2026 Incentive Guide

Connecticut Solar Incentives in 2026

Connecticut still pays homeowners to go solar in 2026, even after the federal residential tax credit ended. Here is every state program, what it pays and how to claim it.

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Key Facts

RRES Buy-All pays $0.3289 per kWh for 20 years for systems enrolling in 2026.
Customer-owned systems add $0.032 per kWh on either tariff.
Residential solar is exempt from Connecticut property tax and sales tax.
Smart-E loans run up to $50,000 at 6.99 to 7.99 percent APR.
The federal 25D credit ended for homeowner-owned systems installed after December 31, 2025.
Public Act 26-127, signed in July 2026, keeps Connecticut's solar programs running, with a successor program from July 1, 2028.

The biggest Connecticut solar incentive in 2026 is the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions program, which pays solar owners for 20 years under a Buy-All or Netting tariff. Property tax and sales tax exemptions, Smart-E loans and battery incentives stack on top.

1. Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES)

RRES replaced net metering in 2022. Eversource and United Illuminating customers choose one of two 20-year tariffs. You lock the rate in effect on the day your application is received.

2026 rate	Buy-All	Netting
How it works	The utility buys every kWh your system makes at a fixed rate	Your production offsets what you use, with a charge on production
Base rate	$0.3289 per kWh	4.02 cents per kWh charge on all production
Customer-owned adder	+$0.032 per kWh	+$0.032 per kWh
Low-income adder	+$0.055 per kWh	+$0.035 per kWh
Distressed municipality adder	+$0.0275 per kWh	+$0.0175 per kWh
Term	20 years	20 years

Systems top out at 25 kW. Rates come from PURA's 2026 program review as reported by CT DEEP and EnergySage. Confirm the rate on your application date, because PURA resets rates each year.

Buy-All or Netting?

Buy-All pays a steady rate for every kWh and suits most owned systems. Netting suits homes that use most of their solar power during the day. We model both on your real usage before you choose.

2. Property Tax Exemption

Connecticut law exempts residential solar on one to four unit homes from property tax, including leased systems, when expected production does not exceed the home's use. File a written application with your town assessor by November 1 after installation. Miss the deadline and you lose that year's exemption.

3. Sales Tax Exemption

Solar panels, racking, inverters, monitoring and batteries bought with a solar system are exempt from Connecticut sales tax, and so is installation labor. Your installer collects Form CERT-140.

4. Smart-E Loan From the CT Green Bank

Smart-E loans run up to $50,000 for owner-occupied one to four unit homes. APR is 6.99 percent for 5, 7 or 10 years, 7.49 percent for 12 years and 7.99 percent for 15 years. Up to 25 percent of the loan covers non-energy work, like the new roof under your solar.

5. Battery Incentives

The Energy Storage Solutions program pays $30 per kWh to enroll, or $130 per kWh on grid edge circuits, plus $300 per kW each year for 10 years, up to $550 for low-income and underserved customers, with active dispatch. Read the Energy Storage Solutions guide.

6. Federal Tax Credits in 2026

The federal 25D residential clean energy credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. The IRS counts the date installation is completed, so a 2025 deposit does not save it. Leased and PPA systems fall under a different federal credit claimed by the leasing company, with deadlines tied to when construction began and when the system is placed in service.

7. What Changes in 2028

Public Act 26-127, signed in July 2026, reauthorizes Connecticut's solar programs and directs PURA to design a successor program. Successor tariffs are set to start July 1, 2028. Under the legislative bill analysis, Buy-All then goes only to low-income customers and affordable multifamily housing, and Electrek reports that solar paired with battery storage faces fewer limits than solar alone. Systems enrolled now keep their 20-year rate.

How Premier Handles Your Incentives

We file the RRES application and coordinate inspections with your town and Eversource or UI.
We show you how to file the property tax exemption with your town assessor before November 1.
We collect Form CERT-140 for the sales tax exemption.
We work with the CT Green Bank on Smart-E loans.

This is an estimate, not a quote or a guarantee. Actual prices, savings, production and incentives vary with your home, energy use, utility rates, program rules and final system design. Incentive amounts and program rules are set by the state and utilities and change over time. Confirm current rates before you sign.

Homeowner Reviews

What Homeowners Say

Rated 4.9 on Google from 81 reviews, 4.9 on EnergySage from 31 reviews and 4.5 on SolarReviews from 39 reviews.

★★★★★

Their pricing was fair, and they even assisted me with the paperwork for the local Green Bank lending program, a service that some larger national companies were not providing at the time.

John HoyeGoogle review

★★★★★

Premier had the best price, were willing to work with the CT Green Bank (unlike many of the national syndicates) and, BONUS, they are really a local company.

Scott TompkinsGoogle review

★★★★★

Excellent communication! Premier Improvements was very easy to deal with, they were very knowledgeable about the industry and rebates especially local incentives.

Looney TeckGoogle review

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Connecticut still have solar incentives in 2026?

Yes. The RRES program pays solar owners for 20 years, residential solar is exempt from property and sales tax, Smart-E loans finance it, and batteries earn Energy Storage Solutions payments.

What is the Connecticut solar Buy-All rate in 2026?

$0.3289 per kWh for 20 years, plus a $0.032 per kWh adder for customer-owned systems. Low-income customers add $0.055 per kWh.

Is the 30 percent federal solar tax credit still available?

Not for systems you own. The federal 25D credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Leases and PPAs follow a separate federal credit claimed by the leasing company.

How do I get the Connecticut solar property tax exemption?

File a written application with your town assessor by November 1 after installation. Leased systems qualify too. No renewal is needed unless the system changes.

Will Connecticut solar incentives change soon?

Not for systems enrolling now. RRES runs under current rules until a successor program starts July 1, 2028, when Buy-All is set to go only to low-income customers. Systems enrolled now keep their 20-year rate.