Rhode Island
Rhode Island solar in 2026
Rhode Island has the highest electricity price in this group, 29.46 cents per kWh, and a live $0.65-per-watt REF grant for qualifying net-metered homes. That sounds easy. It is not. A buyer has to choose either Net Metering or Renewable Energy Growth, and the choice is binding for the contract life. That decision deserves more than a checkbox.
Rhode Island pays dearly for electricity, not for solar output
The roof resource is solid but not exotic. The powerful input is the 29.46-cent grid price. Our owned-solar levelized estimate is about 8.5 cents per kWh before accounting for the REF grant. A quote that gives you a generic federal-credit story is already out of date. The homeowner federal 25D credit ended December 31, 2025.
| Energy source | Type | Average price | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island household electricity | Electricity | 29.46¢ per kWh | EIA’s state residential average for May 2026. |
| Rhode Island home gas | Natural gas | $16.06 per Mcf | EIA residential data for May 2026. That is about 5.3 cents per thermal kWh, with one Mcf equal to about 304 thermal kWh. |
| Rhode Island roof ownership | Electricity | ~8.5¢ per kWh | A 25-year owned-system estimate based on EnergySage costs and PVGIS output. It is for a household’s solar use, before choosing a state compensation program. |
The May 2026 electricity-price baseline comes from EIA Table 5.6.A. We used EIA natural gas prices for Rhode Island residential gas during the same month; one Mcf is about 304 thermal kWh. The solar figure follows our methodology page.
A compact state, a tight production range
Newport has the best modeled production at 1,389.2 kWh per kW per year, while Warwick comes in at 1,332.5. The statewide geography is not the hard part. Program selection, consumption history, and the binding Net Metering versus REG choice are.
| Reference city | Solar yield per kW, yearly | Annual generation at 11.03 kW |
|---|---|---|
| Providence | 1,350 | 14,891 kWh |
| Warwick | 1,333 | 14,697 kWh |
| Newport | 1,389 | 15,323 kWh |
| Woonsocket | 1,345 | 14,833 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 11.03 kW example matches the EnergySage Rhode Island average system.
Choose the program before the installer chooses it for you
Eligible Rhode Island systems receive bill credits for all power generated up to 125% of on-site consumption during a billing period. Systems are sized to on-site load using a three-year consumption average. Output above 100% of consumption receives the utility avoided-cost rate, not the main bill-credit treatment.
Net Metering and the Renewable Energy Growth program are mutually exclusive, and the decision is binding for the lifetime of the contract. REF grants are for net-metered systems only. REG instead uses a 20-year fixed-price contract plus a performance-based payment for Rhode Island Energy customers. Make the seller model both paths on the same load history.
Policy sources: Rhode Island OER net metering; Rhode Island OER incentives.
Rhode Island programs, read as mutually exclusive paths
| Path or tax rule | Stated value | Condition that matters |
|---|---|---|
| REF Small-Scale Solar Program | $0.65 per watt | Available to net-metered homeowners. Installer applies; grant is paid to the installer after installation and QA review (details) |
| Renewable Energy Growth | 20-year fixed contract plus performance payment | RI Energy customers only; REG participants cannot receive REF grants (details) |
| Sales and property tax | Exemptions or treatment listed, value not verified | Our research confirms program listings but not a current dollar value (details) |
| Federal 25D | Ended December 31, 2025 | A solar lease or PPA company can still claim 48E and may account for it in its pricing (CRS) |
The REF grant belongs in your written quote
This calculator is deliberately conservative: it models rate, production, and installed cost, but it does not turn a $0.65-per-watt grant into a percentage tax credit. Have the installer show the exact REF award and whether the proposed contract is Net Metering or REG. Those are different decisions.
Slider bounds come from four Rhode Island PVGIS runs, with Warwick at 1,332.5 and Newport at 1,389.2 kWh per kW per year.
Cash quotes in Rhode Island cluster near $2.87 per watt, against a $3.50 national 2024 median (LBNL). Use your quote.
Assumptions you can change
Use the rate on your actual lease or PPA quote. There is no published statewide average we trust enough to hardcode.
Cash purchase
$14,063 after state credit
- Year 1 benefit
- $163/mo
- Payback
- 7 years
- 20 year net position
- $33,368
The calculator does not treat the $0.65-per-watt REF grant as a percentage credit. Require the grant amount and the chosen program in the quote.
Solar loan
$179/mo 15 yr payment
- Year 1 net
- -$16/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- $15,166
Loan modeling uses $4.07 per watt, the $2.87 Rhode Island cash figure plus the documented $1.20 LBNL loan-over-cash spread.
Lease / PPA
$0 down you buy the power
- Year 1 net
- $30/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- $10,648
A provider may claim federal 48E, but Rhode Island program eligibility and the Net Metering versus REG choice must be settled first.
Estimates, not quotes. Inputs use EIA Table 5.6.A (May 2026), our PVGIS production runs, and EnergySage August 2026 cost data. The calculator does not treat the $0.65-per-watt REF grant as a percentage credit. Require the grant amount and the chosen program in the quote. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures.
Rhode Island specifics worth acting on
- Do not accept both REF and REG in the same savings table. State guidance says the customer chooses one program and the decision binds for the contract life.
- Use a three-year consumption history before sizing. Net-metering treatment is tied to on-site consumption, and output beyond 100% gets avoided-cost treatment.
- The statewide Solar Permit has applied in every municipality since January 1, 2018. That removes one local form variable, not the need for a careful site plan.
- The OER incentives page still mentions an obsolete homeowner federal credit. The controlling federal fact is that 25D ended December 31, 2025.
Make the Rhode Island program choice as a written decision
Start with the system's consumption boundary. Net metering credits eligible production up to 125% of on-site consumption during a billing period, and the system is sized to on-site load using a three-year average of use. Generation above 100% of consumption is credited at the utility's avoided-cost rate, defined as the last-resort service charge for the relevant rate class and time-of-use period. A model that treats every exported kWh alike is not doing the job.
Then choose the lane. A customer can use Net Metering or the Renewable Energy Growth program, not both, and the choice binds for the lifetime of the contract. The REF Small-Scale Solar Program pays $.65/watt to eligible net-metered homeowners, with the installer applying for the customer and payment made to the installer after installation and QA review. REG instead uses a 20-year contract with a fixed electricity price and performance-based payment. It is for Rhode Island Energy customers, and excess value can be paid by direct deposit after bill credits up to the amount owed.
Check the account, the stated path, the REF application owner, and REG contract terms. A seller cannot blend incompatible benefits into one savings number.
The physical process is standardized. Rhode Island's statewide Solar Permit has been required in every municipality since January 1, 2018 for roof and ground solar PV projects regardless of size. The Public Utilities Commission decides disputes over whether the net-metering credit applies to a particular generation facility. Also watch the federal-credit language: a state agency page still carries the out-of-date 30 percent federal credit language. That page does not change the controlling federal fact here, which is that homeowner 25D ended December 31, 2025.
Sources: Rhode Island OER net metering; Rhode Island OER incentives; Rhode Island statewide Solar Permit.
Rhode Island installers with public review histories
Rhode Island has enough installer choice that buyers can insist on an apples-to-apples program comparison. The strongest quote is not just the lowest installed price. It names REF or REG, documents the production input, and handles the statewide permit sequence.
Rooftop Power
Warwick, RI
4.8(873 Google reviews)
Smart Green Solar
Providence, RI
4.3(585 Google reviews)
Evergreen Solar
Pawtucket, RI
4.8(342 Google reviews)
Do It Right Solar
Greenville, RI
5.0(222 Google reviews)
Newport Solar
North Kingstown, RI
5.0(107 Google reviews)
Review counts are a dated Google Maps 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 contractor credentials and the statewide Solar Permit process before signing.
Get your Rhode Island estimate
Give us a few inputs to place your Rhode Island project against the rate and production context above. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. Review our disclosures for the full relationship.
What does your monthly electric bill look like?
Rhode Island average is $162 per month (EIA, 2024).