 2026: which federal credits are gone, which state credits and rebates remain, utility rebates, SRECs, and how to stack them for the fastest payback.
The 2026 incentive landscape
The federal residential credit expired Dec 31 2025. The commercial 48E credit remains through 2027 for lease/PPA providers (goes to the lessor, not you). Everything else — state credits, rebates, SRECs, tax exemptions — is alive and varies wildly by state.
The four layers to check
1) State income tax credits (NY, MA, AZ). 2) Upfront rebates (NY-Sun, Xcel, utility programs). 3) SREC markets (NJ, MD, IL, PA). 4) Property/sales tax exemptions (~36 states exempt solar from property tax increases). Check DSIRE for your state.
Stack them for maximum value
Incentives generally stack: a New York buyer gets the 25% credit plus NY-Sun rebate plus property tax exemption plus full-retail net metering. The PVFig incentives hub shows every state's stack with sources and as-of dates.
FAQ
What solar incentives exist in 2026?
State tax credits (NY/MA/AZ), upfront rebates (NY-Sun, utility programs), SREC markets (NJ/MD/IL/PA), and property/sales tax exemptions. The federal residential credit is expired.
Is the federal solar tax credit available in 2026?
No for homeowner-owned systems — Section 25D expired Dec 31 2025. The commercial 48E credit (lease/PPA) remains through 2027 but goes to the system owner.
Where do I find my state solar incentives?
DSIRE (dsireusa.org) is the authoritative database. The PVFig incentives hub summarizes all 50 states with dated sources.
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Sources
- U.S. EIA — electricity rates by state, eia.gov/electricity/monthly
- NREL PVWatts v8 — solar production by location, pvwatts.nrel.gov
- DSIRE — state incentives and net metering, dsireusa.org
- See how every figure on this page is calculated — PVFig methodology.
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