Solar Calc

Solar Panel Cost in Boston, MA (2026 Estimate)

ByIndependent solar research and calculators

Data last updated

Boston averages about 4.3 peak sun hours a day (below the national average, a little sunnier than the Massachusetts average of 4.2), and pairs with Massachusetts's approximate residential rate near 30ยข/kWh. In the model used here, an 8 kW system produces roughly 10,040 kWh a year and trims about $3,000 off annual electricity costs, paying back its net cost in about 6.2 years (versus 6.4 years for Massachusetts as a whole). Local shading, roof, and your utility's export terms move the real figure.

Estimated system cost and payback in Boston

Costs assume roughly $3.35/watt installed; the net column applies a 30% federal credit for comparison with quotes that include it. Savings use Boston's sun hours and Massachusetts's rate.

Modeled solar cost, production, savings and payback in Boston by system size
System size Gross cost Net after 30% credit Yearly production Yearly savings Payback
6 kW $20,100 $14,100 7,530 kWh $2,300 6.2 yrs
8 kW $26,800 $18,800 10,040 kWh $3,000 6.2 yrs
10 kW $33,500 $23,500 12,560 kWh $3,800 6.2 yrs

The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for systems paid for after December 31, 2025 under the 2025 federal budget law. Net-after-credit figures apply only if you still qualify (for example a 2025 expenditure, or a leased system where the installer passes a credit through). Confirm with a tax professional.

Net metering and utilities around Boston

Massachusetts still credits exported solar at close to the full retail rate for typical rooftop systems. A home array of 10 kW or less (25 kW on a three-phase service) is exempt from the statewide net metering caps, so a homeowner does not have to worry about a utility territory running out of room. Credits accrue in dollars rather than kilowatt-hours and roll forward month to month without expiring, and surplus credits can even be assigned to another account on the same utility.

Eversource and National Grid serve most of the state, with Unitil covering Fitchburg and a few nearby towns and roughly 40 municipal light plants (Braintree, Reading, Taunton and others) running their own systems. Municipal customers often pay far less per kilowatt-hour and are not covered by the state net metering statute, so their solar payback tends to be longer. On the investor-owned side, Massachusetts residential rates run above 30 cents per kilowatt-hour once supply and delivery are combined, among the highest in the country, which is the main reason solar payback periods here are short despite the modest sunshine.

For the full state picture, including incentives, property and sales tax treatment and the complete net metering notes, see the Massachusetts solar cost page.

Sources and methodology

Every figure on this page is computed from two published inputs (average peak sun hours and the state's average residential electricity rate) plus the documented assumptions on the methodology page. It is a transparent model, not a survey of installer quotes. Inputs last reviewed .