NY · New York Solar

Solar in New York.

The state production-based incentive, open for income-qualified, closed for standard-income.

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$5,000

NY State solar tax credit (25%)

$0.80/W

Upstate Affordable Solar (≤80% AMI)

Retail

Net metering value

A New York solar project funded through the NY-Sun residential incentive program

Why now · New York

Your rate nearly doubled in 15 years.

New York's residential electric rate climbed from 17¢/kWh in 2010 to 30¢/kWh by 2025 on Con Edison territory. A typical 8 kW rooftop solar system locks your rate at a fraction of today's grid price for the 30-year life of the array.

The hedge Solar locked at 8¢/kWh, flat 25 yrs

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Residential rate · New York

2010–2025 · cents per kWh

Con EdisonNational Grid NY Solar LCOE US national average

Source · EIA Form 861, residential class, 2010–2025. State averages and the US national line both pulled from the same dataset for an apples-to-apples comparison.

Major utilities coveredCon Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, RG&E, Orange & Rockland, Central Hudson, PSEG Long Island

A real example · Brooklyn, NY

What an 8 kW NY-Sun install actually pays back.

An 8 kW rooftop array on a Brooklyn home generates ~9,400 kWh/yr. NY-Sun pays a per-watt incentive at the current Megawatt Block rate, layered with the 25% NY State residential solar tax credit (capped at $5,000) and the NYC property tax abatement.

See the pieces of the stack

Project value · Brooklyn, NY

NY State 25% residential solar tax credit +$5,000

NYC property tax abatement (4-yr) +$3,500

25-yr net metering benefit at retail rates +$58,000

Affordable Solar (≤80% AMI Upstate / Con Ed, $0.80/W) +$6,400

Maximum benefit (with all stacks) up to $72,500

Cost of doing nothing · ~$52,000 over 15 years

Cumulative residential electric bills at 5%/yr (the historical NY aggregate, including commodity, delivery, and service charges). 8,400 kWh/yr typical NY home at 30¢/kWh today. Lease/PPA and 0% APR financing both available, no money down on day one.

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01 · Why It Works Here

New York stacks three layers on top of net metering.

State tax credit + net metering at retail + NYC abatement (or Affordable Solar for income-qualified). Four numbers explain why NY solar pencils.

30¢/kWh

Con Edison retail today

~2× the U.S. average

$0.80/W

Affordable Solar (≤80% AMI)

Direct-pay, Upstate & Con Ed territory

25%

NY State solar tax credit →

Capped at $5,000, carry-forward 5 yrs

25 yr

NEM at retail

Locked at interconnection

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02 · Rebates & Benefits

Every rebate line, spelled out.

Current 2026 rebate amounts for NY-Sun Residential Solar. Verify against the program operator at signing.

Affordable Solar (≤80% AMI, Upstate / Con Ed)$0.80/W
Affordable Solar (≤80% AMI, Long Island)$0.40/W
NY State Solar Tax Credit (separate)25% up to $5,000
NYC residential solar property-tax abatement~$3,500 over 4 yrs
Net metering at retail (NEM 2.0 successor tariff)25-yr lock

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04 · Install Timeline

From first call to permission to operate.

A typical New York residential solar install runs 11–15 weeks from site survey to grid interconnection. Permitting and inspection sit on most of that runway.

01.

Site survey & system design

Contractor evaluates roof orientation, shade, structural load, and produces a system design with an annual production estimate.

Week 1

02.

Permitting & utility interconnection app

Building permits filed with the town; interconnection application filed with the local utility. Review typically runs 6–8 weeks.

Weeks 2-7

03.

Equipment procurement

Panels, inverter, racking, and balance-of-system components ordered after permit approval. Lead times depend on configuration.

Weeks 6-9

04.

Installation

Most residential installs complete in 1–3 days on-site. Building permit inspection follows a few days later.

Weeks 9-11

05.

Permission to operate (PTO)

Final utility inspection and net-metering activation. PTO is when the system legally begins exporting and earning credits.

Weeks 11-15

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06 · Questions Homeowners Ask

The honest FAQ.

Actual questions that come up in the first installer conversation.

How does NY solar pencil today?

The 25% NY State Solar Tax Credit (up to $5,000), net metering at retail (locked 25 years at interconnection), and NYC's 4-year property-tax abatement do most of the lift. Income-qualified homeowners (≤80% AMI) also get the Affordable Solar direct-pay rebate at $0.80/W in Upstate and Con Ed territory.

Do I qualify for Affordable Solar?

Households at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) qualify. Your installer documents this at signing, typically through tax return, pay stubs, or auto-qualification via SNAP, HEAP, or other benefit enrollment.

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