Every incentive a Maine homeowner can actually use, what each one is worth, and the ones that no longer exist. Sourced and dated.
Worth stating plainly, because it gets misrepresented: Maine has no state solar rebate. Efficiency Maine does not offer one. There is no production incentive, no SREC market and no green bank financing for residential solar.
If a company tells you otherwise, that is worth questioning.
What Maine has is rate exposure. Residential rates run 27 to 32¢ per kilowatt-hour, roughly 70 to 100 percent above the national average, and Maine credits exports at 1:1 full retail — a better credit than New Hampshire at 85%, Rhode Island at 80% or New York under VDER.
Maine also exempts the added home value from property tax. Payback typically runs 12 to 17 years against a 25-year panel warranty.
Sources: Maine PUC; Efficiency Maine program listings.
The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for systems purchased after December 31, 2025. If you buy with cash or a loan in 2026, you cannot claim it. Any site still advertising a 30% federal credit for a homeowner purchase is running outdated information.
What remains is Section 48E, the commercial investment credit. It applies to third-party-owned systems — leases and power purchase agreements — where the system owner claims it rather than the homeowner. That is precisely what makes $0-down possible.
EnergyPros does not provide tax advice — confirm your situation with a tax professional.
Incentives only matter against the rate you are paying now. Maine has no state solar rebate and no production incentive — Efficiency Maine does not offer one, and any company claiming otherwise is worth questioning. What Maine does have is 1:1 Net Energy Billing at full retail, against rates 70 to 100 percent above the national average.
See the full breakdown of every Maine utility rate on our Maine solar page.
See what solar costs against your Maine rate
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No, not on a purchase. The Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for systems purchased after December 31, 2025. Section 48E still applies to third-party-owned systems — leases and power purchase agreements — where the system owner claims it. That is what makes $0-down possible.
Yes. Any rebate paid to your installer should appear on your contract as a reduction in price, not as a savings claim. Ask for an itemised quote showing the gross price, each incentive applied, and the net. If an installer will not itemise, that is worth noticing.
It depends on the incentive. Rebates paid to the installer reduce your contract price either way. Tax credits and renewable energy certificates generally follow ownership — under a lease or PPA the system owner claims them, which is part of how the monthly payment is kept low. A few state credits are exceptions.
No. EnergyPros is a marketplace. We match you with vetted, licensed and insured contractors who work in your area, and you deal directly with them on the quote and the installation.
Maine solar guides