Massachusetts Solar Incentives and Programs
Massachusetts boasts some of the best solar savings in the country.
Find out how much you can save with the solar incentives and programs in the Bay State.
Think you missed out on solar incentives? Think again. See how much you can save →
$1,365
Average Annual Savings
See immediate savings and watch them continue to stack up year after year.
45%
Lower Monthly Payment
Trade the unpredictable electric bill for a lower, price-protected solar payment.
$0
Upfront Cost of Solar
With the incentives available in Massachusetts, the switch to solar is easy.
Mass Homeowners Save BIG
Massachusetts is blazing a trail towards a sustainable future, running on sunshine. Our state has long been a leader in adopting environmentally friendly policies and programs, with a bold goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. And with some of the best solar incentives and rebates in the country, Bay Staters can break free from high energy bills and bask in the sunshine while saving big on their electricity costs.
MA Electric Rates: The 4th Most Expensive State
Massachusetts electric rates are rising faster than the price of Red Sox tickets during a World Series year. We’re not just talking a few cents here and there – on average, Bay Staters pay over 85% more for electricity than the national average.
It’s no wonder we’re ranked number four in the country for the most expensive electric rates. Our rates have been climbing higher than the Green Monster for the past 25 years, with a 50% spike over the last 5 years.
Breaking Down a Mass Electric Bill
57% of your bill is hidden fees and charges!
Delivery Charges...
Random, confusing charges like the “customer charge” and “energy efficiency charge” make up 57% of your bill. Here are a couple key ones explained.
Distribution
Helps to support and maintain the poles, wires, and other infrastructure that gets the power from the main line to your home—makes 27% of your bill
Transmission
What the electric company charges you for transporting power from the supply source to local towers and lines—makes 13% of your bill
Finally—Actual Supply
And at last, we have the actual energy you’re buying. After all the other charges, supply only makes up 43% of your bill.
Solar Eliminates All These Charges
When you go solar, you no longer rely on the utility company to produce electricity—and no longer have to pay their ridiculous charges. Instead, you produce your own power with a low, locked-in solar rate.
Massachusetts Solar Incentives and Rebates
The Bay State has some of the best solar incentives and state-funded programs around.
Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
Leased and PPA systems qualify for the 30% federal investment tax credit, and that value comes to you as a lower lease payment or power rate, often a better deal than buying. There is no tax form to file and no tax liability needed on your end. To qualify, systems that begin construction after July 4, 2026 must be up and running by December 31, 2027, so timing matters.
If you buy your system with cash or a loan, your savings come from your electric bill and the state programs below. The homeowner version of the federal credit applied to systems installed through December 31, 2025.
Evergreen Solar offers cash, loans, leases, PPAs and prepaid PPAs, and we price them side by side for your home. See how each option works in 2026.
SMART 3.0 (Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target)
SMART 3.0 is Massachusetts’ solar incentive. For home systems of 25 kW or less enrolled in 2026, the state pays a flat $0.03 for every kilowatt-hour your panels produce, or $0.06 for income-qualified homes, for up to 20 years. The payment comes from your utility each month and is on top of your net metering credits.
Eversource, National Grid and Unitil customers are eligible, and your installer applies for you. The incentive goes to whoever owns the system. How SMART 3.0 works.
Massachusetts Renewable Energy Credits (MRECs)
Massachusetts Class I renewable energy certificates, often called MRECs, can be sold through an aggregator by solar owners who aren’t enrolled in SMART. Your system earns one certificate for every 1,000 kWh it produces, and the price is set by the market.
SMART transfers those certificates to your utility in exchange for its fixed per-kWh payment, so you choose one or the other. Most homeowners on Eversource, National Grid or Unitil choose SMART 3.0. How MRECs work.
Energy Community Bonus (Leases and PPAs)
Parts of Massachusetts are federal energy communities: areas tied to fossil fuel jobs or closed coal plants. In 2026 that includes Barnstable, Berkshire, Dukes, Franklin, Hampden, Nantucket and Worcester counties, plus parts of Bristol, Essex and Hampshire counties.
A leased or PPA system in an energy community qualifies for a 10-percentage-point bonus on the federal credit, which can mean an even lower price for you. It applies to leases and PPAs, not to systems you buy. Check your ZIP code.
Massachusetts Solar Tax Credit
If you own your system, you can claim a Massachusetts income tax credit of 15% of its cost, up to $1,000. Any credit you can’t use right away carries forward for up to three years.
Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Systems
Massachusetts exempts solar systems from local property tax for 20 years, so the value your panels add to your home won’t raise your property tax bill.
Home Solar System Sales Tax Exemption
Massachusetts homeowners are exempt from paying the normal 6.25% home solar system state sales tax. There is no additional cost for sales taxes on a Massachusetts solar system.
Massachusetts Net Energy Metering
In Massachusetts, if you produce more energy than you use, you get a credit on your utility bill. This credit can be used later to power your home if your solar panels aren’t producing enough energy, so you don’t need to buy batteries.
We took the complicated part and made it easy.
With a lease or PPA, today’s federal solar incentives are built into your price. We handle the mechanics behind the scenes so you can focus on the savings.
Let's see if your home qualifies for Massachusetts solar incentives.
Do you own your home?
Trusted by over 3,500 Northeast homeowners
Made in America
Solar systems built with enough American-made equipment can earn their owner an extra federal bonus. While other companies may use panels made overseas, Evergreen’s panels are made in Georgia, USA.
Can you get free solar panels in Massachusetts?
While you can’t technically get “free” solar panels anywhere, they are “free” in the sense that you can expect to pay less for solar than you already do for electricity — and it costs nothing to make the switch.
So you’re swapping out an unpredictable and constantly increasing electric bill for a price protected solar payment that is usually about 45% lower. While it isn’t exactly “free”, it’s about as close as it gets.
Bundle Roof + Solar
and Get Your Roof
“On the House”
Our Roof + Solar Bundle makes it easy for Mass locals to get a new roof and solar at the same time. Since it’s an essential part of the solar project, you save big by bundling — and still pay less than traditional electricity.
