Rebates

Noted: Much of the information presented in this summary is drawn from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program and the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP). For more detailed information about building energy codes, visit the DOE and BCAP web sites.

New Hampshire adopted a mandatory statewide building code in 2002 based on the 2000 IECC. S.B. 81, enacted in July 2007, upgraded the New Hampshire Energy Code to the 2006 IECC. In December 2009, the New Hampshire Energy Code was again updated. The New Hampshire State Building Code Review Board adopted the IECC 2009 as the

The  New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority's (CDFA) Clean Energy Fund invests in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for cost reduction purposes -- specifically for businesses, non-profits, and municipalities. The fund is capitalized at over $10 million and merges four individual revolving loan funds dedicated to energy efficiency improvements and various clean/renewable energy initiatives, all into a single program (some specific limitations may apply).

Funding comes from both federal and state sources, including CDFA's own funds. Projects eligible for funding are those resulting in a minimum energy savings of 15%, among other criteria. Project examples include LED lighting retrofits

Note: The deadline for the most recent round of funding under this program is November 16, 2023. This summary is provided for reference only. Contact the PUC about the possibility of future funding rounds under this program.

The New Hampshire Department of Energy (DOE) offers grant funding for renewable energy projects installed at commercial, industrial, public, non-profit, municipal or school facilities, or multi-family residences with at least three units.

Eligible forms of energy include electricity or useful thermal energy generated from wind, ocean thermal, wave, current, tidal, hydrogen derived from biomass fuels or methane gas, methane gas, biomass, and hydroelectric

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission initiated a new solar rebate program for non-residential applicants in November 2010. Funded by alternative compliance payments under the state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS), this program supports solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar-thermal installations. In 2021, the New Hampshire DOE was given the administration and implementation authority over RPS policy and related renewable energy fund (per H.B. 2).

Installations must be located in the state of New Hampshire, and the facility must be served by an investor-owned utility or rural electric utility that is required to comply with the state's RPS (municipal utilities are

The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund and the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) offer the Enterprise Energy Fund. This revolving loan is funded through New Hampshire's State Energy Program allocation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The purpose of the fund is to help business owners and non-profit organizations in the state make energy improvements for their buildings. 

A wide range of activities are eligible for funding including energy audits, whole building improvements, equipment and appliance upgrades, lighting upgrades, heating and cooling upgrades, solar thermal technologies, and renewable energy installations, among others. The CDFA and Community

Eversource's Home Battery Storage program provides enrolled participants an upfront incentive for purchasing a qualifying battery and enrolling in the Clean Energy Fund program. The participant must have purchased a qualifying storage system after October 1, 2022, and participate in utility demand response events for a minimum of three years.

In partnership with one another, Eversource and the National Energy Improvement Fund offer homeowners 100% loan financing for heat pumps, ductless heating and cooling systems, and battery energy storage systems. 

For more information click here.

Eversource (formerly Public Service of New Hampshire), in collaboration with NHSaves, provides incentives for residential customers to increase the energy efficiency of participating homes. Prescriptive rebates are available for the purchase of Energy Star rated clothes washers, refrigerators, room air conditioners, lighting, and for recycling inefficient refrigerators. Heating, cooling, and water heating incentives are also offered through Eversource and NHSaves.

Customers building new homes or undergoing complete renovations may also participate in the Energy Star Homes Program. An Eversource approved contractor will conduct an in-home visit to perform a thorough energy assessment for just $100. These customersmay receive equipment

*Note: Applications closed on October 13, 2023.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services' Grant State Clean Fleets (GSCF) program is a competitive grant program for municipalities, public school districts, public colleges/universities, and transit districts that want to replace old diesel vehicles/engines/equipment diesel and EV models. The program has a total of $10 million available (partially funded by the state's Volkswagen Trust) for EV and EVSE technologies, as well as energy storage and renewable energy resources (solar, hydroelectric, and wind) to supply power to the EVSE. Grant awards vary based on the project.

To learn more about this opportunity you

New Hampshire requires all utilities selling electricity in the state to offer net metering to customers who own or operate systems up to one megawatt (MW) in capacity that generate electricity using solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, tidal, wave, biomass, landfill gas, bio-oil, or biodiesel; the capacity for group net-metered systems with a municipal host only is 5 MW. Combined heat and power (CHP) systems that use natural gas, wood pellets, hydrogen, propane, or heating oil are also eligible.*

The PUC's rules for net metering, which distinguish between small customer-generators (up to 100 kilowatts) and large customer-generators (greater than 100 kW

Liberty Utilities offers incentives and technical support to help customers implement energy efficiency upgrades to existing homes or build an ENERGY STAR certified home. Eligible equipment includes clothes washers, room air conditioners, air purifiers, refrigerators, lighting, appliance recycling, and pool pumps. Incentives are also available for replacing old or inefficient HVAC equipment. Some rebates are given at the time of purchase while others require a mail-in application. See the program website listed above for specific requirements for each rebate.

The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program offers Liberty Utilities residential customers up to $4,000 in services for air sealing and

Liberty Utilities offers a variety of incentives to its natural gas customers for the installation of energy efficient equipment, including for furnaces, boilers, programmable thermostats, air sealing, and insulation. Visit the program website or contact the utility for more information.

Liberty also offers programs for income eligible customers here.

Note: In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing

New Hampshire allows cities and towns to offer an exemption from local property taxes for the assessed value of a solar energy system, electrical energy storage system, wind energy system, or wood-fired central heating system used on the property. A solar energy system is defined as a photovoltaic (PV) system or a system that "utilizes solar energy to heat or cool the interior of a building or to heat water for use in a building" and that includes one or more collectors and a storage container. Stoves and fireplaces do not qualify.

Cities and towns may adopt an exemption provision

Note: The deadline for the most recent round of funding under this program was January 19, 2024. This summary is provided for reference only. Contact the NH DOE about the possibility of future funding rounds under this program.

The New Hampshire Department of Energy (DOE) offers grant funding for low-moderate-income community solar projects in manufactured housing communities or multifamily rental housing. The grant program is allocated at least 15% of the annual renewable energy fund (per S.B. 129).

Eligible projects are those defined as "ground-mounted or rooftop solar arrays that directly benefit a group of at least [five] residential

Eligibility

New Hampshire requires all utilities selling electricity in the state to offer net metering to customers who own or operate systems up to one megawatt (MW) of capacity that generates electricity using solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, tidal, wave, biomass, landfill gas, bio-oil, or biodiesel. Combined heat and power (CHP) systems that use natural gas, wood pellets, hydrogen, propane, or heating oil are also eligible.*

System Capacity Limit

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) rules for net metering distinguish between small customer-generators (up to 100 kilowatts) and large customer-generators (greater than 100 kW and up to 1 MW). The

New Hampshire State laws give municipalities broad jurisdiction over solar access regulation. Regulation is directionally intended to encourage the use of renewable energy sources and systems. The state itself creates the forms to declare solar easements.

Note: The 2015 New Hampshire Residential Rooftop Solar PV Permitting, Zoning and Interconnection Guide is an excellent resource to refer to for more details and related information. (Most information is up to date but no guarantees are made)

Section 477:50:1 

Creates Solar Skyspace Easements. Defining the agreement as “An instrument creating a solar skyspace easement shall include, but not be limited to: (a)

New Hampshire Electric Co-op offers On Bill Financing Loans to be used for eligible projects under the NHEC Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program for weatherization. This loan program can be combined with NHEC rebates under the same program. Loans are up to $4,000 at 0% interest for up to 48 months.

NHEC also offers loan subsidies as a part of their Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Buy down Program. These are to be used for eligible projects under the NHEC Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program for weatherization and for unrebated costs associated with the installation of High Efficiency Heat

New Hampshire Electric Co-op provides a number of energy efficiency incentive programs for its residential members. Members can receive a free Home Energy Analysis through the Home Performance with Energy Star Program. The analysis will examine the home's air sealing, insulation, equipment thermostats and insulation, as well as the energy consumption of the home's refrigerator. The NHEC representative may recommend certain improvements during the evaluation and offer 50% off the cost of the improvements up to a total of $4,000. An interest-free loan is available to help cover the remaining out-of-pocket costs for customers. 
Energy Star homes, lighting, appliances

New Hampshire Electric Cooperative offers rebates to its customers for the purchase or lease of hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and battery electric vehicles. Visit the program website for more information.

New Hampshire Electric Cooperative offers rebates to commercial and residential customers for the purchase of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). For more information, visit the program website.

New Hampshire’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS), established in May 2007, requires the state’s electricity providers -- with the exception of municipal utilities -- to acquire by 2025, renewable energy certificates (RECs) equivalent to 25.2% of retail electricity sold to end-user customers. The RPS includes four distinct standards for different types of energy resources; these are classified as Class I, Class II, Class III, and Class IV.

Class I - New Renewable Energy. This class addresses electricity or “useful thermal energy” generated by any of the following resources, provided the generator began operation after January 1, 2006, except as noted below

The New Hampshire Department of Energy offers rebates -- funded by the New Hampshire Renewable Energy Fund -- of 40% of the installed cost of qualifying new residential bulk-fed, wood-pellet central heating boilers or furnaces. The maximum rebate amount available is $10,500, which includes a supplemental adder of $100 per ton for systems larger than three tons (at a max of $500). To qualify, systems must (1) become operational on or after July 9, 2016; (2) be at least 80% efficient; (3) meet certain air quality standards; and (4) be installed by a qualified installer or a licensed plumber with

*Note: The program will be opening to new applications from September 13 to October 13, 2023.

The New Hampshire Department of Energy administers a rebate program for residential solar and wind systems. There are two steps involved in the rebate application process. Step one is a pre-approval application; step two is the final application. Both steps must be completed to receive the incentive. Rebates are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The rebate is equal to $0.20/watt per residential owner of an eligible system, up to $1,000 or 30% of system costs, whichever is less.

Solar PV panels must meet

New Hampshire offers rebates for residential solar water-heating systems. The rebate is equal to $1,500 for systems with an annual estimated output of 5.5 MMBTU to 19.9 MMBTU; $1,700 for systems with an annual estimated output of 20 MMBTU to 29.9 MMBTU; and $1,900 for systems with an annual estimated output of 30 MMBTU or more. Rebates will be awarded for eligible projects as long as program funding is available.

The application process consists of two steps. The first step is required for pre-approval and to reserve a rebate, and the second step is the final application for the rebate payment. Systems must be installed

New Hampshire's "solar skyspace easement" provisions allow property owners to create solar easements in order to create and preserve a right to unobstructed access to solar energy. Easements remain in effect for at least 10 years, unless otherwise stated in writing. A model solar easement form is provided in New Hampshire Statutes Section 477:51.

An easement must include:

• A description of the vertical and horizontal angles, expressed in degrees and measured from the site of the solar energy system, at which the solar skyspace easement extends over the real property subject to the solar skyspace easement, or any other

In July 2008, New Hampshire enacted legislation designed to prevent municipalities from adopting ordinances or regulations that place unreasonable limits on or hinder the performance of wind energy systems up to 100 kilowatts (kW) in capacity. Such wind turbines must be used primarily to produce energy for on-site consumption. The law identifies several possible restrictions that would be considered unreasonable:

• The outright prohibition of small wind turbines (i.e., wind turbines up to 100 kW) in all districts of a municipality.
• Generic height restrictions that do not specifically address the allowable tower height or system height of small wind turbines.
• Property

New Hampshire's 1996 electric industry restructuring legislation authorized the creation of a system benefits charge (SBC) to support energy efficiency programs and energy assistance programs for low-income residents. The total base SBC is calculated by adding together the energy efficiency component of the charge, the low-income component, and the lost base revenue component.

The energy efficiency component charges for Eversource, Liberty Utilities, Unitil, and the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative for 2024-2026 are: $0.00577/kWh (2024), $0.00603/kWh (2025), $0.00619/kWh (2026)

The Lost Base Revenue (LBR) component varies by utility and was added to the SBC in 2017. Below are the estimated LBR

Unitil offers its New Hampshire residential customers a no interest loan program to complete energy efficiency recommendations made through the Home Performance with Energy Star whole-house assessment. Loans are offered for up to $15,000. Contact Unitil for more information on this offering.

 

Unitil offers New Hampshire residential customers a number of programs to encourage more energy efficient homes. Forms and details for each program are available on the website listed above.

The Energy Star Appliance Program provides rebates for swimming pool pumps, clothes dryers, clothes washers, refrigerators, dehumidifiers, room air purifiers, and room air conditioners.

The Energy Star Heating and Cooling Program offers rebates for central air conditioners, heat pumps, mini split systems, and heat pump water heaters. Rebates are also available for wi-fi thermostats accompanying a qualifying heat pump.

The Home Performance with Energy Star Program helps residential customers improve the

Unitil offers its New Hampshire residential gas customers a number of programs to encourage more energy-efficient homes. The Home Performance with Energy Star Program is available to customers with higher than average energy bills. The program includes a home energy audit which identifies potential areas for energy efficiency improvements. Qualifying improvements can result in a 50% utility rebate for the customer, up to $4,000.  Common energy savings improvements utilized by the program include:

• Sealing air leaks and adding insulation
• Improving heating and cooling systems
• Sealing ductwork
• Upgrading lighting, appliances, and water heating equipment
• Installing renewable energy systems

Until also offers

Net metering is available for customers that install a renewable energy generation source of 25 kilowatts or less.