Home›US›Connecticut Solar Calculator

Connecticut Solar Calculator

Enter your Eversource or United Illuminating bill — get CT solar savings with RSIP rebate, SREC income, 30% ITC, and retail net metering. CT's $0.28/kWh rates deliver the fastest payback in the Northeast.

Your Connecticut solar inputs
$
kW
Connecticut solar estimate
15 × 400W panels (6 kW system)
Recommended size for your bill: 7.9 kW
Monthly usage750 kWh/mo
Annual production (CT 4.0 PSH)7,008 kWh/yr
Annual savings (retail net metering at $0.28/kWh)$1,962/yr
SREC value (est. $50/MWh)$350/yr
Total annual benefit$2,313/yr
Gross system cost ($3.00/W)$18,000
Federal ITC (30%)-$5,400
CT RSIP rebate (~$0.463/W)-$2,778
Net cost after all incentives$9,822
Property tax exemption (est., 20yr)$6,840
Sales taxExempt in CT
Payback period4.2 yrs
25-year savings$57,816
Connecticut's $0.28/kWh electricity rate is the highest in the continental US — making solar payback exceptionally fast. The CT RSIP upfront rebate, 30% federal ITC, SRECs, and retail net metering stack for one of the strongest incentive packages in the Northeast.
Link copied to clipboard

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your bill and select your utility

Connecticut has two investor-owned utilities: Eversource Energy serves most of the state including Hartford, Fairfield County, and eastern Connecticut at around $0.28/kWh; United Illuminating (a subsidiary of Avangrid) serves New Haven, Bridgeport, and southwestern coastal communities at around $0.26/kWh. Both utilities participate in Connecticut's RSIP rebate program and offer retail-rate net metering as required by state law.

Why Connecticut has the fastest solar payback in the Northeast

Connecticut has the highest electricity rates in the continental United States at $0.28/kWh — nearly three times what Tennessee homeowners pay. This single factor makes solar exceptionally compelling: every kilowatt-hour of solar produced is worth $0.28 in savings, compared to $0.10 in Tennessee. Even with modest 4.0 PSH sunshine and no exceptional state tax credit, Connecticut solar typically pays back in 6-9 years — among the fastest in any state. High rates are frustrating for electricity bills but excellent for solar economics.

The CT RSIP rebate and SREC value

Connecticut's Residential Solar Investment Program (RSIP), administered by the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA/Green Bank), provides an upfront rebate of approximately $0.463 per watt for systems up to 10 kW. This is applied as a direct payment upon installation — reducing your out-of-pocket cost immediately, before the 30% ITC you claim at tax time. Connecticut also has a Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) market where each MWh of solar production generates one SREC worth approximately $50, providing ongoing annual income from your system.

The Formula

Monthly kWh = Monthly Bill ÷ Electricity Rate Annual Production = System kW × 1000 × 4.0 PSH × 365 × 0.80 efficiency ÷ 1000 Annual Savings = Annual Production × $0.28 retail rate (CT retail net metering) SREC Income = Annual Production (kWh) ÷ 1000 × $50/MWh Total Annual Benefit = Annual Savings + SREC Income Gross Cost = System kW × 1000 × $3.00/W + Battery ($12,000 if added) Federal ITC = Gross Cost × 30% CT RSIP Rebate = min(System kW, 10) × 1000 × $0.463/W Net Cost = Gross Cost − Federal ITC − RSIP Rebate Payback = Net Cost ÷ Total Annual Benefit

Connecticut uses 4.0 peak sun hours (PSH) as a statewide average — the coast around New Haven gets 4.2 PSH, Hartford averages 4.0, and Fairfield County about 4.1. At $3.00/W installed, Connecticut is at the national average despite being in the Northeast — competitive installer market keeps costs reasonable. The RSIP rebate (~$0.463/W) applies directly to the solar installation; the 30% ITC is claimed on federal taxes. Both stack with SREC income and retail net metering for the strongest Northeast incentive package.

Example

Sarah — Hartford Eversource customer

Sarah is in Hartford paying $210/month for electricity at $0.28/kWh through Eversource. She wants a 6 kW system to dramatically cut her bills.

Monthly bill$210 (Eversource, $0.28/kWh)
System6 kW, south-facing
LocationHartford, CT (4.0 PSH)

Result

Annual production~7,008 kWh/yr
Annual savings (net metering)~$1,962/yr
SREC income (est.)~$350/yr
Total annual benefit~$2,312/yr
Gross system cost ($3.00/W)~$18,000
Federal ITC (30%)-$5,400
CT RSIP rebate (~$0.463/W)-$2,778
Net cost after all incentives~$9,822
Payback period~4.3 years
25-year savings~$57,800

Sarah's 4.3-year payback is exceptional — driven entirely by Connecticut's $0.28/kWh electricity rate. After incentives, her net cost is under $10,000 for a system that generates over $57,000 in lifetime savings. This is why Connecticut, despite average sunshine, ranks among the best solar markets in the nation by financial performance. Every additional kWh of solar production is worth nearly triple what it is in low-rate states.

FAQ

Connecticut's Residential Solar Investment Program (RSIP) is administered by the Connecticut Green Bank (formerly CEFIA). The program offers an upfront rebate of approximately $0.463 per watt for residential solar systems up to 10 kW. For a 6 kW system, this is about $2,778 paid directly to your installer and passed to you as a reduction in system cost. The rebate is applied at installation — you don't wait until tax filing. To qualify: system must be installed by a RSIP-registered contractor; system must be a new, grid-connected solar PV installation; and the application must be approved before installation. Your solar installer typically handles the RSIP application. Note: RSIP funding is periodically replenished — confirm current availability with the CT Green Bank (ctgreenbank.com) before installation.
A Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) is a certificate representing one megawatt-hour (MWh = 1,000 kWh) of solar electricity produced. Connecticut utilities are required to purchase a certain percentage of electricity from solar sources (the Renewable Portfolio Standard), creating demand for SRECs. Your solar system automatically earns SRECs based on production, which you can sell through an aggregator or broker. Connecticut SRECs currently trade at approximately $50/MWh — lower than Massachusetts ($200+/MWh) but a meaningful supplement to electricity savings. A 6 kW system producing 7,000 kWh/year generates about 7 SRECs worth ~$350/year. SREC values fluctuate with market demand. Connecticut also has a Zero Emission Renewable Energy Credit (ZREC) program for larger installations.
Yes — Connecticut requires utilities to offer retail-rate net metering to residential solar customers. Eversource CT and United Illuminating must credit excess solar at your full retail electricity rate ($0.28/kWh for Eversource). Credits accumulate monthly and are settled annually. Connecticut's net metering law (Connecticut General Statutes Section 16-243h) covers systems up to 2 MW, which exceeds all residential applications. The combination of $0.28/kWh retail credits and retail net metering is what makes Connecticut solar economics so compelling — every kWh produced, whether consumed or exported, is worth the full retail rate.
Solar payback depends on two factors: (1) how much the system costs after incentives and (2) how much it saves per year. Connecticut's $0.28/kWh electricity rate — the highest in the continental US — means every kWh of solar is worth nearly 3x as much as in Tennessee ($0.10/kWh). While Connecticut gets only 4.0 PSH vs. Arizona's 6.5 PSH, the high rate more than compensates. A 6 kW system in Connecticut saves ~$1,960/yr; the same system in Tennessee saves only ~$610/yr. Combine high savings with the RSIP upfront rebate, 30% ITC, and SREC income, and Connecticut solar routinely pays back in 4-7 years — competitive with the best solar states in the nation.
Yes — Connecticut provides a 100% property tax exemption on solar energy systems (Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-81(57)). The full value of a solar installation is excluded from your home's assessed value for property tax purposes. Connecticut has some of the highest property tax rates in the US, averaging about 1.9% of assessed value — so this exemption is worth approximately $380/year on a $20,000 solar system, or about $7,600 over 20 years. The exemption is automatic upon installation and does not require a separate application to your town assessor, though informing them ensures correct assessment. Connecticut also exempts solar equipment from state sales tax, saving 6.35% on equipment costs (~$1,100-1,500 on a typical system).

Related Calculators

☀ New Mexico Solar Calculator
3rd best US sunshine, 10% state tax credit, fast payback via 6.0 PSH.
💰 Federal ITC Calculator
Calculate your 30% federal ITC stacked with the CT RSIP rebate.
🔋 Battery Bank Calculator
Size your battery — CT's $0.28/kWh rate makes battery storage highly valuable.
📈 Solar Savings Calculator
25-year savings with CT rate escalation and SREC income modeling.

Embed This Calculator

Free to embed on your website. Just copy this code:

<iframe src="https://solarsizecalculator.com/us/solar-calculator-connecticut"
  width="100%" height="700" frameborder="0"
  title="Connecticut Solar Calculator"></iframe>