2010 Massachusetts Solar Incentives


New state incentives and regulations have made Massachusetts one of the most affordable states for Solar Electric (Photovoltaic) systems.  Contact us at 617 500 3938 to determine which incentives apply for your situation.

Rebates for residential systems: Commonwealth Solar II
Rebates for commercial systems: Commonwealth Solar Stimulus
New production marketplace: Solar Renewable Energy Credits
Equal value from utility: Net Metering parity

Commonwealth Solar II rebates for residential systems.

Following up on the state's previous Commonwealth Solar program, Commonwealth Solar II offers direct rebates for homeowners and small businesses. The program establishes rebates based upon size of system (the first 5kW is eligible), components used, home value and household income.  These rebates reduce the cost of a PV system by 15 to 40 percent. In conjunction with the 30 percent federal tax credit, our customers can see a savings of over 50 percent of the cost of a system.  SunBug Solar processes all Commonwealth Solar rebates for our customers.  Current Commonwealth Solar II rebate levels:
  • Base incentive: $1 per watt (on a 5kW system, $5000 rebate).
  • Additional rebate for using Massachusetts-made components: $.10 per watt (on a 5kW system, additional $500 rebate).
  • Additional rebate for Moderate Home Value or Moderate Household Income: $1 per watt (on a 5kW system, additional $5000 rebate).
Contact SunBug at 617 500 3935 to see how these rebates apply to your specific situation.

Commonwealth Solar Stimulus rebates for commercial systems.

For commercial customers, the Commonwealth Solar Stimulus program offers rebates on systems up to 200 kilowatts.  Partially funded through federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus dollars, this program offers direct rebates only until funds are expended.  Because of this funding limitation, SunBug suggests interested customers contact us immediately to take full advantage.  Current Commonwealth Solar Stimulus rebate levels:
  • The first 5kW to 25kW is rebated at $1.50 per watt.
  • For the next 25kW to 100kW rebates are $1.00 per watt.
  • For the next 100kW to 200kW rebates are $.50 per watt.
Contact SunBug at 617 500 3932 to see how these rebates apply to your specific situation.

Solar Renewable Energy Credit market.

New to Massachusetts in 2010, the Department of Energy Resources has implemented a Solar Credit market. This program offers an on-going production incentive for homeowners and businesses with photovoltaic systems.  For every megawatt hour (mWh) of electricity produced, participants earn one SREC, or Solar Renewable Energy Certificate, which can then be sold to electric utilities needing to meet state renewable energy mandates.  In 2010, its first year, this market projects to add a minimum of 30 cents and a maximum of 60 cents to the value of each kilowatt hour of electricity produced, dramatically reducing payback periods and skyrocketing return on investment for solar system owners.  Contact SunBug to learn more about Massachusetts' new SREC market.

Net Metering parity.

As of December 2009, all photovoltaic system owners served by the major utilities receive full retail value when they generate more power than they need.  Under the Green Communities Act, utility companies must now compensate customers for excess electricity at the retail rate rather than the lower wholesale rate. Additionally, customers may allocate their credits to other customers, allowing those without facilities to take advantage of net metering benefits as well.  With this provision in place, Massachusetts now has one of the strongest "net metering" laws in the country.