Solar in New Hampshire: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity
Utility-scale solar in New Hampshire: 4 MW in 2 plants, 0.0% of 2025 generation; 24 MW more under construction or planned. New Hampshire pays back in 9.7 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 8 of 51), 3.8 years shorter than the middle state. 1,258 kWh per kW (rank 44) at 24.56 ¢ (rank 9 from the top): price of power drives it. Across 5 New Hampshire cities, yearly output runs from 1,201 kWh per kW in Lebanon to 1,348 in Dover. Jul is the best month at 136 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 63.
Utility-scale solar in New Hampshire: 4 MW
New Hampshire: 4 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 2 plants across 2 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 50 of 51; 3 W per resident, rank 50. Solar made 0.0% of New Hampshire's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 50, -6.8 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Merrimack Solar Farm, LLC in Hillsborough County, 2 MW (2019); Blackwater Rd Solar in Strafford County, 2 MW (2025). By county: Hillsborough 2 MW, Strafford 2 MW. Proposed: 24 MW under construction (2 plants) and 0 MW planned (0 plants); batteries 14 MW running and 0 MW proposed.
| New Hampshire year | MW added | Cumulative share of today's MW |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 | 55% |
| 2020 | 0 | 55% |
| 2021 | 0 | 55% |
| 2022 | 0 | 55% |
| 2023 | 0 | 55% |
| 2024 | 0 | 55% |
| 2025 | 2 | 100% |
New Hampshire: payback 9.7 years, rank 8 of 51
| Measure | Value | Rank of 51 | Median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output of 1 kW a year, kWh | 1,258 | 44 | 1,372 |
| Home price, ¢ per kWh | 24.56 | 9 | 15.37 |
| Value of 1 kW a year | $309 | 8 | $222 |
| Payback at $3.00 a watt | 9.7 years | 8 | 13.5 years |
EIA-861 (2024): 22,585 home net-metered systems in New Hampshire, 34.6 per 1,000 accounts (rank 13), average 8.1 kW.
Sun inside New Hampshire: 5 cities, 12% apart
| New Hampshire city | kWh per kW a year | Against state point | Sun, kWh/m2 a day | Payback at $3.00 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 1,255 | -0.2% | 4.59 | 9.7 | 115,415 |
| Dover | 1,348 | +7.1% | 4.69 | 9.1 | 33,070 |
| Keene | 1,213 | -3.6% | 4.43 | 10.1 | 22,923 |
| Laconia | 1,281 | +1.8% | 4.62 | 9.5 | 16,982 |
| Lebanon | 1,201 | -4.5% | 4.37 | 10.2 | 14,759 |
New Hampshire state point 43.15, -71.45; city points Manchester 42.98, -71.44; Dover 43.19, -70.88; Keene 42.95, -72.31; Laconia 43.58, -71.48; Lebanon 43.63, -72.25. Panel and method: solar method.
Output by month in New Hampshire cities: 12 rows
| New Hampshire month | Manchester | Dover | Keene | Laconia | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73.8 | 82.2 | 71.6 | 79.0 | 76.0 |
| Feb | 93.2 | 96.3 | 91.2 | 101.2 | 85.8 |
| Mar | 118.7 | 131.2 | 119.1 | 129.9 | 119.6 |
| Apr | 122.3 | 121.3 | 114.9 | 122.5 | 114.5 |
| May | 128.9 | 142.3 | 122.9 | 130.4 | 131.0 |
| Jun | 125.8 | 133.7 | 123.3 | 122.0 | 122.5 |
| Jul | 135.4 | 147.5 | 133.8 | 135.6 | 128.8 |
| Aug | 124.1 | 139.1 | 123.5 | 133.8 | 126.1 |
| Sep | 109.6 | 118.6 | 106.5 | 112.7 | 106.0 |
| Oct | 87.9 | 96.6 | 82.7 | 85.3 | 74.8 |
| Nov | 71.4 | 69.7 | 67.2 | 65.7 | 59.2 |
| Dec | 64.2 | 69.5 | 56.1 | 62.8 | 57.0 |
New Hampshire: 5 cities, best month 148 and worst 56 kWh per kW across them.
CSVBest and worst month in New Hampshire: Jul 136, Dec 63 kWh per kW
| New Hampshire month | kWh per kW | Price ¢ | Value per kW | kWh per kW per sun unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81.9 | 23.40 | $19.16 | 0.84 |
| Feb | 92.5 | 23.01 | $21.28 | 0.83 |
| Mar | 125.7 | 22.81 | $28.67 | 0.80 |
| Apr | 119.1 | 23.66 | $28.18 | 0.76 |
| May | 127.7 | 24.02 | $30.67 | 0.74 |
| Jun | 124.7 | 23.51 | $29.32 | 0.72 |
| Jul | 136.5 | 22.79 | $31.11 | 0.71 |
| Aug | 124.6 | 24.47 | $30.49 | 0.71 |
| Sep | 109.0 | 27.82 | $30.32 | 0.73 |
| Oct | 84.8 | 27.27 | $23.12 | 0.77 |
| Nov | 68.2 | 27.37 | $18.67 | 0.81 |
| Dec | 63.4 | 26.28 | $16.66 | 0.83 |
New Hampshire: December to February give 19% of a year (rank 36 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 2.2 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.84) and lowest in Aug (0.71); PVWatts lowers cell output when the panel is hot, and the sun angle changes with the season. Our runs use one fixed 14% loss figure for every place, so snow or soiling in New Hampshire is not modelled separately.
Net metering and CO2 in New Hampshire
EIA-861 (2024): 22,585 home net-metered systems in New Hampshire, 34.6 per 1,000 accounts (rank 13), average 8.1 kW.
6 kW in New Hampshire: 7,549 kWh a year displaces 0.9 t CO2 at 0.124 kg per kWh, -2.1 t against the average state.
Sizes and prices per watt in New Hampshire
| New Hampshire kW | kWh a year | Value a year | Cost at $2.50 | At $3.00 | At $3.50 | t CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,032 | $1,236 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 | 0.6 |
| 6 | 7,549 | $1,854 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $21,000 | 0.9 |
| 8 | 10,065 | $2,472 | $20,000 | $24,000 | $28,000 | 1.2 |
| 10 | 12,581 | $3,090 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | 1.6 |
| 12 | 15,097 | $3,708 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $42,000 | 1.9 |
| New Hampshire $ per watt | 100% retail | 75% | 50% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | 6.5 | 8.6 | 12.9 | 25.9 |
| $2.50 | 8.1 | 10.8 | 16.2 | 32.4 |
| $3.00 | 9.7 | 12.9 | 19.4 | 38.8 |
| $3.50 | 11.3 | 15.1 | 22.7 | 45.3 |
| $4.00 | 12.9 | 17.3 | 25.9 | 51.8 |
New Hampshire: 1,258 kWh/kW × 24.56 ¢ = 309 a year per kW; the 30% column (6.8 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.
CSVNew Hampshire among its neighbours
| Closest to New Hampshire | Payback, years | kWh per kW | Price, ¢ | Utility-scale solar, points of generation | Miles away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire (this page) | 9.7 | 1,258 | 24.56 | 0.0 | - |
| Massachusetts | -2.0 | +19 | +5.92 | +9.2 | 60 |
| Rhode Island | -1.8 | +37 | +4.90 | +7.1 | 95 |
| Vermont | +1.0 | -33 | -1.64 | +10.3 | 97 |
| Maine | -1.2 | +9 | +3.22 | +10.0 | 111 |
New Hampshire against its neighbours in the payback ranking
- -1 places, Maine -1.2 years against New Hampshire
- +0 places, New York -0.8 years against New Hampshire
- New Hampshire, rank 8: 9.7 years
- +2 places, District of Columbia +0.1 years against New Hampshire
- +3 places, New Jersey +0.3 years against New Hampshire
New Hampshire utilities and solar payback
| New Hampshire utility | Homes | Price ¢ | Value of 1 kW | Payback at $3.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of NH | 459,907 | 18.74 | $236 | 12.7 yr |
| New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc | 74,144 | 23.61 | $297 | 10.1 yr |
| Unitil Energy Systems | 68,602 | 18.51 | $233 | 12.9 yr |
| Liberty Utilities (Granite State Electri | 39,667 | 19.08 | $240 | 12.5 yr |
Your numbers for New Hampshire
Limits in New Hampshire
New Hampshire: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 6.8 years instead of 9.7, so the calculator starts at 0%. No New Hampshire export rates in our data: output counts at 24.56 ¢. All limits.
Sources for New Hampshire
- PVWatts v8 (NLR), 5 New Hampshire cities and one state point: 1,258 kWh per kW
- EIA-860 2025 and EIA-923 2025: 4 MW of solar in New Hampshire
- EIA-861 2024: 22,585 net-metered systems in New Hampshire
- EIA retail sales 2025: 24.56 ¢ per kWh in New Hampshire
- IRS 25D (ended 2025): 6.8 years in New Hampshire with it; licences and periods for New Hampshire
More about New Hampshire
New Hampshire electricity hub, New Hampshire EV charging: 302 stations, where New Hampshire ranks for rooftop solar, 9.7 years against 51 states, New Hampshire calculators.
Questions
New Hampshire utility-scale solar capacity?
4 MW in 2 plants (EIA-860), 3 W per resident, rank 50; 24 MW proposed.
New Hampshire electricity from solar, what share?
0.0% of 2025 net generation, rank 50 of 51, -6.8 points against the nation.
Solar payback in New Hampshire?
9.7 years at $3.00 a watt; 8.1 at $2.50; 11.3 at $3.50; 1,258 kWh per kW at 24.56 ¢.
New Hampshire sunshine for solar panels?
1,258 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 44 of 51; from 1,201 in Lebanon to 1,348 in Dover.
Net metering in New Hampshire?
22,585 systems, 34.6 per 1,000 accounts, rank 13.
Where in New Hampshire is solar best?
Yes: 12% between Lebanon and Dover in yearly output.
Winter cut in New Hampshire solar output?
December to February give 19% of the year; Jul makes 136 kWh per kW and Dec 63.
New Hampshire pays half price for exports?
Payback 19.4 years at a 50% retail share.
CO2 displaced in New Hampshire?
0.9 t a year on 6 kW at 0.124 kg per kWh.
Federal solar credit in New Hampshire: still available?
Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it New Hampshire payback would be 6.8 years, not 9.7.