Solar, Battery and Roof Questions, Answered

For most homeowners who own their system, yes. Connecticut pays solar owners for 20 years through the RRES program, and residential solar is exempt from state property tax and sales tax. Your roof, shade and electric use decide the real answer, so I run the numbers on your actual bills before you decide.

Not for new systems. The Residential Renewable Energy Solutions program (RRES) replaced net metering in 2022. Eversource and United Illuminating customers pick one of two 20-year tariffs: Buy-All or Netting.

Not for homeowner-owned systems. The federal 25D residential credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Connecticut's state programs still run, and Public Act 26-127, signed in July 2026, keeps them going with a successor program from July 1, 2028.

Connecticut has no state income tax credit for solar. Instead, residential solar is exempt from property tax and sales tax, and RRES pays you for your solar production for 20 years. File the property tax exemption with your town assessor by November 1 after installation.

No. Ads for free solar describe a $0-down lease, PPA or loan. You still pay for the system through monthly payments or a power rate. Read the contract, check the escalator and compare it against owning before you sign.

Yes, through RRES. Under Buy-All, Eversource or UI buys every kWh your system makes at a fixed rate for 20 years. Systems enrolling in 2026 earn $0.3289 per kWh, plus $0.032 per kWh when you own the system. Under Netting, your production offsets what you use, with a 4.02 cent per kWh charge on all production.

If your roof will need replacing during the life of the panels, yes. Doing the roof first avoids paying to remove and reinstall the panels later. A Smart-E loan covers up to 25 percent non-energy work, like the new roof under your solar.

Yes. The panels and racking come off, the roof gets replaced, then everything goes back on. That adds cost and time, which is why I check your roof's age and condition before any solar design.

Most architectural asphalt shingle roofs last about 20 to 30 years. Ice dams, freeze and thaw cycles, poor ventilation and storm damage shorten that. I recommend a roof inspection before you add solar.

Not on their own. Grid-tied panels shut off during an outage for safety. A home battery stores your solar energy and keeps your essentials running when the grid goes down.

Since April 1, 2026, the Energy Storage Solutions program pays $30 per kWh to enroll, or $130 per kWh on grid edge circuits, plus $300 to $550 per kW each year for 10 years. You agree to let the utility call on the battery during peak events.

Owning wins for most Connecticut homes. Owned systems earn an extra $0.032 per kWh under RRES, carry no escalator and transfer cleanly when you sell. A lease suits homeowners who want no upfront cost and no maintenance responsibility.

Yes. The buyer applies to take over the lease, or you buy out the remaining contract before closing. Owned panels transfer with the house like any other upgrade, and any loan balance gets paid off or assumed.