Maine solar calculator
Size a Maine home solar system from your electric bill — kW, panel count, roof area, true cost with no federal credit for 2026 installs, and payback.
Quick answer: At $0.296/kWh and 4.2 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about 6.97 kW — 17 × 410 W panels covering ~34 m². Gross cost is ~$20,318 with no federal credit for systems installed after 2025, offsetting $2,400 a year for a ~8.5 year payback.
Your details
Ballpark, not gospel. Sized at 78% real-world output with the Maine sun-hour average — confirm shading, roof angle and your utility’s Net Energy Billing terms with a local installer before buying. Maine’s Net Energy Billing gives residential rooftop solar a one-for-one kWh bill credit, usable for up to 12 months — and the 2025 LD 1777 law does not affect home systems.
The 30% credit ended — what changed
The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) gave homeowners a 30% credit on solar installed from 2022 through 2025. The July 2025 tax law ended it: no credit is available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. That is why every figure on this page is ~30% higher than pre-2026 guides show. If your system went live by the end of 2025, tick the box above to see the credit applied; leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit. Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
Typical Maine system sizes by monthly bill
| Monthly bill | System size | Panels (410 W) | Net cost (no 2026 federal credit) | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 3.69 kW | 9 | $10,756 | 9.0 years |
| $200 | 6.97 kW | 17 | $20,318 | 8.5 years |
| $300 | 10.66 kW | 26 | $31,074 | 8.6 years |
Computed at $0.296/kWh, 4.2 peak sun hours and $2.92/W installed, with no federal credit for 2026 installs. Run your exact bill above.
Solar in Maine: the details
Solar cost in Maine
Solar sits in the middle of the national price range in Maine. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.92 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.48–$3.35/W — within the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW Maine system grosses around $37,895, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
What moves the number: roof complexity, panel tier, and how competitive the quote market is in your metro. Get at least three quotes — spreads of $0.50/W between installers are common.
Export rules: getting paid for surplus power
Maine’s Net Energy Billing gives residential rooftop solar a one-for-one kWh bill credit, usable for up to 12 months. The 2025 LD 1777 law closed the program to new large off-site projects but does not affect home systems. And Maine has the highest power prices in this group (~29.6¢/kWh) — so each credited kWh is worth more than almost anywhere else.
Practical takeaway: the 1:1 credit on expensive power is the whole economics story.
Maine solar incentives
Maine exempts solar from property and sales tax and offers yearly incentive payments for home battery storage — a useful pairing with the 1:1 export credits. No statewide solar income tax credit.
Is solar worth it in Maine?
Verdict: strong. ~8.5-year payback with no federal credit, among the best in this group. Steep 29.6¢/kWh power prices make the 1:1 Net Energy Billing credits very valuable, and yearly battery incentive payments sweeten resilience. Modest sun (4.2 h/day), but the rate math dominates.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers, no fluff. Then run your own numbers above.
How many solar panels do I need in Maine?
It follows your bill. At the Maine average of $0.296/kWh and 4.2 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about a 6.97 kW system — roughly 17 × 410 W panels covering ~34 m² of roof.
What is the average cost of solar panels in Maine in 2026?
The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.92 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically $2.48–$3.35/W — within the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW system grosses around $37,895, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
Does Maine have net metering?
Maine’s Net Energy Billing gives residential rooftop solar a one-for-one kWh bill credit, usable for up to 12 months. The 2025 LD 1777 law closed the program to new large off-site projects but does not affect home systems.
Does Maine offer any solar tax credit or rebate?
Maine exempts solar from property and sales tax and offers yearly incentive payments for home battery storage. No statewide solar tax credit.
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit still available?
Not for homeowner purchases anymore. The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the July 2025 tax law (Public Law 119-21). Systems installed by the end of 2025 can still claim 30%, and leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit instead. (Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.)
Is solar worth it in Maine?
Strong: a ~8.5-year payback with no federal credit. Maine’s steep 29.6¢/kWh power prices make the 1:1 Net Energy Billing credits very valuable, and battery incentive payments sweeten resilience.
Figures last checked October 2026. Sources: EIA Electric Power Monthly (July 2026: 29.59¢/kWh), NREL PVWatts/NSRDB (~4.2 peak sun hours), DSIRE, Maine Public Utilities Commission; IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
More US solar calculators
Compare other states: Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts. And the national US solar calculator for country averages.
Comparing quotes? The solar cost calculator breaks down cost per watt and the solar ROI calculator maps your payback year by year. Going deeper: installation cost guide, how net metering works, how much you can save with solar and the solar batteries guide.