NY-Sun Residential Solar Incentive

Amounts

How much you get

Incentives are per watt of system size and come off the contractor's price; the amount must be disclosed in your contract. The amount depends on which of these fits your install.

Eligibility

Do I qualify?

You need to meet all 5 of these.

• You get the incentive through a NY-Sun participating contractor, who applies and takes it off your price.

  What to doHire a NYSERDA-approved NY-Sun residential solar contractor. Get a quote from a contractor

• Residential systems up to 25 kW DC. For Affordable Solar, the system can't be bigger than the lower of 110% of projected annual use after required efficiency measures or 100% of current annual use.

• Affordable Solar only: the home must be the owner-occupied primary residence and household income under 80% of Area Median Income or 80% of State Median Income, whichever is higher, shown through NYSERDA's Income Eligibility Application. Homes owned by an LLC, corporation or trust don't qualify.

  What to doComplete NYSERDA's Income Eligibility Application yourself or with your contractor before the project.

• The project must be installed by the completion deadline on your income eligibility approval (Affordable Solar). Leases or PPAs may escalate payments no more than 3% a year.

• The standard (non-Affordable) residential incentive is currently limited to NYSEG, RG&E and National Grid customers in the Upstate region.

Equipment

What equipment counts

Applying

How to apply

Your contractor applies for you. Applications accepted through December 31, 2030, or until funds are fully committed, whichever is earlier.

1. 1
   Pick a NY-Sun participating contractor.
2. 2
   For the Affordable Solar incentive, complete NYSERDA's Income Eligibility Application.

   On your own or with your contractor.

3. 3
   The contractor applies to NY-Sun and takes the incentive off your price.

   The incentive amount must be disclosed in your contract.

4. 4
   After installation, claim the state solar tax credit and file for the property tax exemption.

Forms and instructionsUpstate Solar Incentive Block Dashboard | NYSERDA · Con Edison Dashboard | NYSERDA · Long Island Dashboard | NYSERDA · NY-Sun Program Manual, April 2026 (Version 22) · Contact NY-Sun | NYSERDA

Questions about applying866-NYSERDA (866-697-3732) or info@nyserda.ny.gov

Start on nyserda.ny.gov

Stacking

Use it with

Combine with the 25% New York State solar tax credit, the state sales tax exemption on residential solar, the RPTL 487 property tax exemption (outside NYC) and NYSERDA loans.

• All of New York

  Solar Energy System Equipment Credit

  Amount varies

  New York homeowners and renters who buy, lease or sign a 10-year-plus power purchase agreement for solar equipment at their principal residence can claim a state income tax credit of 25% of the equipment cost, up to $5,000, with unused credit carried forward five years.

  Checked Oct 26, 2026

• All of New York

  Sales Tax Exemption for Residential Solar Energy Systems Equipment

  Amount varies

  Buying and installing solar equipment for a New York home is exempt from the 4% state sales tax and the 3/8% MCTD tax; local sales tax is exempt only where the county or city has adopted the exemption.

  Checked Oct 26, 2026

• All of New York

  Real Property Tax Exemption for Solar, Wind, Energy Storage and Certain Other Energy Systems (RPTL 487)

  Amount varies

  New York homeowners who add solar panels, a wind system, battery storage or certain other energy systems can have the added assessed value exempted from property taxes for 15 years by filing Form RP-487 with the local assessor, unless their town, city, county, village or school district has opted out.

  Checked Oct 26, 2026

• All of New York

  On-Bill Recovery Loan

  Amount varies

  NYSERDA loans of $1,500 to $25,000 for solar panels, heat pumps and energy efficiency work on one- to four-family New York homes, repaid through your utility bill over 5, 10 or 15 years, with a balance that can pass to the next owner.

  Checked Oct 26, 2026

• All of New York

  Smart Energy Loan

  Amount varies

  NYSERDA unsecured loans of $1,500 to $25,000 for solar panels, heat pumps and energy efficiency work on one- to four-family New York homes, repaid monthly by check or automatic payment over 5, 10 or 15 years.

  Checked Oct 26, 2026

Your address

Next steps

Check that it covers your address. Then, if you want, ask for a contractor quote.

FAQ

Questions

Plain words

Words used on this page

AMI

Area median income: the middle household income where you live, set each year by HUD.

References

Sources

This page is built from these official pages, run by the program itself.

1. Paying for Solar | NYSERDAnyserda.ny.gov · Read Oct 26, 2026 · Re-checked weekly
2. Upstate Solar Incentive Block Dashboard | NYSERDAnyserda.ny.gov · Read Oct 26, 2026 · Re-checked weekly
3. Con Edison Dashboard | NYSERDAnyserda.ny.gov · Read Oct 26, 2026 · Re-checked weekly
4. Long Island Dashboard | NYSERDAnyserda.ny.gov · Read Oct 26, 2026 · Re-checked weekly
5. NY-Sun Program Manual, April 2026 (Version 22)nyserda.ny.gov · Read Oct 26, 2026 · Re-checked monthly
6. Contact NY-Sun | NYSERDAnyserda.ny.gov · Read Oct 26, 2026 · Re-checked monthly

When one of these pages changes, we re-check this page against it.

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