Solar in Boston, MA: Real Costs, Eversource Net Metering, and Incentives

Boston homeowners pay some of the highest electricity prices in the country, which is exactly why rooftop solar pays off here. The catch in a dense, historic city is not whether solar works, it is the local details: who your utility is, what your triple-decker or row-house roof can hold, and whether the Boston Landmarks Commission needs to sign off first. This page covers what solar actually costs in Boston, the Massachusetts incentives you may qualify for, how net metering works with Eversource, and the Boston-specific hurdles to plan around, then you can check your address in about a minute.

Why Boston’s electric rates make solar worth it

The reason solar pays in Boston is the price of the power it replaces. Massachusetts residential electricity averages about 30.21 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), one of the highest rates in the nation, and Eversource’s Eastern Massachusetts customers, Boston included, sit at the top end of that range. So every kilowatt-hour your roof makes offsets an expensive one you would otherwise buy from the grid. A typical Boston home spending $150 or more a month on electricity is a strong solar candidate. For the exact cents on your own bill, read the supply and delivery lines on your Eversource statement, since both reset on a schedule.

Your production is what turns that high rate into savings. Greater Boston gets a solar resource typical of southern New England, and a well-placed roof offsets a large share of a normal home’s annual use. Because output depends on your roof’s pitch, shading, and orientation, and because dense neighborhoods add shading from neighboring three-deckers and street trees, estimate your specific roof with NREL’s free PVWatts calculator rather than a generic number. Your production drives both your net-metering credits and your SMART payments, so it is worth getting right before you size a system.

Your Boston utility is Eversource, not National Grid

A lot of Boston homeowners assume they might be on National Grid, but the city is entirely Eversource for electricity. Massachusetts gives each utility an exclusive electric territory, so there is no overlap at a given address, and the whole City of Boston, from Back Bay and Beacon Hill to Dorchester, Roxbury, East Boston, Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, and West Roxbury, sits in Eversource’s Eastern Massachusetts (former NSTAR) territory (Mass.gov Find My Electric Company, as of June 2026). National Grid serves Worcester County, Central and Western Massachusetts, and various other communities, but not Boston proper. You may have National Grid for gas and Eversource for electricity, which is why city materials sometimes name both, but your solar net metering is administered by Eversource.

One Boston wrinkle worth knowing: the city runs its own electricity supply program. Boston Community Choice Electricity (BCCE) sets the supply portion of many residents’ bills, but Eversource still handles delivery and net metering, so solar credits work the same whether you are on BCCE or Eversource Basic Service (City of Boston Community Choice Electricity, as of June 2026). The high local rate is what drives the payback either way. For the statewide rules that sit behind all of this, see our Massachusetts solar guide and the Eversource Massachusetts net metering page.

How Eversource credits the power your Boston roof sends back

Net metering is the engine of your savings, and in Boston it credits a normal home near full retail value. Massachusetts net metering is set by state law and regulation, M.G.L. c.164 sections 138 and 139, not by the utility, and a residential system of 25 kW or less is cap-exempt after the state raised the residential threshold from 10 kW to 25 kW AC in 2025 (Mass.gov net-metering guide, as of 2026). So a typical Boston home is never shut out, and the credit is valued near the full bundled retail rate rather than the reduced market credit that applies to much larger systems. When your panels make more than you use, the excess goes to the grid and you bank net-metering credits in dollars that roll forward month to month. For the mechanics, see how net metering credits your solar exports.

What you earn	How it is valued	Who receives it
Monthly net-metering credits	Near full retail value, tracked in dollars and rolled forward	The Eversource account holder
Year-end leftover balance	A lower tariff rate, below retail	The account holder
SMART payments	A per-kWh incentive over a multi-year term	The system owner

Massachusetts solar incentives on a Boston account

Beyond net metering, a Boston homeowner stacks the same statewide Massachusetts benefits as the rest of the state. These go to the system owner, so on a lease or PPA the company that owns the panels keeps the incentive, while the net-metering bill credit still follows your Eversource account.

• SMART (Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target), the state’s per-kWh incentive, now running as the SMART 3.0 redesign the state approved in 2026. It pays the system owner a per-kWh payment over a multi-year residential term, reported near 3 cents per kWh for standard residential and around 6 cents for income-eligible customers, with an added value for pairing a battery (EnergySage Massachusetts incentives, as of 2026). The value is set by the state and resets over time, so ask your installer for the current figure for your block rather than budgeting around an old number.
• A state income-tax credit (Schedule EC) worth 15% of the net system cost, capped at $1,000 (Mass.gov Schedule EC, as of 2026).
• A 100% sales-tax exemption on qualifying solar equipment, off the state’s 6.25% rate (EnergySage Massachusetts incentives, as of 2026).
• A 20-year property-tax exemption on the added home value from a qualifying solar system, under Clause 45 (M.G.L. c.59 s.5, Clause Forty-fifth, as of 2026).

These benefits are the same in Boston as anywhere in the state, which is why we keep the full statewide detail on our Massachusetts solar guide rather than repeating it here.

What the federal tax-credit change means for Boston

The federal homeowner credit is gone, but Massachusetts’ programs are not. The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a Boston homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit; SEIA, as of 2026). You will still see installer pages and search results asking whether the 30% credit is going away; the accurate answer for 2026 is that the homeowner version already ended. Net metering, SMART, and the state’s tax benefits were not affected, and at Boston’s high rates the bill offset alone is substantial. For the full timeline, see what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026.

One federal exception exists, and it is not yours to claim. A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, is claimed by the business that owns a leased or PPA system, not by the homeowner (IRS Clean Electricity Investment Credit, as of 2026). On a leased system you do not file for a federal credit yourself; the company that owns the panels does. The 25D homeowner credit, by contrast, ended after December 31, 2025.

Going solar on a Boston triple-decker or row house

Boston’s older housing stock is what makes its solar projects distinct. Triple-deckers and row houses often have large flat or low-slope roofs that fit a good-sized system, and the high local rate makes the payback strong, but the age of the building adds two checks a newer suburban home usually skips (Boston solar cost guide, as of 2026). First, many triple-deckers still run a 100-amp electrical service panel that may need an upgrade to carry a modern system, especially if you also want a battery, EV charging, or heat pumps. Second, an older flat or low-slope roof usually needs a structural look and, on a shared multi-unit building, your condo association’s sign-off before panels go up.

Note: If you live in a Boston Landmarks Commission historic district, such as Back Bay, Beacon Hill, parts of the South End, or Mission Hill, exterior solar needs Landmarks review before it is installed (City of Boston Landmarks Commission, as of June 2026). The usual standard is that panels should not be visible from a public way, and all-black panels with low-profile, flush-mount hardware tend to clear review more smoothly. Plan for roughly 4 to 8 extra weeks on top of the standard Inspectional Services solar permit. An installer who has done Boston Landmarks projects before will handle the photos and elevations for you.

Boston roof or site factor	What to plan for
Flat or low-slope triple-decker roof	Often fits a larger system; needs a structural check and low-tilt racking
100-amp service panel	May require a service upgrade for solar plus a battery or EV charging
Historic district (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End, Mission Hill)	Boston Landmarks review; panels hidden from the street, all-black hardware, +4 to 8 weeks
Condo or multi-unit building	Condo association approval and roof-rights agreement before install
Heavy shading from neighbors or street trees	A shade study; fewer, higher-efficiency panels may beat a larger array

Paying for solar in Boston: cash, loan, lease, or PPA

There is no single “right” way to pay for solar; the best fit depends on whether you want to own the system and claim the state incentives yourself, or avoid an up-front cost. The table below compares the common paths at a high level. A lease or PPA can mean no up-front cost for eligible homeowners, but it is a long-term agreement with monthly payments, not free solar, and the system owner, not you, collects the SMART payment and state tax credit. To weigh the long-run numbers, see whether solar panels are worth it.

Path	Up-front cost	Who keeps SMART + state credit	Best when
Cash purchase	Full system cost	You, the owner	You want the fastest payback and the most lifetime savings
Solar loan	Little to none, financed	You, the owner	You want ownership without paying cash up front
Lease or PPA	$0-up-front where eligible	The third-party owner	You prefer no up-front cost and a simpler, fixed monthly bill

How to choose a solar installer in Boston

Boston has a deep market of licensed installers, from local Massachusetts companies to national brands, which is good for you because it means real competition on price and service. Rather than chasing a “best installer” list, screen any company against objective criteria:

• NABCEP certification, the industry’s professional standard for PV installers.
• A valid Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration and electrical licensing.
• A clear workmanship and equipment warranty in writing.
• Real experience with Eversource interconnection, Boston permitting, and Landmarks review if your home is in a historic district, so the paperwork and Permission to Operate go smoothly.
• A written production estimate and a transparent quote that uses today’s SMART value, not an old one. For a checklist, see the right questions to ask a solar installer.

MySolarFY matches you with licensed installers that serve your area so you can compare real local quotes side by side, with no obligation.

Check which solar programs are available at your Boston address →

Weighing your options across the area? Compare nearby solar markets with our local guides for Cambridge, Newton, Woburn, Barnstable, Lynn, Quincy, and Falmouth.

Frequently asked questions

Is solar worth it in Boston in 2026?

For most owner-occupied Boston homes with decent sun, yes. Massachusetts residential electricity averages about 30.21 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), among the highest in the country, and Eversource’s Boston-area rates sit at the top of that range, so every kilowatt-hour your roof makes offsets an expensive grid one. Net metering credits a typical home near full retail value, and the SMART incentive adds a per-kWh payment on top. Savings are not guaranteed and depend on your roof, usage, and how you pay, but the high local rate is what makes Boston a strong solar market.

Who is my electric utility for solar in Boston?

Eversource. Every Boston neighborhood is in Eversource’s Eastern Massachusetts (former NSTAR) electric territory, and Massachusetts utility territories do not overlap, so net metering for a Boston home is administered by Eversource, not National Grid (Mass.gov Find My Electric Company, as of June 2026). You may have National Grid for gas, but your electricity and your solar credits run through Eversource. If your supply comes through Boston Community Choice Electricity, that only sets the supply rate; Eversource still handles delivery and net metering.

Do I need historic-district approval for solar in Boston?

Only if your property is in a Boston Landmarks Commission district or is a designated landmark, such as in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, parts of the South End, or Mission Hill. There, exterior solar needs Landmarks review before installation, the panels generally cannot be visible from a public way, and all-black, low-profile hardware clears review most smoothly (City of Boston Landmarks Commission, as of June 2026). Expect roughly 4 to 8 extra weeks beyond the standard Inspectional Services solar permit. An installer experienced with Boston Landmarks projects normally prepares the photos and elevations for you.

How does net metering work with Eversource in Boston?

When your panels produce more than you use, the extra flows to the grid and Eversource credits your account in dollars at near the full retail rate, and those credits roll forward month to month (Mass.gov net-metering guide, as of 2026). Residential systems of 25 kW or less are cap-exempt, after the state raised the residential threshold from 10 kW to 25 kW AC in 2025, so a typical home always qualifies for the standard credit. The smart move is to size your system close to your annual usage, since a large year-end surplus is trued up at a lower rate.

What happened to the federal solar tax credit?

The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a Boston homeowner who buys solar in 2026 with cash or a loan cannot claim it (IRS, as of 2026). A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, can apply to leased and PPA systems, but the business that owns the system claims it, not the homeowner. Massachusetts net metering, SMART, and the state tax benefits were not affected, so at Boston’s high rates the local payback case still holds. See our guide on what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026.

Can I get solar with no up-front cost in Boston?

Some homeowners can, through a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) where eligible, which can mean no out-of-pocket cost at installation in exchange for monthly payments. This is not free solar; it is a long-term agreement, typically 20 to 25 years, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase. On a lease or PPA the third-party owner, not you, collects the SMART payment and the state tax credit, while your benefit is a lower or fixed power price. If you want to own the system and capture those incentives yourself, a cash purchase or solar loan is the path that keeps them. Check what you qualify for before deciding.

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Reviewed by the MySolarFY team. Figures were verified against the linked Massachusetts (Mass.gov / DOER), City of Boston, EIA, and IRS sources as of June 2026; net-metering true-up rates, the SMART 3.0 value and term, and Boston permitting timelines can change, so confirm current terms with Eversource, the City of Boston, and Mass.gov before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about the MySolarFY team and how we work.

MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, or government program. “No up-front cost” refers to qualifying lease or PPA financing, where eligible homeowners may have no out-of-pocket cost at installation. Lease and PPA terms typically run 20 to 25 years, may include an annual price escalator, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase; on a lease or PPA the SMART payment and tax benefits go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Eligibility, savings, incentives, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.