RI incentive guide
Rhode Island solar incentives in 2026
Last updated · every RI program below is verifiable against the sources at the foot of this page.
The most valuable solar incentive in Rhode Island right now is Renewable Energy Fund grants plus the REG tariff. Overall, the state's incentive stack rates as strong compared with the rest of the country.
The federal credit is gone — start here
The 30% federal residential clean energy credit (Section 25D) ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. If you are buying a system in Rhode Island this year, there is no federal credit. That is a roughly $8,640 swing on an $28,800 system compared with 2025 pricing, and it is why state programs matter more now than they did a year ago.
What Rhode Island offers at a glance
| Incentive | Available? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax credit | No | — |
| Rebate or performance payment | Yes | Renewable Energy Fund grants, plus the Renewable Energy Growth feed-in tariff paying a fixed rate for 20 years |
| SREC market | No | — |
| Sales tax exemption | Yes | Qualifying solar equipment is exempt from state sales tax. |
| Property tax exemption | Yes | The value solar adds to the home is excluded from property tax assessment. |
| Federal tax credit | No | Section 25D ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. |
Reviewed September 2026. Incentive programs change frequently and several are funding-capped — verify current status with the administering agency or DSIRE before relying on any figure.
Rhode Island solar tax credit
There is no Rhode Island solar tax credit in 2026, and no federal one either — Section 25D ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. What Rhode Island does offer on the tax side is sales and property tax exemptions, covered below.
Rhode Island solar rebates and grants
Renewable Energy Fund grants, plus the Renewable Energy Growth feed-in tariff paying a fixed rate for 20 years. Rebate and grant programs are funding-limited and have opened and closed mid-year before, so confirm the current round is open before counting on it.
The Renewable Energy Fund offers grants for residential solar, and the REG feed-in tariff is effectively a state incentive. Sales and property tax exemptions apply.
Net metering and export rates in Rhode Island
Rhode Island offers retail net metering through Rhode Island Energy, or alternatively the Renewable Energy Growth program, which pays a fixed performance rate per kWh for 20 years.
Compare this with net metering in every other state.
Export rules deserve to be read as an incentive. In a retail net metering state, every exported kilowatt-hour is worth the full retail rate; under net billing or avoided-cost compensation, the same kilowatt-hour can be worth a third of that. For a Rhode Island home at an assumed $0.28/kWh, that difference compounds across a 25-year system life.
What this means for your numbers
A typical 8 kW system in Rhode Island costs roughly $22,400–$28,800 installed before incentives, producing about 9,840 kWh a year and saving around $2,270 in year one — a simple payback near 10–13 years with no incentives applied. Anything in the table above shortens that.
Frequently asked questions
What are Rhode Island solar tax credits worth in 2026?
Rhode Island offers no residential solar income tax credit in 2026, and the 30% federal credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. What remains on the tax side is sales and property tax exemptions, which lower cost indirectly rather than paying you back.
Does Rhode Island have solar rebates?
Yes. Renewable Energy Fund grants, plus the Renewable Energy Growth feed-in tariff paying a fixed rate for 20 years. Rebate programs in RI are funding-limited and have historically opened and closed mid-year, so confirm the current round is still accepting applications before you count the money.
Is there a Rhode Island solar property tax exemption?
Yes. Rhode Island excludes the value solar adds to a home from property tax assessment, so a system that raises your home's value does not raise your annual tax bill. Rhode Island also exempts qualifying solar equipment from state sales tax, which comes straight off the installed price.
What solar incentives are available in Rhode Island in 2026?
The Renewable Energy Fund offers grants for residential solar, and the REG feed-in tariff is effectively a state incentive. Sales and property tax exemptions apply. Because the federal Section 25D credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025, these state, local and utility programs are now the entire incentive picture for a purchased system.
Is there still a 30% federal solar tax credit in Rhode Island?
No. The 30% federal residential clean energy credit (Section 25D) ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Any quote or website still applying 30% to a 2026 purchased installation is out of date. Leased and PPA systems can still benefit indirectly, because the third party that owns the system may claim the commercial 48E credit through 2027 and pass some of the value through in pricing.
Does Rhode Island have net metering?
Rhode Island offers retail net metering through Rhode Island Energy, or alternatively the Renewable Energy Growth program, which pays a fixed performance rate per kWh for 20 years. Export rules are effectively an incentive — often the largest one — because they set what every kilowatt-hour you do not use on site is worth.
How much do incentives change the cost of solar in Rhode Island?
Before incentives, a typical 8 kW system in Rhode Island runs roughly $22,400–$28,800. Renewable Energy Fund grants, plus the Renewable Energy Growth feed-in tariff paying a fixed rate for 20 years — the value depends on current funding. See our full Rhode Island cost breakdown for payback math.
Verify before you rely on any of this
Incentive programs open, close, deplete their funding and change their caps — often mid-year. This page is a starting point reviewed September 2026, not tax advice. Confirm with: