Is Solar Worth It in Connecticut in 2026?
Connecticut is not a sunshine state, but it doesn't need to be — it has some of the most expensive electricity in the country. Homes here pay about 29.4¢ per kWh (2025 preliminary EIA data), up roughly 115 percent since 2005 and still climbing about 3.4 percent a year. When grid power costs that much, every kilowatt-hour your roof makes instead of buying is worth more than the same kilowatt-hour almost anywhere else. That's the honest starting point for Connecticut solar: middling sun, exceptional avoided cost.
2026 changed the math everywhere, and Connecticut layered its own complication on top. The 30 percent federal tax credit ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025 — no phase-out, no grandfathering for owned systems. And Connecticut no longer has net metering in the classic sense. It was replaced in 2022 by the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES) program, and the export-credit side of that program got noticeably more expensive for anyone enrolling new in 2026. Connecticut still keeps a full sales tax exemption and a property tax exemption, and its high rates remain a real tailwind. But the tariff decision you make at signup is locked for 20 years, so it deserves real numbers before a salesperson walks you through it. This page has those numbers.
Connecticut Electricity Prices Keep Climbing
Solar is a bet on future electricity prices: every kilowatt-hour your panels produce is one you don't buy from the utility at whatever the going rate turns out to be. Here's the recent history, from federal EIA data.
Full Connecticut electricity price data (1990–2025)
| Year | Connecticut (¢/kWh) | US avg (¢/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.0 | 7.8 |
| 1991 | 10.5 | 8.0 |
| 1992 | 11.1 | 8.2 |
| 1993 | 11.4 | 8.3 |
| 1994 | 11.5 | 8.4 |
| 1995 | 12.0 | 8.4 |
| 1996 | 12.1 | 8.4 |
| 1997 | 12.1 | 8.4 |
| 1998 | 12.0 | 8.3 |
| 1999 | 11.5 | 8.2 |
| 2000 | 10.9 | 8.2 |
| 2001 | 10.9 | 8.6 |
| 2002 | 11.0 | 8.4 |
| 2003 | 11.3 | 8.7 |
| 2004 | 11.6 | 9.0 |
| 2005 | 13.6 | 9.5 |
| 2006 | 16.9 | 10.4 |
| 2007 | 19.1 | 10.7 |
| 2008 | 19.5 | 11.3 |
| 2009 | 20.3 | 11.5 |
| 2010 | 19.3 | 11.5 |
| 2011 | 18.1 | 11.7 |
| 2012 | 17.3 | 11.9 |
| 2013 | 17.6 | 12.1 |
| 2014 | 19.8 | 12.5 |
| 2015 | 20.9 | 12.7 |
| 2016 | 20.0 | 12.6 |
| 2017 | 20.3 | 12.9 |
| 2018 | 21.2 | 12.9 |
| 2019 | 21.9 | 13.0 |
| 2020 | 22.7 | 13.2 |
| 2021 | 21.9 | 13.7 |
| 2022 | 24.6 | 15.0 |
| 2023 | 29.9 | 16.0 |
| 2024 | 28.8 | 16.5 |
| 2025 * | 29.4 | 17.3 |
Source: US EIA, average residential retail electricity price. Values in cents per kWh. * 2025 is preliminary.
The trend is steep and mostly one direction: up about 115 percent since 2005, with the pace over just the last decade running around 3.4 percent a year, faster than general inflation in most of those years. Connecticut sits at the tail end of a constrained New England grid and imports a large share of its power, so it tends to feel regional price shocks — gas pipeline constraints, capacity-market costs, extreme-weather demand — more sharply than most of the country. None of that guarantees the line keeps climbing at the same slope, but a state with some of the priciest power in America and limited local generation is not a state where electricity is likely to get cheap.
The Connecticut Sun, Month by Month
Panels respond to sun angle and day length, not outdoor temperature. At 41.5°N, Connecticut sits at a genuinely northern latitude — noticeably lower winter sun and shorter winter days than a Sun Belt state, part of why its per-kilowatt production trails a state like Florida or Arizona.
Connecticut monthly solar production data
| Month | kWh per installed kW |
|---|---|
| Jan | 88 |
| Feb | 94 |
| Mar | 115 |
| Apr | 122 |
| May | 120 |
| Jun | 113 |
| Jul | 122 |
| Aug | 122 |
| Sep | 114 |
| Oct | 96 |
| Nov | 86 |
| Dec | 71 |
| Year | 1261 |
Source: NREL PVWatts typical-year estimate (Hartford), per installed kW at latitude tilt.
The practical numbers: a well-sited system around Hartford produces roughly 1,261 kWh per installed kilowatt per year — mid-pack nationally, behind the Sun Belt but in line with most of the Northeast, with around 200 sunny days a year. Late spring through midsummer does most of the annual work; December and January are lean. That swing matters more here than in a classic net-metering state, because how your off-season shortfall gets credited now depends on which RRES tariff you picked at enrollment — more below.
What Solar Costs in Connecticut in 2026
Most residential installs run about $2.60 to $3.10 per watt in 2026, with market averages clustering closer to $2.77–$2.98/W. A typical 11 kW system costs roughly $28,600 to $34,100 before any exemptions, with no federal credit applying to a 2026 completion. Installer overhead and roof complexity move this number more than the sun does, so treat any single figure as a directional range.
| System Size | Typical 2026 Cost | Roughly Offsets | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | $13,000 to $15,500 | ~6,300 kWh/yr (~$154/mo at 29.4¢) | Smaller home, lower usage |
| 8 kW | $20,800 to $24,800 | ~10,100 kWh/yr (~$247/mo) | Average CT home |
| 12 kW | $31,200 to $37,200 | ~15,100 kWh/yr (~$370/mo) | Large home, heavy electric use |
Connecticut's sales-and-use tax exemption removes the 6.35 percent state sales tax from equipment and installation, so none of the figures above carry that on top. Get at least three quotes and compare price per watt directly — overhead varies more between Connecticut installers than the underlying equipment cost does.
Estimate Your Connecticut Payback
The calculator below is set to Connecticut's average electricity rate and typical Hartford-area sun production. Enter your own monthly bill to see an estimated system size, payback period, and 25-year savings. Connecticut rates have grown about 3.4 percent a year over the last decade — a reasonable starting inflation assumption, though given how volatile New England power prices have been, it's worth testing a slower and faster scenario too.
Connecticut Solar Incentives That Still Exist in 2026
Here's what's gone and what actually survived.
- Gone — the 30 percent federal credit: Repealed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for installations completed after December 31, 2025. No phase-out, no grandfathering for a homeowner-owned system. If a 2026 quote nets out 30 percent for a purchase, that number is wrong.
- Still here — sales tax exemption: Connecticut exempts solar electric equipment and installation from the state's 6.35 percent sales and use tax — full exemption, no dollar cap, no stated expiration.
- Still here — property tax exemption: Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §12-81(57), residential solar is exempt from local property tax assessment. Your home is worth more, but the tax bill doesn't reflect it. Not automatic — file Form M-44 (or your town's equivalent) with your assessor by November 1 of the assessment year; no annual re-filing after that.
- No state income tax credit or cash rebate: The old RSIP rebate ended when RRES launched in 2022. The RRES tariff itself, including enhanced rates for income-eligible households, is now the state's main lever.
- Partially — leases and PPAs: Third-party-owned systems can still capture a separate federal business credit (48E) through 2027, but it belongs to the leasing company — it may lower your lease rate, or just pad their margin. Compare against a cash or loan purchase before assuming it's the better deal.
Net Metering in Connecticut: The RRES Program
Connecticut retired traditional net metering. In its place, since January 2022, is the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES) program — a six-year program under Conn. Gen. Stat. §16-244z / Public Act 19-35, run by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) through Eversource or United Illuminating depending on your address. Systems up to 25 kW pick one of two tariffs at enrollment, locked for 20 years:
- Netting Tariff — solar serves your home first; excess exports earn bill credits at the full retail rate, rolling over indefinitely, cashed out only if service ends. The closest analog to old-style net metering.
- Buy-All Tariff — 100 percent of production sells to the utility at a fixed rate, paid as credit or quarterly cash, no self-consumption offset. The rate for 2026 enrollees is $0.3289/kWh, reset annually by PURA.
The catch for 2026: new Netting enrollees now also pay a non-bypassable Solar Energy Adjustment on all production, not just exports — jumped from $0.005/kWh to $0.0402/kWh, roughly 8x, or about $520 a year extra on an 11 kW system. Enrollees before the change are grandfathered at $0.005/kWh through 2039. Buy-All customers don't pay this at all, so comparing the two tariffs means weighing Buy-All's flat $0.3289/kWh against Netting's retail-rate credits minus the new adjustment.
Why This Choice Is the Real Angle in Connecticut
This is what makes Connecticut different from most net-metering states: you aren't just picking an installer, you're picking a compensation structure locked to your home for two decades. A household that self-consumes most of its solar and only exports a modest surplus may still come out ahead on Netting even after the new adjustment, since retail-rate credits are usually worth more than 32.89¢/kWh net of 4.02¢. A household exporting nearly everything — a smaller home with a big south-facing roof, or a lease/PPA deal — may do better on Buy-All's flat, adjustment-free rate. Get both scenarios in writing before you enroll, not last quarter's numbers.
How to Go Solar in Connecticut
Work through these steps in order before you commit.
- Confirm whether Eversource or United Illuminating serves your address — this sets your RRES application path.
- Pull your last 12 power bills and calculate your true average monthly cost at roughly 29.4¢/kWh.
- Check your roof's orientation and shading. South, east, or west exposure with minimal shade is what makes the economics work at Connecticut's mid-range production.
- Decide between the Netting Tariff (keep self-consumption value, absorb the export adjustment) and the Buy-All Tariff (sell everything at a fixed rate, common in lease/PPA deals) — the choice is exclusive and locked for 20 years.
- Ask every installer for a written, dated estimate of your interconnection approval date, since RRES rates are set by approval date, not signature date.
- File your property tax exemption (Form M-44 or your town's version) with your assessor by November 1.
- Get at least three quotes and confirm none assume a 30 percent federal credit that no longer applies to a system you own outright.
For how solar systems work, sizing, and buying versus leasing, read our main solar panels guide. If your roof needs attention before panels go up, see our roofing guide, and for whether your panel can support a new interconnection, check our electrical guide.
Sources
Figures on this page are 2026-current. Rates: US EIA, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price (2025 preliminary). Production: NREL PVWatts. RRES program: Connecticut PURA and Eversource. Sales tax: Conn. DRS Special Notice SN 2010(9). Property tax: Conn. Gen. Stat. §12-81(57). Rate reset: PURA Docket 25-08-02 (12/17/25). We review these figures every six months.