Solar panels in New Hampshire
Roofs across New Hampshire get about 1,331 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 25.3¢/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 7 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 3 New Hampshire cities.
Check your own roof in New Hampshire → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.
How New Hampshire compares
New Hampshire gets more sunlight than 8% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 90% of states and provinces. Both matter, but not equally: the electricity rate usually matters more, because solar saves money by replacing power you would otherwise buy. A sunny state with cheap power often pays back slower than a cloudy state with expensive power. Why that happens →
Solar by city in New Hampshire
| City | Sun hrs/yr | Panels | Net cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashua | 1,348 | 24 | $19,152 | 7 yrs |
| Manchester | 1,331 | 24 | $19,152 | 7 yrs |
| Concord | 1,323 | 25 | $19,950 | 7.2 yrs |
What a system costs in New Hampshire
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 3,620 | $6,384 | $916 | 7 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 5,430 | $9,576 | $1,374 | 7 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 7,241 | $12,768 | $1,832 | 7 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 9,051 | $15,960 | $2,290 | 7 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 11,766 | $20,748 | $2,794 | 7.4 yrs |
Payback stops improving as systems grow, then gets worse. You can only save on electricity you were going to buy, so once a system covers your usage the extra panels mostly export at a lower rate.
New Hampshire solar incentives
Every US household can claim the 30% federal residential clean energy credit, which is what the "after credit" figures above assume. On a $27,360 system that is $8,208 back. How the credit works →
State, utility and municipal incentives stack on top and change often — New Hampshire may offer rebates, property or sales tax exemptions, or performance payments. We deliberately don't list specific state programmes here because they change several times a year and stale numbers are worse than none. The DSIRE database is the standard reference and is kept current.
New Hampshire solar questions
Is solar worth it in New Hampshire?
At 25.3¢/kWh and 1,331 usable sun hours, a typical system pays back in about 7 years and returns roughly $49,254 over 25 years. That is a solid return.
How many solar panels do I need in New Hampshire?
About 24 panels for a home using 10,800 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 453 kWh annually at New Hampshire sunlight levels.
How much do solar panels cost in New Hampshire?
A 9.6 kW system runs about $27,360 before incentives and $19,152 after the 30% federal credit. Quotes vary widely by installer and roof complexity — get three.
Worth reading before you buy
Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 3 New Hampshire cities, and average New Hampshire electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.