Connecticut · SREC / renewable credit

Connecticut ZREC/LREC Program

Lets residential solar owners in Connecticut sell credits for the power their system generates -- see the market rate, eligibility, and payback impact below.

Contract price varies
stated benefit
Residential
eligible customers
8.9 yr
Connecticut baseline payback
4
other Connecticut programs

What it means

In Connecticut, a 6 kW system already pays back in about 8.9 years on ~$2,047/year of modeled savings, and the Connecticut ZREC/LREC Program stacks on top of that, on top of any federal credit.

Contract price…
stated benefit
8.9 yr
baseline payback (pre-incentive)
5
Connecticut programs that stack
full
net-metering policy

Payback and savings are modeled from public NREL/EIA data; the program benefit is summarized from DSIRE and may change.

Program description

Zero-emission and low-emission renewable energy certificates provide long-term revenue.

Program at a glance

Program type
SREC / renewable credit
Eligible customers
Residential
Stated benefit
Contract price varies
State electricity rate
28.5¢/kWh
Connecticut solar score
41/100
Visit the official program page

How Connecticut compares to the U.S. average

Why this incentive matters more (or less) here - Connecticut's solar fundamentals against the national average.

Irradiance
Connecticut: 4.1 kWh/m²/day
U.S. avg: 4.82 kWh/m²/day
Electricity rate
Connecticut: 28.5¢/kWh
U.S. avg: 15.98¢/kWh
Modeled payback
Connecticut: 8.9 yr
U.S. avg: 14.2 yr

Source: NREL irradiance and U.S. EIA rates; payback modeled by PlainSolarData. Bars are scaled to the larger of the two values per metric.

Solar's trajectory in Connecticut

The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in Connecticut reported to the EIA.

-100 MW0 MW100 MW200 MW300 MW400 MW 201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 323 MW
Connecticut now has about 323 MW of installed solar, the backdrop programs like this one are built on.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, installed solar nameplate capacity As of 2024

Connecticut's solar incentive stack

How this srec / renewable credit sits among Connecticut's 4 tracked programs, by type

programs

What this shows Of Connecticut's 4 tracked incentive types, 1 are SREC/renewable-credit programs -- an ongoing revenue stream from generation, distinct from the state's other stacked incentive types.

Source DSIRE incentives registry As of 2024

How this incentive fits Connecticut's solar picture

The Connecticut ZREC/LREC Program lets Connecticut solar owners sell renewable energy credits generated by their system, tracked as a solar incentive in DSIRE. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Contract price varies. DSIRE lists no scheduled sunset, though enabling legislation and appropriations can still be revised year to year.

That's the backdrop this incentive works against. Connecticut averages 4.1 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 28.5¢/kWh, producing an estimated 7,183 kWh/year and $2,047 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $18,300. That baseline already implies a 8.9-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $32,875 before this incentive - every dollar this srec / renewable credit delivers compresses that payback further.

A handful of other levers are worth checking alongside this one. Connecticut has 5 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like CT Solar Property Tax Exemption, CT Green Bank Smart-E Loan, CT Residential Solar Investment Program. The state's net-metering policy is classified as full, which governs how excess generation is credited and often decides whether a given program is worth claiming for a specific household.

Your next step

  • See Connecticut's full solar profile, score, irradiance, rates, payback, and every program you can claim. Connecticut solar data
  • Run the savings calculator with your real bill to see how this incentive changes your own payback. ROI calculator
  • Understand how SREC income works before you count on it. SRECs explained

Estimates here are modeled from public data and are not financial advice; confirm program terms and your own eligibility before relying on a dollar figure.

Tax exemption

CT Solar Property Tax Exemption

Full property tax exemption

 Loan program

CT Green Bank Smart-E Loan

Low-interest financing

 Rebate

CT Residential Solar Investment Program

Upfront incentive, varies by class

Frequently asked questions

What is the Connecticut ZREC/LREC Program?
The Connecticut ZREC/LREC Program is a srec / renewable credit available to residential solar customers in Connecticut. The stated benefit is Contract price varies.
How does the Connecticut ZREC/LREC Program work?
Zero-emission and low-emission renewable energy certificates provide long-term revenue.
Who is eligible for the Connecticut ZREC/LREC Program?
The program is available to residential customers in Connecticut. Check the official program page for current eligibility requirements and deadlines.
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in Connecticut?
Connecticut has an estimated 8.9-year payback for a 6 kW system before incentives, with about $2,047/year in modeled savings. A srec / renewable credit like this lowers upfront cost or raises annual return, shortening that payback. Run the calculator for a figure based on your own bill.
Are there other solar incentives in Connecticut?
Yes - Connecticut has 5 solar incentive programs tracked in DSIRE, including CT Solar Property Tax Exemption, CT Green Bank Smart-E Loan, CT Residential Solar Investment Program. State programs are designed to stack on top of any available federal solar tax credit rather than replace it.

Incentive data from the DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency); state solar economics from NREL and the U.S. EIA. See our methodology.

Compiled by PlainSolarData from public NREL, EIA & DSIRE data · Updated July 2026