If you’ve been thinking about reducing your carbon footprint to help the planet, now’s a great time to harness the power of the sun and switch to renewable energy. Switching in Massachusetts comes with several perks, including solar property tax exemptions, state tax credits and lower electric bills. Despite inclement weather affecting homes in fall, winter and spring, high electricity rates and attractive solar power policies have made solar panels popular in the Bay State.
Massachusetts is among the top 10 states with the highest electricity rates, at 29.42 cents per kilowatt-hour on average in August 2024, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration. The state’s average residential electric bill was $165.55 per month in 2023. Going solar could help save money on your electricity bills, shield you from your utility’s price swings and reduce your home’s carbon emissions.
While still quite a large investment, solar installation is more affordable to the average American than it was a decade ago, in large part due to federal and local incentives that help homeowners make the switch to clean energy. The biggest federal incentive is a major tax credit that was included in the Inflation Reduction Act. On the local level, Massachusetts offers residents its own state tax credit and property tax exemptions on solar panel systems.
If you’re looking to take the first steps toward solar panel installation, here are a few of our picks for the best solar power companies that service Massachusetts.
Best national solar panel companies in Massachusetts
Palmetto Solar
Best overall
Solar panels are typically low maintenance equipment, but they’re also unfamiliar. If you want to reap the benefits of solar but will have a bit more peace of mind if someone else is making sure it’s working, Palmetto might be a good fit for you. Just remember to add the cost of Palmetto’s monitoring service in to your payback period calculations.
Freedom Forever
Best for cash customers
Include Freedom Forever in your search if you want the backing of a national company that installs a wide variety of the most popular solar equipment available. Freedom Forever also extends a couple of products that take some of the pain and risk out of going solar, like a production guarantee and an escrow option with cash purchases. Online reviews say customer satisfaction has been low of late, though the company says that’s changing.
Tesla Solar
Most affordable
Tesla’s solar branch seems to be the least loved of Elon Musk’s ventures. Even Tesla’s Solar Roof seems to get more love.
If price is the thing you won’t budge on, consider Tesla. By all accounts, Tesla installs quality panels and makes the closest thing there is to a household name in solar storage: the Powerwall.
Where you might miss out is customer service. Discussion online seems to suggest Tesla’s service is a bit of a gamble.
Momentum Solar
All in-house installers
Momentum installs in 11 states without using subcontractors. While using in-house installers doesn’t guarantee a better experience, it does suggest you’re likely to get a more uniform experience from Momentum. The fact that Momentum backs its installations with a 25-year workmanship warranty hints at a strong belief in its crews’ ability. If Momentum is part of your search, consider the warranties against leaks that other companies offer. Momentum’s is five years, which isn’t the best.
EnergyPal
Most versatile
EnergyPal is more than just a middleman. It’ll handle your solar installation from beginning to end while also allowing you to benefit from its proprietary engine and competitive bidding process. The company offers a range of hardware for panels, batteries and inverters, has plentiful financing options and offers responsive customer service support.
Local solar panel companies in Massachusetts
During your search for solar companies, you should also consider looking into local solar companies in your area. We pulled a few Massachusetts solar companies with some of the highest average Google review scores. It’s important to do some local solar company research on your own too or get referrals from people you know. Here are a few local solar companies in Massachusetts that might be worth taking a look at.
Boston Solar is a solar company based in Woburn, Massachusetts. Since 2011, the company has installed more than 30 megawatts of residential solar energy in the Bay State. Boston Solar handles the entire solar installation process in-house and offers a 10-year quality-of-work and 25-year product warranties. Solar financing is available through the company’s partnership with Sungage Financial.
Great Sky Solar is an employee-owned solar cooperative based in the greater Boston area. The company handles the entire customer lifecycle, including design, permitting, installation, interconnection and maintenance, and offers customers solar financing and leasing options. While the company provides a quality-of-work warranty, it doesn’t mention its length nor that of its performance and product warranties.
How to determine which solar company in Massachusetts is best for me
You’re going to want to find an installer that has experience working with the kind of solar project that you’re interested in. You’ll also want to make sure your installer has experience working on the type of roof that you have, and the type of system you want installed, like grid-tied or off-grid.
Ben Delman, a communications director with Solar United Neighbors, a clean energy nonprofit, recommends that homeowners look for solar installers that are certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. They should also have the proper licensing and bonding for their work. Reading through online reviews can help you get a better understanding of a solar company’s installation and service reputation. A few places to look for solar company reviews are Google, Yelp and Angie’s. Delman recommends looking for solar companies that have at least 20 to 30 reviews. Ask people you know if they have any solar company recommendations, too.
Aside from reviews and certifications, there are a few other things to look for in a solar installer. A good installer, Delman said, will be able to:
- Provide good word-of-mouth references
- Clearly explain all project deadlines
- Easily define technical terms in an easy-to-understand manner
- Show transparency around pricing and how system financing works
- Have knowledge of the local permit requirements and the process for system interconnection with the local power company
- Understand homeowners association restrictions and help you navigate that process
A reputable solar company should be able to answer any questions you may have, no matter how hard those questions might be. Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification on any project and pricing details. To get the best price possible, make sure to shop around for at least three quotes before choosing an installer.
Cost of solar panels in Massachusetts
There are a number of important variables that might contribute to the cost of solar panel system installation. The size of your roof and the system you need to install to adequately power all of your appliances will determine how many solar panels you can have installed.
If your roof is in bad shape, you may need to fix it prior to installing a solar panel system, which could also be an expensive affair. If you’re looking to install a solar battery alongside your solar panel system, that will also raise the cost of installation by a sizable amount.
Here’s a look at the average cash price for a 5-kilowatt system in Massachusetts before factoring in tax credits incentives, according to data from FindEnergy.com.
Average cost of solar panels in Massachusetts
| Typical system size (kW) | Price per watt | Total installed cost | Cost after 30% federal tax credit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 5 | $4.02 | $20,108 | $14,076 |
| National average | 5 | $3.56 | $17,823 | $12,476 |
The following infographic provides the average total price, cost per watt and system size for solar panel systems in the United States, according to data from FindEnergy.com. Prices shown do not account for changes due to tax credits or state solar incentives. If FindEnergy doesn’t have solar data for a particular state, it appears grayed out on the map.
Massachusetts solar panel incentives or rebates
A solar system isn’t cheap for New Englanders. Thankfully, you can lower the price with federal tax credits and state-based incentives.
The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (formerly named the Investment Tax Credit) lets you subtract 30% of the cost of a solar system from your federal tax returns after you buy a solar system. That means you will pay $6,032 less for the average solar system installed in Massachusetts after using the federal credit. Most batteries will also qualify for the federal Clean Energy Credit.
The Inflation Reduction Act is a landmark federal climate bill passed in August 2022. Thanks to the IRA, Americans can invest in residential solar energy and lower its cost with the federal tax credit until 2032. The credit will decrease to 26% in 2033 and 22% in 2034. It’s set to expire in 2035. To receive the Clean Energy Credit, you can complete form 5695 (PDF) and submit it to the IRS. The IRS instructions can help you complete the form. Following the IRS approval, you will get a 30% credit on your federal tax return for the year.
Massachusetts also offers several residential incentive programs to cut the cost of solar. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency provides a comprehensive list of all incentives in the Bay State. Here are the most significant ones worth noting.
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| State tax credit | Massachusetts provides a 15% solar tax credit with a maximum credit of $1,000 for purchased solar systems. You can claim the tax credit on filing your income tax for the year. You can carry it over for three successive years if you have excess credit. |
| Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target | The SMART program pays customers of Eversource, National Grid and Unitil a fixed rate per kilowatt-hour for the electricity produced by residential solar panels. The SMART program allows projects below 25 kW solar capacity to obtain the highest base compensation rates between 0.21 cents and 0.31 cents per kWh for 10 years. The program expires in a decreasing block process. The rates depend on the three participating utilities – Eversource, National Grid and Unitil. |
| State tax exemptions | Massachusetts offers property tax and 6.25% sales exemptions for residential solar systems. You won’t pay taxes on the added home value from your solar panel purchase and installation, and you can claim these exemptions on your income tax return. |
How solar-friendly is your state?
