Is solar worth it in Connecticut?
A 7.0 kW rooftop system near Hartford produces about 8,767 kWh a year. Priced against the 14 residential tariffs currently on file in Connecticut, payback runs from 7 years on the best of them to 41 on the worst.
Why the tariff matters more than the panels
Two households in Connecticut with identical roofs and identical systems can see paybacks 7 and 41 years apart, purely because they are on different tariffs. Solar produces at midday; households consume in the evening. Only 57% of what these panels make is used as it is made — the rest is exported, and what an exported kWh earns is set by the tariff and by state net metering rules, not by the hardware.
That is why the figures here are computed hour by hour against each real tariff rather than by taking a bill and assuming solar removes a share of it. How this is modeled →
Payback by tariff in Connecticut
7.0 kW system at $3.00/W, household using 1000 kWh a month, no incentives. A range means the export credit is not filed with the tariff and the outcome depends on net metering rules — 14 of 14 tariffs here belong to a utility that reports residential net metering.
| Utility | Tariff | Structure | Annual saving | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Illuminating Co | Residential Service | Flat | $1,671–$2,936 | 7–13y |
| United Illuminating Co | Residential Service Time-of-Use | Time-of-use | $1,486–$2,735 | 8–14y |
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | Rate 1 - Residential Electric Service | Flat | $1,458–$2,561 | 8–14y |
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | Rate 7 - Residential Time-Of-Day Electric Service | Time-of-use | $1,402–$2,539 | 8–15y |
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | Rate 5 - Residential Electric Heating Service | Flat | $1,333–$2,343 | 9–16y |
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | Rate 18- Controlled Water Heating Electric Service | Flat | $1,117–$1,962 | 11–19y |
| United Illuminating Co | Residential Service | Flat | $988–$1,735 | 12–21y |
| United Illuminating Co | Residential Service Time-of-Use | Time-of-use | $812–$1,532 | 14–26y |
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | Rate 1 - Residential Electric Service | Flat | $812–$1,427 | 15–26y |
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | Rate 7 - Residential Time-Of-Day Electric Service | Time-of-use | $763–$1,398 | 15–28y |
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | Rate 5 - Residential Electric Heating Service | Flat | $688–$1,208 | 17–31y |
| Groton Dept of Utilities | Residential, GRT | Flat | $685–$1,204 | 17–31y |
| Groton Dept of Utilities | Residential | Flat | $681–$1,197 | 18–31y |
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | Rate 18- Controlled Water Heating Electric Service | Flat | $514–$904 | 23–41y |
Price it for your own usage and system size →
What would change this
Your roof. Production is modeled for Hartford on a south-facing array at 20° tilt. Shading, orientation and pitch all move it, and solar resource varies within Connecticut itself.
Your usage pattern. A household at home during the day self-consumes more and exports less, which shortens payback wherever export credit is poor.
Rising rates. These figures hold today's prices flat. Electricity prices have been rising, and every rise shortens payback — so treat these as a conservative bound.
State and local incentives. Not included here, and in some states they are worth more than the federal credit was. Check your state energy office before deciding.