Utilities · Solar in Massachusetts

National Grid (Massachusetts): how it credits the solar power you send to the grid

Retail-rate credits for exported power, plus payments through the state's SMART incentive program.

Checked November 12, 2026. Utilities change these rules; check the current tariff before you sign.

How it works

Exported power earns the full retail price, kWh for kWh.

With some of the highest electricity prices in the country, Massachusetts makes exported power very valuable when it's credited at retail.

SMART pays a fixed amount for each kWh produced for a set number of years, on top of bill savings.

Because exported power is credited at retail, batteries here are mainly for backup.

National Grid serves Worcester, much of central Massachusetts, the North Shore and the South Shore.

What it means for a typical Massachusetts home

With full credit, a typical 5 kW system in Massachusetts (about $12,850 at the 2026 median price) pays for itself in about 7 years and saves about $47,835 over 25 years after its price, paid in cash with no federal credit. It doesn't matter much whether you use the power as it's made or send it out, so a battery adds backup, not savings. Payback by system size in Massachusetts.

Also in Massachusetts: Eversource (Massachusetts) (full retail credit).

All 55 utilities · Solar in Massachusetts · Lease and PPA terms by company

Sources: SolarReviews: Net metering in 2026; U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), final 2025 data: Annual State Historical Spreadsheets (Form EIA-861, released October 7, 2026) and Electric Power Annual (October 21, 2026); EnergySage: median quoted price, first half of 2026.