Calculator / States / New York
Solar panel cost and payback in New York
Measured production, your actual utility's filed rates, and honest payback maths with no federal tax credit applied - because for a home bought today there is not one.
The Residential Clean Energy Credit was terminated for home purchases after 2025-12-31, so the $34,000 above is what a New York household actually pays - not a headline price with a rebate quietly subtracted. A quote that still shows the credit is overstating your return by about that amount, which on these numbers is roughly 6 years of savings.
Rates run from $0.1174 to $0.2321 per kWh depending on who serves you. Since your bill is the single biggest driver of solar payback, a statewide average would be badly wrong for many readers. Find your own answer with the calculator, which uses your specific utility.
What solar costs in New York at different bills
Worked at 1223 kWh per kW per year and $0.1748 per kWh, the midpoints across the 3 metros below, at $3.40 per watt installed.
| Monthly bill | System | Cost | Year-1 saving | Payback | 25-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | 6.7 kW | $22,909 | $1,238 | 15.6 yrs | +$18,282 |
| $200 | 10.0 kWroof limit; covers 89% | $34,000 | $1,837 | 15.6 yrs | +$27,133 |
| $300 | 10.0 kWroof limit; covers 59% | $34,000 | $1,837 | 15.6 yrs | +$27,133 |
Exported surplus is valued at zero throughout, so these are floors rather than best cases. Where fully covering the bill would need more panels than a roof holds, the row shows the largest system that actually fits and the share of your usage it covers - not the lifetime return on an array nobody can build. Your own bill and roof will move them - run your address.
Sunlight and rates by New York metro
Straight from NREL PVWatts and the utility rate database, by named utility. This is why one statewide figure does not work.
| Metro | Utility | Production | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Consolidated Edison Co of New York Inc | 1,285 kWh/kW | $0.2321 |
| Buffalo | Niagara Mohawk Power Corp | 1,198 kWh/kW | $0.1174 |
| Albany | Niagara Mohawk Power Corp | 1,223 kWh/kW | $0.1174 |
What New York pays you for surplus power
Net metering, with a monthly charge
Kilowatt-hour credits roll over as usual, but systems connected since 2022 pay a monthly Customer Benefit Contribution based on system size.
New York retains kWh crediting for residential solar, alongside the Value Stack framework that prices distributed generation by when and where it is delivered. Systems interconnected on or after 1 January 2022 pay a Customer Benefit Contribution, charged per kW of DC capacity per month and set by each utility, which slightly reduces the net benefit. Systems connected before that date are exempt.
Checked 2026-08-21 against NYSERDA, Customer Benefit Contribution. Export rules are being rewritten across the country, so verify before you sign. Current incentive detail for New York is maintained at DSIRE, which we link to rather than copy precisely because it changes.
Is solar worth it in New York?
Mostly yes, though not the whole bill. A roof-sized array here gets you 89% of the way, and the remainder keeps coming from the grid. Covering it entirely would take 11.2 kW of panels, which is more roof than most houses have. The 10.0 kW that does fit costs $34,000 and returns about $27,133 over 25 years, paying for itself in roughly 15.6 years. At that coverage there is little left to gain from a bigger array even if the roof allowed one.
Rates across New York differ by 98%, so which utility serves you changes this answer more than anything else on the page. Run your ZIP code through the calculator for numbers worked from your own utility rather than a New York midpoint. It asks for no email address and nobody will call you.
New York solar questions
What is the Customer Benefit Contribution?
It is a monthly charge applied to systems interconnected on or after 1 January 2022, calculated per kilowatt of DC capacity installed and set by each utility. It slightly reduces the net benefit of going solar and is easy to miss when comparing quotes. Systems connected before that date are exempt.
Why is the New York rate range so wide?
Because downstate and upstate are different markets. Con Edison territory in New York City is among the most expensive electricity in the country, while Buffalo pays roughly half as much. That single fact changes the payback more than anything else on this page, so a statewide New York figure is not usable - run your own ZIP code.
Does solar make sense upstate?
It is a much closer call than in the city. Upstate combines lower electricity prices with less sunlight, which works against payback from both directions. It can still work with a good quote, but the margin is thinner and the price you negotiate matters proportionally more.