Vermont

Vermont solar in 2026

Vermont is not a sunshine state. Brattleboro models at 1,290.4 kWh per kW per year, while Montpelier lands at 1,173.4. The economics work anyway because grid electricity averages 24.89 cents per kWh and statewide net metering gives the system a defined regulatory lane. This is a process-heavy market, not a quick-close market.

Vermont electricity averaged 24.89 cents per kWh in May 2026. Our modeled locations produce 1,173.4 to 1,290.4 kWh per kW annually. Net metering is administered statewide under PUC Rule 5.100, with utility tariffs and biennial rate adjustors. Every system needs a Certificate of Public Good registered through ePUC. The system design and siting matter.

Vermont pays enough for power to offset weaker production

A roof that produces less needs a better retail price to work. Vermont has that price. Our simple levelized estimate is about 9.0 cents per owned solar kWh, well below a 24.89-cent statewide residential blend. That is a planning signal, not a guarantee. The utility tariff, siting, roof layout, and CPG workflow still control the finished project.

Energy source	Type	Average price	What that means
Vermont household power	Electricity	24.89¢ per kWh	EIA’s statewide residential average, recorded for May 2026.
Vermont home natural gas	Natural gas	$20.31 per Mcf	May 2026 EIA residential data. It represents about 6.7 cents per thermal kWh, and one Mcf is about 304 thermal kWh.
Vermont owned solar	Electricity	~9.0¢ per kWh	Our 25-year ownership figure draws on EnergySage pricing and PVGIS output. It applies to electricity used by the household, not a particular tariff credit.

Use EIA Table 5.6.A for the May 2026 electric-rate reference. EIA natural gas prices supplies the Vermont residential gas comparison for that month; a Mcf contains about 304 thermal kWh. The methodology page explains our solar figure.

The Vermont spread is real, not fatal

The modeled gap from Montpelier to Brattleboro is more meaningful than it looks in a sales flyer. A proposal should identify its location-specific production input rather than hiding behind a statewide average. Vermont homeowners can make up for weaker sun with high avoided retail cost, but not with imaginary output.

Model location	Annual yield, kWh for each kW	Output from 10.98 kW
Burlington	1,224	13,437 kWh
Rutland	1,206	13,242 kWh
Montpelier	1,173	12,884 kWh
Brattleboro	1,290	14,169 kWh

Method: PVGIS v5.2 model runs by Solar Learning Lab on August 18, 2026, using the NSRDB radiation database. Assumptions: fixed roof mount, south facing, 30 degree tilt, 14 percent losses. Your roof will differ. The 10.98 kW example matches the EnergySage Vermont average system.

Statewide net metering comes with an actual front door

Vermont net metering is administered by the Public Utility Commission under Rule 5.100. The Commission regulates construction and operation, reviews utility tariffs, and publishes biennial net-metering rate adjustors. Customers in the same utility territory may form groups to share a system's output.

Do not skip the Certificate of Public Good. Net-metering systems must be registered through ePUC, and the Commission publishes separate forms, fee materials, and size-based checklists. Ground-mounted systems above 25 kW and above 50 kW have their own checklists. This formal process is a reason to choose an installer with paperwork discipline.

Policy sources: Vermont PUC net metering.

Tax treatment and program rules to put on the checklist

Topic	What is available	Where the rule changes
Sales and use tax	Equipment exempt, no dollar cap stated	32 V.S.A. §9741(46) covers qualifying net-metering, off-grid, and solar hot-water equipment (details)
Net metering	Active statewide program	Rate adjustors and tariff specifics are published through the Vermont PUC; current numeric values were not verified in our research (details)
Federal 25D	Ended December 31, 2025	With a lease or PPA, the provider can claim 48E and might reflect it in the offered price (CRS)

Run the numbers with the lower-output roof in mind

This tool starts at 1,223 kWh per kW, not at the strongest city in the state. Move the production slider toward the local model and use your real bill. It does not price a rate adjustor because we did not verify the current numeric values.

Monthly electric bill

$126

Production factor (kWh per kW per year)

1,223

Four Vermont PVGIS runs establish the range: Montpelier at 1,173.4 and Brattleboro at 1,290.4 kWh per kW per year.

Cash price per watt

$2.75

Cash quotes in Vermont cluster near $2.75 per watt, against a $3.50 national 2024 median (LBNL). Use your quote.

Assumptions you can change

Utility rate escalation, % per year

2.5%

Loan APR

Loan term, years

Quoted PPA rate, cents per kWh

24c

Use the rate on your actual lease or PPA quote. There is no published statewide average we trust enough to hardcode.

PPA annual escalator

Estimated system: 5 kWAnnual usage: 6,075 kWhState credit: $0

Cash purchase

$13,750 after state credit

Year 1 benefit: $127/mo
Payback: 9 years
20 year net position: $23,185

Vermont does not have a verified statewide cash rebate in this research. The model reflects the sales-tax exemption only as a separate quote review item.

Solar loan

$178/mo 15 yr payment

Year 1 net: -$51/mo
Upfront: $0
20 year net position: $4,982

Loan modeling uses $3.95 per watt, the $2.75 Vermont cash figure plus the documented $1.20 LBNL loan-over-cash spread.

Lease / PPA

$0 down you buy the power

Year 1 net: $5/mo
Upfront: $0
20 year net position: $3,032

A provider may claim federal 48E. Compare its contract price against a cash proposal after the same CPG and tariff assumptions.

Estimates, not quotes. Inputs use EIA Table 5.6.A (May 2026), our PVGIS production runs, and EnergySage August 2026 cost data. Vermont does not have a verified statewide cash rebate in this research. The model reflects the sales-tax exemption only as a separate quote review item. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures.

Vermont specifics worth acting on

Ask the installer to show the net-metering tariff and applicable rate adjustors rather than calling the program retail net metering without detail.
The Certificate of Public Good is not optional paperwork. Confirm who files it, who responds to questions, and what information the installer needs from you.
For a ground-mount, identify the system-size checklist before contract signing. The PUC lists different checklists above 25 kW and above 50 kW.
The sales-and-use-tax exemption applies to qualifying equipment, but state tax savings do not cure a low-output shaded roof.

Vermont solar begins with a filing path, not a panel count

The Vermont Public Utility Commission runs a defined front door for net-metering systems. Rule 5.100 is the governing rule, with the current version effective March 1, 2024. The Commission regulates construction and operation, reviews utility tariffs, and issues biennial net-metering rate-adjustor updates, including a 2026 Biennial Update. That framework is more formal than a generic “we will handle permits” promise.

A net-metering project needs a Certificate of Public Good registered through ePUC. The Commission provides registration forms, amendment and transfer guidance, agency-fee materials, and checklists for ground-mounted systems above 25 kW and above 50 kW. Intervenors can request a hearing on an application. None of that means a normal roof project is destined for conflict. It means the contract should name who files, what owner information is needed, and who tracks a question if one arrives.

There is one ownership detail worth catching early. Since March 1, 2024, a sale of land hosting a net-metering system, when the system is sold with it, requires notice to the utility but no Commission filing. The distinction matters to a homeowner thinking about a future property sale. It should be documented with the system records, not left as a vague verbal assurance.

Vermont also allows customers in the same utility territory to form groups that share system output. A group arrangement changes the questions to ask. Confirm the territory, each participant's role, the tariff treatment, and the CPG record. The sales-and-use-tax exemption can apply to equipment incorporated into a qualifying net-metering system, off-grid home or business system, or solar hot-water system, with no dollar cap stated. It is useful, but it does not make a weak production estimate acceptable.

Sources: Vermont PUC net metering; 32 V.S.A. §9741.

Vermont installers with public review histories

Vermont firms have to carry the project beyond the sales call and into ePUC registration. Ask each company to map the CPG and utility sequence against your roof, especially if the project will use a group arrangement or a ground mount.

Green Mountain Solar

South Burlington, VT

5.0(318 Google reviews)

SunCommon

Waterbury, VT

4.6(266 Google reviews)

Catamount Solar

Randolph, VT

4.9(56 Google reviews)

Solaflect Energy

Norwich, VT

5.0(75 Google reviews)

Building Energy

Williston, VT

4.5(55 Google reviews)

This is a timestamped Google Maps review snapshot from August 2026, via the DataForSEO SERP feed. Zero companies paid us and none are endorsed by us. Our research did not verify a statewide solar-license authority, so confirm the contractor credentials and the applicable municipal requirements before signing.

Get your Vermont estimate

Use a few answers to place your Vermont roof in the calculator’s range. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. Details are available in our disclosures.

What does your monthly electric bill look like?

Vermont average is $126 per month (EIA, 2024).