
Many homeowners wonder what will happen to their home’s property value and property taxes if they add solar panels.
A number of studies have looked at the question of solar and property value over time. The largest and most thorough to date was published by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in 2015. It looked at data from eight states over a fifteen year time period. On average, home values increased by $4 per watt of installed solar capacity. Depending on the wattage of the panels used, one Solaflect solar Tracker has between 4 kW and 6kW (4,000 to 6,000 watts) of capacity. You can find the full report here.
Vermont Property Taxes and Solar Power
In Vermont, state law exempts solar equipment from being assessed for property taxation, so long as the solar array is smaller than 50 kW in size (that is, fewer than eight Solaflect solar Trackers).
New Hampshire Property Taxes and Solar Power
In New Hampshire, each town has the option to exempt solar from property taxation. Details regarding the towns that have adopted an exemption are available here. New Hampshire residents interested in solar should contact their local government to confirm the exact details for their town.
Massachusetts Property Taxes and Solar Power
Massachusetts law provides that solar energy systems and wind energy systems used as a primary or auxiliary power system for the purpose of heating or otherwise supplying the energy needs of taxable property are exempt from local property tax for a 20-year period. See the Department of Revenue’s Information Sheet to learn more.
We love talking about all things related to solar, so please reach out to us or call us at (802) 649-3700 if we can answer questions and help you think about how solar can cover an ever-increasing share of your family’s power usage!