State solar profile · #9 of 51
Solar in Connecticut: fast payback · high rates
Connecticut clears a modeled 8.9-yr break-even (#3 of 51) at 28.5¢/kWh and 4.1 kWh/m²/day, with 4 DSIRE programs in the stack.
- 4.1
- kWh/m²/day irradiance
- 28.5¢
- avg electricity rate
- 8.9 yr
- payback (#3)
- 4
- incentive programs
Form 860 capacity strip
Nameplate CT · Connecticut score #9/51
Connecticut | 41/100 | 8.9 yr payback | 323 MW
- RATE 41/100
- PAY #9/51
- CAP 4.1 kWh
- PROG 28.5c/kWh
- NEM 8.9 yr
- PHOTO 323 MW
- BOOK 4 programs
- VS-AVG near Massachusetts
Stamps derive from this state's NREL irradiance, EIA Form 860 / Electric Power Monthly nameplate, and DSIRE incentive row (score, rank, sun, rate, payback, capacity, programs, peer), not a quote or site assessment. Modeled figures use a typical 6 kW system; your roof, shading, and utility tariff decide the real return. See our disclaimer. Verify with EIA Form 860 → · Read with methodology → · Net-metering guide → · Personalized estimate → · All state rows → · States ranked → · Payback vs U.S. avg (14.2 yr): 5.3 yr faster
Modeled 6 kW payback · Connecticut and nearest peers
Shorter bars = faster simple payback on the NREL/EIA model
- CT
Connecticut
9 years
- MA
Massachusetts
9 years
- ME
Maine
9 years
- RI
Rhode Island
10 years
- NH
New Hampshire
10 years
- AZ
Arizona
10 years
What this shows Connecticut sits at 8.9 years among nearest payback peers (5.3 yr faster vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).
Fast-band 25-year ROI · Connecticut
$18,300
system cost
$2,047/yr
modeled savings
8.9 yr
break-even
+$32,875
25-year net
At $18,300 and $2,047/yr, Connecticut is already in the faster third of modeled paybacks. Roof, shading, and tariff still move the real number. Run a personalized estimate →
Installed solar capacity in Connecticut, 2013–2024
Total solar nameplate capacity in Connecticut reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 79x (1 to 79) between 2013 and 2024, and the average site size held near 4 MW per site, a steady installation profile.
Connecticut: modest sun, still fast payback
Irradiance 4.1 kWh/m²/day (below the 4.8 national mean) vs 8.9-yr payback (fast band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.
Few states beat Connecticut on payback speed
Connecticut's 8.9-yr modeled break-even beats 94% of the 51 tracked states.
Connecticut vs all states by modeled payback
Modeled 6 kW simple payback, banded in 2-year steps.
9 Among the fastest faster than 94% of 51 states
all tracked states, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainSolarData model, NREL irradiance + EIA rates · 2024
Solar & grid details
- Net-metering policy
- full
- Renewable portfolio standard
- Mandatory (44% by 2030)
- Installed cost / watt
- $3.05/W
- Annual production (6 kW)
- 7,183 kWh
- Installed capacity (EIA 2024)
- 323 MW
- Notable programs
- CT Green Bank Solar Loan, ZREC Program
Top incentive programs
4 tracked programs for Connecticut residents
Partial program list. PlainSolarData's list for Connecticut is short or incomplete (no net-metering entry although its net metering is classed full). Other programs may exist; check DSIRE and your utility. The solar score's incentive component counts the programs tracked here, so this state's score may understate its incentives.
All Connecticut solar incentives (4)
CT Solar Property Tax Exemption
Full property tax exemption
Connecticut fully exempts residential solar systems from property tax.
Loan programCT Green Bank Smart-E Loan
Low-interest financing
Connecticut Green Bank offers subsidized smart-E loans for solar and storage installations.
RebateCT Residential Solar Investment Program
Upfront incentive, varies by class
Eversource and UI customers can receive upfront solar incentives through the RSI program.
SREC / renewable creditConnecticut ZREC/LREC Program
Contract price varies
Zero-emission and low-emission renewable energy certificates provide long-term revenue.
States alongside Connecticut on fast payback
Two non-geographic peer sets for Connecticut: composite score neighbors and payback-year neighbors (deduped so each row links a distinct comparison).
Peer states by composite solar score
Nearest nationwide matches on the NREL/EIA/DSIRE blend (41/100 here).
- Massachusetts · score 41/100
- Utah · score 40/100
- New York · score 38/100
- Colorado · score 45/100
Closest match: modeled payback
Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (8.9 yr modeled here).
- Maine · 9.3 yr payback
- Rhode Island · 9.7 yr payback
- New Hampshire · 9.8 yr payback
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published composite scores and modeled 6 kW payback years; rankings above use the same fields but sort the full corpus.
Solar resource from NREL; electricity rates and installed capacity from the U.S. EIA; incentive programs from DSIRE. See our methodology.