Federal solar credit ended Dec 31, 2025
Sorted & Saved

Solar costs · Buffalo, NY

Solar Panel Cost in Buffalo, New York

Fact-checked by Sorted & Saved data desk
Updated Data verified Nov 5, 2026

Buffalo gets about 1,203 kWh per kW per year[1] from a rooftop solar array, according to NREL's PVWatts model at the city's coordinates. National Grid's residential customers paid an average of 17.22¢ per kWh[2] and used 637 kWh a month[2]. A system sized to that use, about 6.4 kW est.[1,2], costs roughly $21,000 to $28,500 est.[1,2,3] before incentives, and pays back in about 14 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash buyer.

On this page [ 8 ]

Buffalo solar at a glance

Output per kW of panels1,203 kWh/yr[1]PVWatts, this city
Sunlight on panels4.27 kWh/m²/day[1]Annual average
National Grid avg. price17.22¢/kWh[2]2024 average, bundled customers
National Grid avg. home use637 kWh/mo[2]2024 average
Typical system6.4 kWCovers 100% of use
Typical price$25,000Estimate, before incentives
Year-1 savings$1,240Estimate
Payback14 yearsEstimate, cash purchase
Estimated monthly output of a 6.4 kW system in Buffalo (PVWatts, typical weather year)kWh / month

National Grid credits exported energy at the retail rate (Phase One NEM (PSC 220 Rule 40.1) with Customer Benefit Contribution). Solar customers also pay $0.97 per kW of panels a month, included in the estimates. Assumptions: methodology.

How Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid treats solar

UtilityExport policyExport creditAvg. residential priceMonthly basic charge
National GridPhase One NEM (PSC 220 Rule 40.1) with Customer Benefit ContributionRetail rate (net metering)[4]17.22¢ per kWh[2]$19.00[4]

Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid: Phase One NEM (PSC 220 Rule 40.1) with Customer Benefit Contribution

Mass-market on-site solar gets Phase One NEM, which works the same as standard net metering, for 20 years from interconnection. Unused credits carry over to the next billing period and the next annual period, and are forfeited at the end of the term. Systems interconnected on or after Jan 1, 2022 pay the CBC. Export rates are locked for 20 years from interconnection.

  • SC1 basic service charge: $19.00 per month (Leaf 349, Rev. 27, initial effective April 1, 2026; Order in Case 24-E-0322, dated Aug 14, 2025)[4]
  • 2026 CBC (Phase One NEM, solar PV, SC1): $0.97 per kW DC per month, effective Jan 1, 2026[5]

Permits and local programs in Buffalo

  • Property tax exemption: Neither the City of Buffalo nor Erie County is on the state's RPTL 487 opt-out list (updated Oct 27, 2026), and the Buffalo City School District cannot opt out by law. The 15-year solar property tax exemption therefore applies.[6]
  • Local sales tax: Erie County provides the local sales tax exemption for residential solar equipment (0% local rate in Pub 718-S)[7]
  • Permitting: Buffalo's Department of Permit and Inspection Services reviews projects against the NYS Building and Fire Code and the Buffalo Green Code, and encourages online permitting and digital plan submission[8]

Buffalo solar cost by system size

SystemPrice before incentives[3]After incentiveskWh in year 1[1]Year-1 savings[2][4]Payback (years)
4 kW$15,600$11,7004,810$78013
6 kW$23,400$18,4007,220$1,17014
8 kW$31,200$26,2009,620$1,22017
10 kW$39,000$34,00012,030$1,20021
12 kW$46,800$41,80014,440$1,180>25

Incentives for Buffalo homeowners

Federal · tax creditEnding soon

Business credit for leased and PPA systems (48E)

Claimed by the system owner, not the homeowner; solar must begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be in service by December 31, 2027[9]

If a company owns the panels on your roof (a lease or power purchase agreement), that company may claim the business clean electricity investment credit and can reflect it in your price. You cannot claim it yourself.

Who
Third-party-owned systems (leases and PPAs). Ask the provider whether the price assumes this credit.
Deadline
December 31, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · tax creditAvailable

NY State Solar Energy System Equipment Credit (Tax Law 606(g-1))

25% of qualified solar equipment expenditures, up to $5,000; non-refundable; excess carries forward 5 years[10]

Confirmed on tax.ny.gov/pit/credits/solar_energy_system_equipment_credit.htm (that page says the credit is 25%, capped at $5,000, non-refundable, and can be carried over for up to five years, on Form IT-255). The tax.ny.gov page was last updated 2019-12-16. In the statute text, (g-1) mentions storage only in an exclusion ('recreational facility or equipment as a storage medium'). Battery storage is not added to this credit.

Who
Solar equipment that is bought, leased, or used under a power purchase agreement of 10+ years and installed at the taxpayer's principal residence in New York. Claimed on Form IT-255.
Maximum
$5,000
Deadline
No sunset in statute text
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · rebateAvailable

NYSERDA Residential Energy Storage Incentive (market-rate, Inclusive Storage Incentive, and Long Island)

Rest of State: $200/kWh (Block 1). Con Edison: $250/kWh (Block 1). Inclusive Storage Incentive (ISI): $450/kWh (Block 1). PSEG Long Island single-family: $250/kWh (Block 2). Paid on up to 25 kWh per home.[11]

Rates and budgets were read from portal.nyserda.ny.gov/Core_BlockChart_Page?programName=Residential Storage Incentive Program and PV_BlockChartV2_Page (Long Island: 'Current Incentive : $250/kWh'). The quote is from the Residential and Retail Storage Incentives page. Rest of State Block 1 is nearly exhausted. ISI eligibility details (DAC tract, <80% AMI, affordable housing) come from search snippets of NYSERDA webinar documents I did not open, so they are left out of this entry.

Who
Standalone or solar-paired home batteries installed by a NYSERDA-approved storage contractor. Incentives are paid on up to 25 kWh. ISI is the income- or location-qualified tier. Long Island projects apply through the NY-Sun Long Island Single-Family Residential Storage Incentive.
Deadline
First-come, first-served by block. Remaining budget on 2026-11-05: Rest of State Block 1 $321,550 left of $5.0M (Block 2 at $175/kWh not yet open); Con Edison Block 1 $5,507,425 left of $6.25M; ISI…
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · tax exemptionAvailable

Real property tax exemption for solar (RPTL 487)

For 15 years, the added assessed value from the solar system is exempt from property tax[12]

The 15-year term and opt-out rule are in the statute and in the tax.ny.gov Assessor Manual (updated 2026-02-10): https://www.tax.ny.gov/research/property/assess/manuals/vol4/pt1/sec4_01/sec487.htm. Opt-out list: https://www.tax.ny.gov/research/property/legal/localop/487opt.htm (updated 2026-10-27). In NYC, NYSERDA says the city's abatement (RPTL 499-bbbb) is offered instead of this exemption.

Who
Solar (and wind, farm waste, storage, etc.) systems built before 1/1/2030, outside jurisdictions that have opted out. The owner files Form RP-487 with the local assessor.
Deadline
December 31, 2029
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · tax exemptionAvailable

State sales tax exemption for residential solar equipment and installation (Tax Law 1115(ee))

Equipment and installation are exempt from the 4% state sales tax and the MCTD tax. Local sales tax is exempt only where the county or city has opted in.[13]

Local option: Pub 718-S (3/22, effective March 1, 2022; https://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/publications/sales/pub718s.pdf) lists Erie County, Nassau County and New York City at a 0% local rate (local exemption adopted). Monroe County is in Part 1 (no local exemption) at a 4% local rate. The publication is dated 2022 and may not reflect later local changes.

Who
Residential solar energy systems equipment that produces heating, cooling, hot water and/or electricity for a residence, plus installation. PPA electricity is covered separately under 1115(ee)(2).
Deadline
No sunset in statute text
Checked
November 5, 2026

Every New York incentive →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much do solar panels cost in Buffalo?

About $25,000 est.[1,2,3] before incentives for a 6.4 kW est.[1,2] system, using New York's median installed price of $3.90 per watt est.[3]. Get at least three written quotes; prices for the same system often differ by thousands of dollars.

How does National Grid pay for solar I send to the grid?

National Grid uses Phase One NEM (PSC 220 Rule 40.1) with Customer Benefit Contribution: exported energy offsets what you buy at the retail rate, with details on our New York net metering page.

How long is the payback for solar in Buffalo?

Our model estimates about 14 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash purchase, with year-one savings of about $1,240 est.[1,2,4]. Financing, a battery or a different rate plan changes this; the calculator lets you test each.

sources

[ 13 ]

Every number on this page links to one of these sources. Dates show when we last checked each one.

  1. NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)pvwatts.nlr.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  2. EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price 2024, Table 6: Utility bundled retail sales, residentialeia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  3. U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update (Barbose, Darghouth, O'Shaughnessy, Forrester), Berkeley Labeta-publications.lbl.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  4. National Grid: Phase One NEM (PSC 220 Rule 40.1) with Customer Benefit Contributionwww2.dps.ny.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  5. National Grid: 2026 CBC (Phase One NEM, solar PV, SC1)nationalgridus.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  6. Buffalo: Property tax exemptiontax.ny.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  7. Buffalo: Local sales taxtax.ny.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  8. Buffalo: Permittingbuffalony.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  9. Public Law 119-21 - Sec. 70513(a) and (g)(5) (48E); Sec. 70512(a) and (l)(4) (45Y)govinfo.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  10. NY Tax Law 606(g-1) (NYS Open Legislation)nysenate.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  11. NYSERDA Residential Energy Storage Incentive Dashboardnyserda.ny.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  12. NY Real Property Tax Law 487nysenate.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  13. NY Tax Law 1115(ee)nysenate.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026

City data last re-checked November 5, 2026.