Vermont · Tax exemption
VT Solar Property Tax Exemption
Removes a tax burden residential solar owners in Vermont would otherwise carry -- see what it covers, eligibility, and payback impact below.
- Full property tax ex…
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 11.5 yr
- Vermont baseline payback
- 3
- other Vermont programs
What it means
In Vermont, a 6 kW system already pays back in about 11.5 years on ~$1,616/year of modeled savings, and the VT Solar Property Tax Exemption stacks on top of that, on top of any federal credit.
- Full property …
- stated benefit
- 11.5 yr
- baseline payback (pre-incentive)
- 4
- Vermont 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
Vermont solar energy systems are exempt from municipal and state property taxes.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Tax exemption
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Full property tax exemption
- State electricity rate
- 22.5¢/kWh
- Vermont solar score
- 31/100
How Vermont compares to the U.S. average
Why this incentive matters more (or less) here - Vermont'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 Vermont
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in Vermont reported to the EIA.
Vermont's solar incentive stack
How this tax exemption sits among Vermont'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 Vermont tracks 3 incentive types; 1 are tax exemptions like this one, removing a cost solar owners would otherwise carry, on top of the state's other program types.
How this incentive fits Vermont's solar picture
The VT Solar Property Tax Exemption removes a tax burden solar owners would otherwise carry, one of Vermont's DSIRE-tracked solar incentive programs. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Full property tax exemption. DSIRE lists no scheduled sunset, though enabling legislation and appropriations can still be revised year to year.
That baseline is slower than most states, which raises the stakes for every incentive on the table. Vermont averages 4.1 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 22.5¢/kWh, producing an estimated 7,183 kWh/year and $1,616 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $18,600. That baseline already implies a 11.5-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $21,800 before this incentive - every dollar this tax exemption delivers compresses that payback further.
A handful of other levers are worth checking alongside this one. Vermont has 4 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like VT Net Metering, Vermont Standard Offer Program (SPEED). 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 Vermont's full solar profile, score, irradiance, rates, payback, and every program you can claim. Vermont 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 Vermont incentives
Frequently asked questions
What is the VT Solar Property Tax Exemption?
How does the VT Solar Property Tax Exemption work?
Who is eligible for the VT Solar Property Tax Exemption?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in Vermont?
Are there other solar incentives in Vermont?
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.