Solar Electricity
Use the power of the sun to generate your own electricity and reduce or eliminate your electricity bills.
Benefits of solar electricity
Solar electric systems can help reduce your electricity costs while powering your home with clean electricity.
Lower greenhouse gas emissions
Protect the climate by generating your own clean electricity.
Save on electricity bills
Save hundreds to thousands of dollars a year by generating your home’s electricity.
Energy price stability
Electricity generated by your system has a stable cost over time and is not subject to rising fuel costs or fluctuations in utility rates.
Ongoing revenue
Depending on your utility, additional upfront incentives or ongoing credits can provide additional revenue.
The Technology
How It Works
Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity to power your home.
Solar electricity is ideal for:
Homes with available roof or ground space | Good sun exposure
Video
How Solar Panels Work
EnergySage | 1 min
Solar panels are made of silicon. When sunlight hits a solar panel, electrons in the silicon begin to move, initiating a flow of electricity.
Is Your Home a Good Fit for Solar?
Calculate Your Solar Panel Savings
Use this solar panel calculator from EnergySage to quickly estimate your solar potential and savings by address. Estimates are based on your roof, electricity bill, and actual offers in your area.
Incentives and Financing
Mass Department of
Energy Resources (DOER)
Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART): SMART is the primary incentive program for solar electric projects at properties serviced by National Grid, Eversource and Unitil.
Municipal Light Plant
If you live in a town served by a Municipal Light Plant (MLP) check your MLP’s website for incentives and rebates.
Mass State Tax Credits
Most residential solar electric systems qualify for a state personal income tax credit for 15% of the total cost of the solar electric system, with a maximum of $1,000.
Financing Options
Energy Saver Home Loan Program: Up to $100,000 at up to 2% interest over terms of up to 20 years for income-qualified households.
Example Cost for a 2,000 FT2 Home
Cost after incentives is estimated by subtracting Mass State Tax Credit from up-front cost.
A 2,000-square-foot home may generate 10,000 kWh per year with an 8 kW solar electric system, earning $300 in annual SMART payments. These estimated annual payments for 20 years aren’t included in the up-front cost calculation for the system. However, they represent an ongoing, predictable revenue stream from the system. See the latest SMART program details.
Example up-front cost before incentives
$25,000
Example cost after
incentives
$24,000
An alternative to buying a solar electric system is leasing it from a third-party owner. This often involves a solar lease, a pre-paid solar lease, or a power purchase agreement (PPA). See our article about Incentives, Ownership and Financing to understand your options.
Learn more about incentives and explore financing options
Things to Consider
If you answer yes to ANY of these questions, then solar electricity is a good fit for your home
Do you want to save (or even make money) on your electric bill?
By generating your own electricity, you can drastically reduce or eliminate your electric bill. In months when your solar panels produce more electricity than you use, you can even receive a credit from your utility!
Do you have available roof or yard space with good sun exposure?
Solar electricity requires good sun exposure for at least 6 hours a day and plenty of roof or yard space for panels.
Do you want to reduce your home’s greenhouse gas emissions?
By installing solar panels, you can ensure that your home is utilizing locally produced clean energy.
Do you live in a condo?
Many of the same conditions that make a single-family home a good candidate for solar apply to multi-family buildings. Condo owners will likely need to get approval from their condo association before installing a system.
Do you want to generate revenue from solar electricity?
Depending on your utility, additional upfront incentives based on the size of your system or ongoing credits based on the amount of clean energy generated by your system can provide additional revenue.
Contact a contractor to understand how a solar electric system could work for you
Tips for finding and selecting a solar installer
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
SOLAR ELECTRICITY
Installation + Integration Into Your Home
Go all-electric
Power an air-source heat pump with solar and save even more!
Make your home more resilient
Pair your solar system with battery storage
