Solar Cost in Connecticut 2026: What Official Data Shows
Solar is priced per watt of capacity. The most comprehensive public price dataset is Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's annual distributed solar update (Tracking the Sun). Its latest figures cover systems installed in 2024, so 2026 prices may differ.
What Berkeley Lab reports for Connecticut
For host-owned, stand-alone residential systems installed in 2024, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) reports a median installed price of $4.1/W in Connecticut (2024 dollars per watt DC, before incentives). The U.S. median for the same group was $4.0/W. Source: https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/Distributed%20Solar%20%26%20Storage-2025%20Data%20Update.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
As an illustration only: at $4.1/W, each 1 kW of system size works out to about $4,100 before incentives. Your system size, equipment, roof, and financing will change this, and your quote will show your actual price.
How big is Connecticut's small-scale solar market?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates Connecticut had 1,469.5 MW of small-scale solar PV capacity as of July 2026, ranking #10 among states in that table. Source: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_6_02_b (accessed 2026-10-20)
Why your price may differ
LBNL says cross-state differences "can reflect differences in market and policy conditions (e.g., financing choices, market size, population density, permitting processes, etc.)." Within a state, installer pricing varies too: across the top 100 U.S. residential installers in 2024, median prices ranged from $2.7 to $6.5/W. Loan-financed systems had higher median prices than cash purchases ($4.7/W vs. $3.5/W nationally), partly because of loan fees rolled into the price. Source: https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/Distributed%20Solar%20%26%20Storage-2025%20Data%20Update.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
Incentives and the federal tax credit
The federal residential clean energy credit (25D) doesn't apply to expenditures made after December 31, 2025. The IRS treats an expenditure as made when installation is completed. Source: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-obbb (accessed 2026-10-20). This page isn't tax advice.
State, local, and utility programs in Connecticut change often. Check DSIRE for current programs and confirm eligibility with the program administrator before counting on any incentive. Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
Questions for your installer
- What is the price per watt (DC) in your proposal, before and after any incentives you've assumed?
- Which incentives does your price assume, and who receives them?
- If I finance, what fees are included in the price?
Sources
- Barbose et al., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, "U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage: 2025 Data Update" (October 2025) — https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/Distributed%20Solar%20%26%20Storage-2025%20Data%20Update.pdf (accessed Oct 20, 2026); data viewer: https://emp.lbl.gov/tracking-the-sun
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 6.2.B (data for July 2026) — https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_6_02_b (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- IRS, "FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, and 179D under Public Law 119-21 (OBBB)" — https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-obbb (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- DSIRE (N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center, NC State University) — https://www.dsireusa.org/ (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
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Last reviewed 2026-10-20.
More for Connecticut homeowners: state guide with utility rules, prices and city pages.
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