New York Solar Incentives, Rebates & Tax Credits (2026)

New York's state income tax credit covers 25% of your qualified solar expenditure up to $5,000. It is non-refundable but carries forward for five years. Unusually, leases and power purchase agreements of ten years or longer also qualify — you claim the credit against your annual payments. With the federal credit gone, this is now the main tax benefit for New York homeowners. Note that a bill to raise the cap to $10,000 has not passed and is still sitting in committee, despite what several installer sites claim.

As of August 2026 there is no open NY-Sun residential incentive block anywhere in the state. The last standard Upstate block closed December 17, 2025 at $0.15/W, Con Edison's closed May 29, 2025, and Long Island's has been closed since 2016. The income-eligible Affordable Solar blocks at $0.80/W are fully subscribed. NYSERDA can open new blocks, so check the dashboard before accepting any quote that includes a NY-Sun incentive.

New York exempts the added assessed value of your solar system for 15 years. It applies automatically unless your municipality has opted out, and construction must begin before January 1, 2030. New York City homeowners get a separate abatement worth 7.5% of system cost per year for four years — 30% in total — for systems placed in service through 2035.

The On-Bill Recovery Loan and Smart Energy Loan both cover solar, with 5, 10 and 15-year terms up to $25,000 and a minimum credit score of 540. Rates are variable — get a current quote rather than relying on a published figure.