Yes: for most owner-occupied Camden homes with a workable roof, solar is worth it in 2026. New Jersey electricity averages about 23.49 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), a 6 kW Camden roof makes about 8,100 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts), and PSE&G net metering plus the state’s SREC-II earnings put a typical payback near six to seven years. Renters and unsuitable roofs have a third door: community solar.
Camden is a different solar story from the big-roof suburbs to its east, and that is worth saying plainly at the top. This is a dense, largely renter city next to Philadelphia, so the first question here is not just “what will it cost” but “which door do I use.” If you own a home with a workable roof, you can buy a system and keep the bill credits and the state SREC-II earnings yourself. If you cannot pay up front, a lease or power purchase agreement can put panels on your roof for no money down. And if you rent, or your roof cannot host panels at all, New Jersey’s community solar program lets you subscribe to a local project and still cut your electric bill. This page runs the real Camden numbers, confirms who your utility is, and walks all three paths so you can pick the one that fits.
Camden solar, the essentials for 2026
- Your electric utility in the City of Camden is PSE&G. Camden proper sits in PSE&G’s territory, so your net metering and interconnection run through PSE&G, not Atlantic City Electric (NJ Board of Public Utilities Camden feasibility study, as of 2026). Atlantic City Electric serves other parts of Camden County, but not the city.
- A typical Camden roof makes real power. A 6 kW system in Camden produces about 8,100 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts modeled 8,101 kWh in ZIP 08103), roughly 1,350 kWh for every kilowatt of panels (NREL PVWatts, as of 2026).
- PSE&G power is expensive, which is what makes solar pay. Residential electricity in New Jersey averages about 23.49 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), and PSE&G’s all-in rate runs higher once delivery and riders are added (EIA).
- New Jersey pays you to produce. A registered residential system earns one SREC-II per 1,000 kWh through the state’s SuSI program, worth about $85 each for systems registered before July 27, 2026, stepping down to about $77 after that date, and locked for a fixed 15-year term (NJ Clean Energy Program; NJBPU order, as of 2026).
- No roof of your own? You can still subscribe. New Jersey’s permanent Community Solar Energy Program lets renters and homes that cannot host panels subscribe to a local project for bill credits, with at least 51% of each project’s capacity reserved for low- and moderate-income households (NJ Clean Energy Program community solar, as of 2026).
- The 30% federal homeowner credit (Section 25D) ended after December 31, 2025 (IRS, as of January 1, 2026), so a Camden homeowner who buys solar in 2026 cannot claim it, whatever older pages and ads still say.
Who serves Camden for electricity, and why it matters
Before anything else, confirm your utility, because it decides how your solar credits work. The City of Camden is served by Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) for electric distribution, confirmed in a New Jersey Board of Public Utilities study that names PSE&G as Camden’s electric distribution company (NJ Board of Public Utilities, as of 2026). That matters because your net-metering credits, your interconnection application, and your permission to operate all run through PSE&G once your system is built.
One local point that trips people up: Camden County is split between two utilities. Atlantic City Electric serves parts of Camden County, but not the City of Camden itself, so if you are in the city your utility is PSE&G, and if you are in an outlying township your utility could differ. New Jersey gives each utility an exclusive service territory, so there is no overlap at a single address. The quickest way to be certain is to read the utility name on your electric bill. For the full PSE&G rules that sit behind your solar credits, see our PSE&G New Jersey solar guide, and for the statewide picture our New Jersey solar guide in our Solar by State coverage.
See what solar programs are available in your Camden ZIP code
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Why solar pays in Camden: the rate and your roof’s output
The reason solar pays in Camden is the price of the PSE&G power it replaces. Residential electricity in New Jersey averages about 23.49 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), and once you add PSE&G’s delivery charges and riders, the all-in rate a Camden home actually pays is higher still (EIA, as of 2026). Every kilowatt-hour your roof makes offsets one of those expensive grid kilowatt-hours, so a Camden home spending $120 or more a month on electricity is worth running the numbers on.
Your production is what turns that high rate into savings. NREL’s PVWatts model puts a 6 kW Camden system at about 8,100 kWh a year in ZIP 08103, roughly 1,350 kWh for every kilowatt of panels you install (NREL PVWatts, as of 2026). South Jersey gets a slightly stronger solar resource than the northern part of the state, which helps the math here. Output still depends on your roof’s pitch, shading, and orientation, and Camden’s older rowhomes can carry chimneys, shared walls, and street-tree shade, so estimate your own address with the free PVWatts tool rather than a generic number. Your production drives both your bill savings and your SREC-II earnings, so it is worth getting right before you size a system.
What does solar actually pay back in Camden? (our estimate)
Here is the part most pages skip: the Camden-specific math, built from the rate and the real production above. The table below estimates the annual value and simple payback for three common system sizes on a Camden roof. We take the NREL PVWatts production for Camden (about 1,350 kWh per kW per year), credit the energy against New Jersey’s average residential rate of 23.49 cents per kWh, add the SREC-II earnings at $85 per 1,000 kWh, and divide EnergySage’s New Jersey average installed price of about $2.77 per watt by the annual value. These are estimates, not quotes, and your own roof, usage, and the live SREC-II value will move them.
| Camden system size | Est. annual production | Est. net-metering savings (at 23.49c/kWh) | Est. SREC-II earnings (at $85/MWh) | Combined annual value | Est. simple payback (with SREC-II) | Est. 15-year value (both streams) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 kW | ~8,100 kWh | ~$1,900 | ~$690 | ~$2,590 | ~6 to 7 years | ~$38,900 |
| 8 kW | ~10,800 kWh | ~$2,540 | ~$920 | ~$3,460 | ~6 to 7 years | ~$51,900 |
| 10 kW | ~13,500 kWh | ~$3,170 | ~$1,150 | ~$4,320 | ~6 to 7 years | ~$64,800 |
On bill savings alone, without counting the SREC-II earnings, payback runs about 9 years across all three sizes, since cost and value scale together. Payback lands in the same range for every size for that reason, but the 15-year value column shows the real tradeoff: a larger system that still fits your usage returns more total dollars. That 15-year figure multiplies the combined annual value by 15, the period both the net-metering credit and the SREC-II earnings run, and is a rough estimate that ignores panel degradation and rate inflation, which roughly offset; net-metering savings keep going after year 15, once the SREC-II term ends. Inputs and assumptions: production from NREL PVWatts for Camden ZIP 08103, scaled linearly from the modeled 6 kW result; rate from EIA (NJ residential, March 2026); SREC-II value at $85 per 1,000 kWh as the NJ Clean Energy Program sets it for registrations before July 27, 2026 (about $77 after, which trims the SREC-II column and adds a few months to payback); installed price about $2.77 per watt, EnergySage’s 2026 New Jersey cash average before financing. Because the 25D federal credit ended after December 31, 2025, there is no longer a 30% federal reduction in the cost column, so the gross price is what a 2026 cash buyer pays. Payback is simple, not discounted, and ignores rate inflation, which would shorten it. Confirm the live SREC-II value and get a written quote before relying on these numbers.
The takeaway: a Camden system tends to pay for itself in roughly six to seven years once the SREC-II earnings are counted, and around nine years on bill savings alone. The SREC-II earnings run for a fixed 15-year term, and net metering keeps crediting after that, so the savings outlast the payback. For the national picture on whether the numbers work, see whether solar panels are worth it in 2026, and for cost ranges by system size, how much solar panels cost.
How PSE&G net metering credits the power you export
Net metering is the engine of your bill savings, and New Jersey still runs a strong version of it. PSE&G credits the energy your system exports to the grid at the full retail rate and rolls those credits forward month to month across the annualized period (NJ Clean Energy Program net metering, as of 2026). During the year, that banking offsets the power you pull at night or on cloudy days at close to retail value, so a system sized to your annual usage can erase most of your supply charges. This is a statewide rule the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities sets under N.J.A.C. 14:8-4, not a PSE&G-only policy, so it applies the same way to every regulated utility in the state.
Note (the year-end true-up is not full retail): It is common to see net metering described as “full retail, one for one, forever.” Within the year that is close to true for the energy you offset. But at your annual true-up, any surplus credits left in the bank are cashed out at a lower avoided-cost, wholesale rate, not the full retail rate, and delivery and fixed charges are not fully erased by credits (NJ Clean Energy Program net metering, as of 2026). The practical lesson is to size to your usage, not above it, so you capture the high in-year value instead of over-producing into the lower true-up rate. For the mechanics in plain language, see how net metering credits your solar exports.
The SREC-II earnings: New Jersey pays you to produce
On top of net metering, New Jersey pays you a separate earning for the solar electricity you generate, and in Camden you keep it if you own the system. Through the Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) program run by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, a registered residential rooftop system in the Administratively Determined Incentive (ADI) track earns one SREC-II for every 1,000 kWh (one megawatt-hour) it produces, for a fixed 15-year term (NJ Clean Energy Program SuSI/ADI; DSIRE SuSI, as of 2026). On a typical 8 kW Camden roof making roughly 10,800 kWh a year, that is on the order of $900 a year in SREC-II earnings, separate from your bill savings.
Note (the SREC-II value is stepping down in 2026): The net-metered residential SREC-II is set at about $85 for systems that register before July 27, 2026, and drops to about $77 for registrations on or after that date, under a New Jersey Board of Public Utilities order that took effect in May 2026 (NJBPU ADI review order, as of 2026). Whichever rate applies when you register is locked for your full 15-year term, so confirm the current value before you sign. One thing that matters on a lease or PPA: the SREC-IIs are credited to the registered system, so if a company owns your panels, the company receives them, not you.
| Camden value stream | How it works | Who keeps it |
|---|---|---|
| PSE&G net metering | Exports credited at full retail and banked across the year; year-end surplus trued up at avoided cost | The customer of record on the account |
| SREC-II earnings (SuSI) | About $85 per 1,000 kWh produced (about $77 for registrations from July 27, 2026), fixed 15-year term | The registered system owner (you if you buy; the company on a lease or PPA) |
| Tax exemptions | No 6.625% state sales tax on equipment; no property tax on the added home value | The homeowner |
Three ways to go solar in Camden: own, lease, or subscribe
Camden’s high rental share is exactly why it helps to know there is more than one way in. You do not have to own a home with a perfect roof to cut your electric bill with solar here. The table below lays out the three realistic paths, and which one fits depends on whether you own your roof and whether you want to pay up front.
| Path | Up-front cost | Who keeps net metering + SREC-II | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own it (cash or loan) | Full cost (cash) or little down (loan) | You, the owner | You own a home with a workable roof and want the most lifetime savings |
| Lease or PPA | $0-up-front where eligible | The third-party owner | You own the roof but prefer no up-front cost and a fixed monthly bill |
| Community solar subscription | $0-up-front, no equipment on your roof | Not applicable (you get bill credits, not a system) | You rent, or your roof cannot host panels |
If you own your Camden home and your roof works, buying is usually the strongest deal, because you keep the net-metering credits and the SREC-II earnings yourself. A solar loan is a common way to own with little up front. A lease or PPA can mean no up-front cost, but be clear that this is not free solar; you may still see ads for “free solar panels” in Camden, and those are almost always lease or PPA offers, a long-term contract with monthly payments where the company that owns the panels keeps the incentives. One thing worth knowing before you lease: a leased system can complicate selling the home later, because the buyer has to qualify to take over the lease or the seller has to buy it out, which is a common reason solar homes are described as harder to sell. Owned systems transfer with the house and usually help the sale.
If you rent, or your roof cannot host panels, community solar is the door built for you. New Jersey’s Community Solar Energy Program became a permanent program in 2023, and it lets you subscribe to a share of a local solar project and receive credits on your PSE&G bill without putting anything on your roof, with at least 51% of each project’s capacity reserved for low- and moderate-income households (NJ Clean Energy Program community solar; PSE&G community solar, as of 2026). For a broader comparison of dense-city solar options, see how it works in Jersey City and Newark; for the big-roof suburban case, our Edison solar guide.
New Jersey’s solar tax breaks, and the Camden paperwork
Beyond the bill credits and the SREC-II earnings, New Jersey lowers your cost two more ways, and both apply to a Camden home you own.
- A 100% sales-tax exemption on qualifying solar equipment, with no cap. You claim it by giving the seller New Jersey exemption certificate Form ST-4 instead of paying the state’s 6.625% sales tax (NJ Division of Taxation, SU-6, as of 2026; statute N.J.S.A. 54:32B-8.33).
- A property-tax exemption on the added home value from a qualifying solar system, so your Camden assessment should not rise because of the panels. It is not automatic: the owner files Form CRES, which the installer, the Camden construction official, and the municipal tax assessor sign off on (NJ Division of Taxation, property-tax exemptions, as of 2026; statute N.J.S.A. 54:4-3.113a).
Because these are statewide programs that change over time, we keep the full detail on our New Jersey solar guide and our New Jersey net metering and SREC guide rather than repeating it on every city page.
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit going away in 2026?
It is not going away; for homeowners it already ended. 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 Camden homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit; IRS Public Law 119-21 FAQ, as of 2026). This is worth stressing because search results, some installer pages, and even Google’s own AI summary still price Camden systems “after the 30% federal tax credit,” which is no longer accurate for a 2026 install. What did not change is the part that carries solar in Camden: PSE&G net metering, the SREC-II earnings, the state tax exemptions, and New Jersey’s high electric rates. 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, if the project qualifies. The 25D homeowner credit, by contrast, ended after December 31, 2025.
Going solar on an older Camden rowhome: permits and roofs
Camden’s older housing stock is what makes its rooftop projects distinct. Many Camden homes are older rowhomes and twins with smaller, sometimes shared or shaded roofs, so the size of a workable array is often set by roof area and layout rather than by budget. A steep or complex roof can still host solar, but it may mean fewer, higher-efficiency panels, and a home in poor roof condition is usually better off replacing the roof first so the panels do not have to come back off in a few years.
Permitting runs through the city, under state code. A rooftop solar installation in Camden is built under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23), and your installer files construction permits, typically a building subcode permit and an electrical subcode permit, with the City of Camden’s construction office, followed by inspections before the system is energized (NJ Department of Community Affairs Division of Codes and Standards, as of 2026). New Jersey has not adopted an instant online solar-permitting tool, so expect a manual plan review rather than a same-day approval. A licensed contractor normally handles the permit paperwork, the PSE&G interconnection application, and the SREC-II registration as part of the job. If your property sits in a historic area or you are in a multi-unit building, confirm any extra review and roof-rights questions before you sign.
How to choose a solar installer in Camden
Search “camden nj solar” and most of the first page is national review sites, directories, and outage maps rather than the companies doing the work, so it pays to know how to screen a company directly. Camden sits in an active South Jersey market with both local New Jersey installers and national lease and PPA brands, which 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 New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor registration and a licensed electrician on the job.
- A clear workmanship and equipment warranty in writing.
- Real experience with PSE&G interconnection, City of Camden permitting, and SREC-II registration, so your net-metering setup and your earnings paperwork are handled correctly.
- A written production estimate and a transparent quote that models net metering plus the current SREC-II value, not an old figure, and that does not price in the 30% federal tax credit that ended after December 31, 2025. 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. To see who we are and how we research these pages, read how MySolarFY works and our data and methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Is solar worth it in Camden, NJ in 2026? For an owner-occupied Camden home with a workable roof, usually yes. Residential electricity in New Jersey averages about 23.49 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026), and PSE&G’s all-in rate runs higher, so every kilowatt-hour your roof makes offsets an expensive one. A 6 kW Camden system makes about 8,100 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts, ZIP 08103), and New Jersey pays you twice: PSE&G banks your exports through net metering, and the SREC-II program pays about $85 for every 1,000 kWh you produce for a fixed 15-year term. Our estimate puts payback near six to seven years with SREC-II earnings counted. Savings depend on your roof, usage, and how you pay, and they are not guaranteed.
Can I get solar in Camden if I rent or my roof is not suitable? Yes, through New Jersey’s Community Solar Energy Program, which became permanent in 2023. Instead of putting panels on your roof, you subscribe to a share of a local solar project and receive credits on your PSE&G electric bill, with no equipment to install and no up-front cost (NJ Clean Energy Program community solar, as of 2026). At least 51% of each project’s capacity is reserved for low- and moderate-income households, which fits a lot of Camden. Community solar does not give you net metering or SREC-II earnings, because you do not own a system; the benefit is a lower electric bill. It is the practical path for renters and for roofs that cannot host panels.
Who is my electric utility for solar in Camden? In the City of Camden, it is PSE&G. A New Jersey Board of Public Utilities study names PSE&G as Camden’s electric distribution company, so your net metering, your interconnection, and your permission to operate all run through PSE&G (NJ Board of Public Utilities, as of 2026). Atlantic City Electric serves other parts of Camden County, but not the city itself, and New Jersey utility territories do not overlap at a single address. The surest way to confirm yours is to read the utility name on your electric bill before you plan a system.
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit going away in 2026? For homeowners it already ended. 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 Camden homeowner who buys solar in 2026 with cash or a loan cannot claim it (IRS, as of 2026). You will still see pages, ads, and even AI summaries that price systems “after the 30% credit”; for a 2026 install that is wrong. 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. New Jersey’s net metering, SREC-II earnings, and tax exemptions were not affected.
How much do solar panels cost in Camden? As a 2026 New Jersey average, installed solar runs about $2.77 per watt before financing (EnergySage), so a 6 kW system is roughly $16,600 gross and a larger 10 kW system roughly $27,700, though your quote depends on your roof, equipment, and installer (NREL PVWatts for production; EIA for the rate, as of 2026). Because the 25D federal credit ended after December 31, 2025, that gross price is what a 2026 cash buyer actually pays; there is no longer a 30% federal reduction. What lowers the effective cost now is the New Jersey stack: net-metering bill credits, 15 years of SREC-II earnings, and the sales and property tax exemptions. Get more than one written quote before you decide.
Are solar panels ever free in Camden? No. Solar panels are not free, and offers advertised as “free solar” are almost always lease or power purchase agreements, a long-term contract, usually 20 to 25 years, where a company owns the panels and you pay a monthly amount or a per-kilowatt-hour price instead of an up-front cost. On those the company, not you, keeps the net-metering credits and the SREC-II earnings, and the total payments can exceed a cash purchase. That can still be a reasonable fit if you want no money down and a predictable bill, but read the contract term, any annual price escalator, and who keeps the incentives before you sign. If you want to own the savings, a cash purchase or solar loan is the path that keeps them.
Do I need a permit to install solar in Camden? Yes. A rooftop solar installation in Camden is built under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, so your installer pulls construction permits, typically a building subcode permit plus an electrical subcode permit, through the City of Camden’s construction office, and the work is inspected before it is energized (NJ Department of Community Affairs, as of 2026). New Jersey has not adopted instant online solar permitting, so expect a manual plan review rather than a same-day approval. A licensed contractor normally handles the permit paperwork, the PSE&G interconnection application, and the SREC-II registration as part of the job. Confirm the current City of Camden process, fees, and timeline before you sign.
Reviewed by the SolarFY Editor. Figures were verified against the linked New Jersey (NJ Board of Public Utilities, NJ Clean Energy Program, NJ Division of Taxation), PSE&G, EIA, NREL, and IRS sources as of July 2026; the SREC-II value is set by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and steps down for registrations from July 27, 2026, PSE&G rates and the net-metering true-up reset on a schedule, and the City of Camden sets its own permit fees, so confirm current terms with the Board of Public Utilities, PSE&G, the City of Camden, and your installer before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. To see who we are and how we research these pages, read how MySolarFY works and our data and methodology.
MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, tax advisor, 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 net-metering credits and SREC-II earnings go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. The federal residential solar credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, so homeowners who install in 2026 do not get it. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. SREC-II values are set by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and savings are not guaranteed. Eligibility, savings, incentives, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
