Is solar worth it in Massachusetts?
A 7.0 kW rooftop system near Boston produces about 9,113 kWh a year. Priced against the 63 residential tariffs currently on file in Massachusetts, payback runs from 4 years on the best of them to 281 on the worst.
Why the tariff matters more than the panels
Two households in Massachusetts with identical roofs and identical systems can see paybacks 4 and 281 years apart, purely because they are on different tariffs. Solar produces at midday; households consume in the evening. Only 55% 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 Massachusetts
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 — 44 of 63 tariffs here belong to a utility that reports residential net metering.
| Utility | Tariff | Structure | Annual saving | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Concord, Massachusetts (Utility Company) | R-3 Farm Residential Service (Off Peak) ETS | Flat | $4,809 | 4y |
| Massachusetts Electric Co | R-1 Residential | Flat | $2,177–$3,950 | 5–10y |
| Massachusetts Electric Co | R-1 Residential Farm Discount | Flat | $2,033–$3,689 | 6–10y |
| Massachusetts Electric Co | R-2 Low Income Residential Farm Discount | Flat | $2,033–$3,689 | 6–10y |
| Massachusetts Electric Co | R-2 Low Income Residential | Flat | $1,718–$3,118 | 7–12y |
| NSTAR Electric Company | Cape Cod Residential Rate (R-1) | Flat | $1,701–$3,086 | 7–12y |
| NSTAR Electric Company | Cape Cod Residential Discount Rate (R-2) | Flat | $1,701–$3,086 | 7–12y |
| NSTAR Electric Company | Cape Cod Residential Space Heating R-3 | Flat | $1,670–$3,030 | 7–13y |
| NSTAR Electric Company | Cape Cod Residential Space Heating Low Income Rate R-4 | Flat | $1,670–$3,030 | 7–13y |
| Town of Groton, Massachusetts (Utility Company) | RESIDENTIAL FARM RATE SCHEDULE - F1 | Tiered | $2,986 | 7y |
| NSTAR Electric Company | Eastern Massachusetts Residential Rate (R-1) | Flat | $1,564–$2,837 | 7–13y |
| NSTAR Electric Company | Eastern Massachusetts Residential Space Heating R-3 | Flat | $1,485–$2,695 | 8–14y |
| NSTAR Electric Company | Eastern Massachusetts Residential Discount Rate (R-2) | Flat | $1,482–$2,689 | 8–14y |
| Massachusetts Electric Co | R-1 Residential | Flat | $1,440–$2,613 | 8–15y |
| NSTAR Electric Company | Western Massachusetts Residential Rate (R-1) | Flat | $1,438–$2,610 | 8–15y |
Price it for your own usage and system size →
What would change this
Your roof. Production is modeled for Boston on a south-facing array at 20° tilt. Shading, orientation and pitch all move it, and solar resource varies within Massachusetts 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.