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New York Solar Calculator

Enter your utility and monthly bill — get system size, NY state tax credit, NYSERDA rebate, VDER value, and 25-year savings.

Your New York solar inputs
$
kW
New York solar estimate
20 × 400W panels (8 kW system)
Recommended size for your bill: 10.0 kW
Electricity rate$0.21/kWh
Peak sun hours (NY avg)4.00 PSH
Annual production9,344 kWh/yr
Annual savings (VDER)$1,913/yr
Gross system cost$24,000
Federal ITC (30%)-$7,200
NY state tax credit (25%, max $5K)-$5,000
NYSERDA rebate ($0.20/W)-$1,600
Net cost after incentives$10,200
Property tax exemption (15 yr)$6,480
Payback period5.3 yrs
25-year savings$47,830
NY uses VDER (Value of Distributed Energy Resources) — exported solar is credited at a value stack typically 90-100% of retail, better than many states' net metering. ConEd customers may receive slightly lower VDER credits than upstate utilities.
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How to Use This Calculator

Enter your monthly bill and utility

Start with your average monthly electric bill and select your utility company. ConEd serves New York City and Westchester; NYSEG covers Upstate NY; National Grid serves Long Island and parts of Upstate; PSEG Long Island serves Nassau and Suffolk counties. Each utility has a different rate — ConEd's NYC rate averages $0.22/kWh, among the highest in the US, which makes solar particularly attractive in New York City.

Select your county and system size

New York averages 4.0 peak sun hours annually — less than the Sun Belt but still enough for excellent solar economics given the high electricity rates. Long Island and the Hudson Valley get slightly more sunshine; Buffalo and Western NY get slightly less due to persistent lake-effect cloud cover from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Enter your desired system size or use the recommended size shown after calculation.

Review your incentives and savings

New York has among the best state solar incentives in the US: a 25% state tax credit (up to $5,000), NYSERDA rebates of $0.20/W through the NY-Sun program, a 15-year property tax exemption, and the federal 30% ITC. NY also uses VDER (Value of Distributed Energy Resources) instead of simple net metering, which credits exported solar at a value stack that typically equals 90-100% of retail rates.

The Formula

Monthly kWh = Monthly Bill ÷ Electricity Rate Annual Production = System kW × 1000 × Peak Sun Hours × 365 × 0.80 ÷ 1000 Annual Savings = (Self-consumed kWh × Rate) + (Exported kWh × VDER Rate) Gross Cost = System kW × 1000 × $3.00/W + Battery Cost Federal ITC = Gross Cost × 30% NY State Credit = min(Gross Cost × 25%, $5,000) NYSERDA Rebate = System kW × 1000 × $0.20/W Net Cost = Gross Cost − ITC − NY State Credit − NYSERDA Payback = Net Cost ÷ Annual Savings

NY-Sun NYSERDA rebates are funded incrementally — the $0.20/W rate applies to current program tranches. Rebate availability and amounts may change as the program fills. Apply through a registered NY-Sun installer to lock in your rebate.

Example

Sarah — Long Island homeowner, PSEG LI

Sarah owns a home in Nassau County with a $200/month electric bill from PSEG Long Island ($0.21/kWh). She wants an 8 kW solar system.

Monthly bill$200/mo ($0.21/kWh)
System size8 kW (20 × 400W panels)
LocationLong Island (4.0 PSH)
CountyNassau County

Result

Annual production~9,344 kWh/yr
Annual savings~$1,960/yr
Gross system cost$24,000
Federal ITC (30%)-$7,200
NY state credit (25%, max $5K)-$5,000
NYSERDA rebate ($0.20/W)-$1,600
Net cost$10,200
Payback~5.2 years
25-year savings~$49,000

NY's stacked incentives reduce a $24,000 system to just $10,200 out of pocket — a 57% reduction. Combined with some of the highest electricity rates in the US, Sarah's payback is excellent at ~5 years, followed by 20 years of largely free electricity on Long Island.

New York Solar Incentives Explained

NY-Sun NYSERDA Rebate ($0.20/W)

New York's NY-Sun program administered by NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) offers upfront rebates of $0.20/W for residential solar. A 10 kW system gets a $2,000 rebate directly reducing installer cost. Rebates are funded in tranches — as each tranche fills, rates may decrease. Work with a NY-Sun registered installer to confirm current availability.

NY State Tax Credit (25%, up to $5,000)

New York State offers a 25% tax credit on solar system costs (after the NYSERDA rebate is subtracted from the base), capped at $5,000 per residence. This credit reduces your NY state income tax bill directly. Unused credit rolls over for up to 5 years. Combined with the 30% federal ITC, NY residents can receive up to 55% of system cost back in tax credits.

VDER — Value of Distributed Energy Resources

NY replaced standard net metering with VDER, which credits exported solar at a "value stack" including energy value, capacity value, environmental value, and demand reduction. In most NY utility territories, VDER credits are roughly equivalent to or slightly above retail rates, making NY one of the best states for solar export compensation. PSEG Long Island customers use a transitional VDER rate; ConEd NYC customers have specific VDER tariffs.

15-Year Property Tax Exemption

New York exempts the added assessed value from a solar installation from property taxes for 15 years. For a $24,000 system in a county with 1.8% property tax rate, this exemption saves approximately $6,480 over 15 years — effectively an additional 27% savings beyond the direct incentives.

FAQ

Absolutely — New York's economics are among the best in the US despite less sunshine than the Sun Belt. The combination of high electricity rates ($0.18-0.22/kWh), generous state incentives (25% tax credit + NYSERDA rebates), and VDER compensation for exports means NY solar systems often achieve 5-8 year paybacks. The total incentive stack (federal ITC + state credit + NYSERDA) can cover 55-65% of system costs.
Rooftop solar in NYC is common for co-op and condo buildings, but individual apartment owners typically need board approval. NYC also has community solar programs that let you subscribe to a portion of a solar farm and receive credits on your ConEd bill — no rooftop access needed. Community solar subscriptions typically save 10-15% on your electricity bill with zero upfront cost.
VDER (Value of Distributed Energy Resources) is NY's replacement for traditional net metering. Instead of a 1-for-1 credit at retail rate, VDER calculates a "value stack" based on: energy value (wholesale market price), capacity value (reducing peak demand), environmental value (SREC equivalent), and demand reduction value. In practice, most NY residential VDER rates come out to 90-105% of retail — often better than the wholesale export rates many other states use.
File NY Form IT-255 (Claim for Solar Energy System Equipment Credit) with your NY state income tax return in the year the system is installed. The credit is 25% of qualifying expenditures (after NYSERDA rebates) up to $5,000. If the credit exceeds your NY tax liability, the unused amount carries forward for up to 5 additional tax years. Keep all receipts, contracts, and the NY-Sun program documentation from your installer.
Snow temporarily reduces output but clears quickly on angled panels — usually within 1-2 days after snowfall. NY winter months (Dec-Feb) produce roughly 40-50% of the summer monthly output, but winter days are shorter and the sun angle is lower even without snow. Annually, snow accounts for only 2-5% production loss for most NY locations. Upstate NY (especially Buffalo/Rochester) sees more snow but still achieves positive solar economics due to summer production compensating for winter losses.

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