What Solar Costs in Massachusetts Right Now

If you take a snapshot of the Massachusetts solar market this fall, a typical residential system lands around $31,910.

That figure comes from EnergySage’s September data ↗, which puts the average system size at 10.98 kilowatts and the price at $2.91 per watt. Actual costs vary with the house, equipment and installer, but $32,000 gives us a useful starting point.

Massachusetts has state incentives that can reduce the cost. The residential renewable energy tax credit ↗ covers 15% of eligible net costs, capped at $1,000. The state’s SMART 3.0 program ↗ also provides production-based incentives for qualifying systems, with 2026 rates based on system size and program category.

Once you know the price, another question matters: who owns the equipment?

Buying solar in Massachusetts

A homeowner purchasing a system can pay cash or finance it. With a loan, interest rates and repayment terms become part of the total cost.

The cash price is useful even when financing. It gives you a clean number to compare with the total amount you’ll pay through the loan.

Massachusetts homeowners looking for current state rules, oversight agencies and consumer information can find them in SolarComplaint’s Massachusetts solar guide. For a closer look at solar lending and sales, see our solar financing research.

Sunrun takes a different route

Sunrun offers third-party-owned solar in Massachusetts. Its Massachusetts marketing ↗ promotes its subscription lease with as little as $0 down, alongside an option to purchase panels outright. Sunrun also explains power purchase agreements, or PPAs ↗, as arrangements where the provider owns the system and the homeowner buys the electricity it produces.

For a PPA, the starting electricity rate, agreement length and any annual rate increase shape the long-term cost. For a lease, the monthly payment, agreement term and transfer provisions matter.

SolarComplaint’s Sunrun research hub gathers court filings, government actions, corporate disclosures and other public records involving the company. Our Sunrun contract research looks more closely at long-term leases, PPAs, escalators and transfers.

A $32,000 decision has many forms

Consider how the current Massachusetts average can play out.

One homeowner pays cash for the system. Another finances it. A third signs a PPA and buys the electricity the panels produce. A fourth leases the equipment.

They can all end up with solar panels on a Massachusetts roof. The contracts underneath them look very different.

For a purchase, the main numbers include the installed cost, equipment, available state incentives and projected production. Financing adds the interest rate and total loan payments.

For a PPA, the key terms include the starting kilowatt-hour rate, annual price increases and contract length. For a lease, the payment schedule, lease term and home-transfer provisions matter.

Massachusetts homeowners have several ways to pay for residential solar. With an average purchased system running around $32,000 this fall, the agreement can matter as much as the equipment on the roof.

Sources and further research

EnergySage. Massachusetts solar panel cost, updated September 11, 2026 ↗ — average system price, size and price per watt.

Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Massachusetts Residential Property Tax Credits ↗ — residential renewable energy credit.

Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. SMART 3.0 Program Details ↗ — 2026 incentive rates and program details.

Sunrun. Massachusetts solar plans ↗ and PPA explainer ↗.

Massachusetts solar complaints and consumer resources →
Sunrun lawsuits, investigations and consumer research →
Federal solar consumer resources →