Solar by City / Massachusetts / Boston
Data last verified: 2026-08Is Solar Worth It in Boston, Massachusetts? (2026)
The honest answer depends on four numbers unique to Boston: your electricity rate, your solar production, your net metering policy, and your state incentives. Here are the real figures, with sources and dates. City production is a modeled estimate derived from Massachusetts's real NREL PVWatts v8 value adjusted for local latitude.
Solar Snapshot for Boston, Massachusetts (2026)
| Residential electricity rate | 30.1¢/kWh (EIA, 2026 YTD May) |
| Solar production (modeled) | ~1300 kWh per kW per year (derived from NREL PVWatts v8 1302 kWh/kW, latitude-adjusted) |
| Net metering | full-retail net metering |
| State tax credit | 15% (cap $1,000) |
| Rebates / performance | SMART ~$0.03/kWh × 20yr (income-eligible ~$0.06) |
| SREC market | Active — ~$30/MWh (2026 market) |
| Property tax exemption | Yes |
| Sales tax exemption | Yes |
Estimate Your Own Payback in Boston
The table above is a 6 kW benchmark using Massachusetts's real inputs. Your home is different — use the Solar ROI Calculator with Massachusetts pre-loaded to get your exact payback, or the 30-second worth-it quiz for a go/no-go verdict.
Boston FAQ
How much solar production can I expect in Boston?
PVFig models Boston at ~1300 kWh per kW installed per year, derived from Massachusetts's NREL PVWatts v8 state value (1302 kWh/kW) adjusted for the city's latitude. This is a modeled estimate — a site-specific PVWatts run with your exact roof azimuth, tilt and shading will differ. Actual output also depends on panel quality and local weather.
What is the estimated solar payback in Boston?
At a typical 3.10/W installed cost and 30.1¢/kWh electricity, a 6 kW system in Boston has an estimated payback of about 6.8 years. That is one of the faster paybacks in the country.
Does Massachusetts have net metering and a solar tax credit in 2026?
Massachusetts uses full-retail net metering. Massachusetts offers 15% (cap $1,000). The federal residential credit (Section 25D) expired Dec 31, 2025 and does not apply to 2026 installations.
More cities in Massachusetts
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Read →Compare Massachusetts with nearby states
- Connecticut — 29.8¢/kWh, ~1252 kWh/kW
- Maine — 29.7¢/kWh, ~1319 kWh/kW
- New Hampshire — 26.8¢/kWh, ~1259 kWh/kW
- Rhode Island — 29.5¢/kWh, ~1294 kWh/kW
- Vermont — 23.9¢/kWh, ~1222 kWh/kW
- New York — 29.2¢/kWh, ~1214 kWh/kW