Rhode Island · Performance incentive
RI Renewable Energy Growth (REG) Program
Pays residential solar owners in Rhode Island based on actual output -- see the rate, eligibility, and how it changes payback below.
- $0.16-$0.18/kWh for …
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 9.7 yr
- Rhode Island baseline payback
- 3
- other Rhode Island programs
What it means
In Rhode Island, a 6 kW system already pays back in about 9.7 years on ~$1,913/year of modeled savings, and the RI Renewable Energy Growth (REG) Program stacks on top of that, on top of any federal credit.
- $0.16-$0.18/kW…
- stated benefit
- 9.7 yr
- baseline payback (pre-incentive)
- 4
- Rhode Island 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
National Grid customers earn long-term production payments through the REG program.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Performance incentive
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- $0.16-$0.18/kWh for 15 years
- State electricity rate
- 26¢/kWh
- Rhode Island solar score
- 37/100
How Rhode Island compares to the U.S. average
Why this incentive matters more (or less) here - Rhode Island's solar fundamentals against the national average.
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 Rhode Island
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in Rhode Island reported to the EIA.
Rhode Island's solar incentive stack
How this performance incentive sits among Rhode Island's 3 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
1 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
- Performance
Performance
1 programs
What this shows Rhode Island tracks 3 incentive types, 1 of them performance-based like this one -- paid on actual output rather than a one-time credit, stacking with the state's other program types.
How this incentive fits Rhode Island's solar picture
The RI Renewable Energy Growth (REG) Program pays based on actual measured generation rather than a one-time credit, one of Rhode Island's DSIRE-tracked solar incentive programs. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of $0.16-$0.18/kWh for 15 years. 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. Rhode Island averages 4.2 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 26¢/kWh, producing an estimated 7,358 kWh/year and $1,913 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $18,600. That baseline already implies a 9.7-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $29,225 before this incentive - every dollar this performance incentive delivers compresses that payback further.
A handful of other levers are worth checking alongside this one. Rhode Island has 4 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like RI Solar Property Tax Exemption, RI Net Metering. 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 Rhode Island's full solar profile, score, irradiance, rates, payback, and every program you can claim. Rhode Island solar data
- Run the savings calculator with your real bill to see how this incentive changes your own payback. ROI calculator
- Read how state and federal solar credits work together. Tax-credit guide
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.
Other Rhode Island incentives
Frequently asked questions
What is the RI Renewable Energy Growth (REG) Program?
How does the RI Renewable Energy Growth (REG) Program work?
Who is eligible for the RI Renewable Energy Growth (REG) Program?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in Rhode Island?
Are there other solar incentives in Rhode Island?
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.