Solar panels in Queens, New York

Queens is a New York City (Queens County) community of approximately 2.3 million residents. Con Edison serves Queens. Queens' diverse housing stock includes many single-family homes ideal for rooftop solar. Like all New York homeowners, Queens residents have access to New York's strong solar incentive stack: the 25% state income tax credit (up to $5,000), NY-Sun NYSERDA rebates, a sales tax exemption on solar equipment, and a 15-year property tax exemption on solar-added home value. As a New York City homeowner, you also qualify for the NYC RPTAP property tax abatement — 30% of system cost credited against your property taxes over four years. Your local utility is Con Edison, which administers Con Edison's full retail-rate net metering.

What solar costs in Queens in 2026

Solar installation in Queens runs approximately $3.00 to $3.50 per watt installed. For a typical 8 kW system — sized for a Queens home running air conditioning, heating (if electric), and everyday loads — that is roughly $26,000 before incentives. After New York's incentive stack, net effective cost typically falls to $13,000–$18,000 for most Queens homeowners, and as low as $8,000–$12,000 for NYC homeowners who claim all available programs including RPTAP.

One important fact for every Queens homeowner: the federal residential solar tax credit expired at the end of 2025. Any quote showing a 30% federal discount on a 2026 installation is using outdated numbers. New York's state credit and NY-Sun program are the relevant incentives in 2026.

Solar incentives available to Queens homeowners

• 25% New York State income tax credit (up to $5,000) — A direct credit against your NY state income tax bill. Must own the system to claim it; leases and PPAs disqualify you. Full NY incentives breakdown.
• NY-Sun NYSERDA rebates — Per-watt upfront incentives that reduce your quoted system price directly. Amount varies by territory and current program tranche; ask your installer for the current rate in New York City (Queens County).
• Sales tax exemption — New York exempts solar equipment from state and local sales tax. On a $26,000 system in Queens, this saves approximately $2,000–$2,300.
• Property tax exemption (15 years) — Solar-added home value is exempt from NY property tax assessment for 15 years statewide.
• NYC RPTAP property tax abatement — 30% of system cost abated from your NYC property taxes over four years. Worth up to $7,800 on a $26,000 system. RPTAP details.

Is solar worth it in Queens?

For most Queens homeowners who own their home (not a co-op apartment, which faces board restrictions), solar is a strong investment. Con Edison's retail electricity rates of $0.28 to $0.34/kWh are among the highest for any mainland US utility. Combined with the NYC RPTAP abatement, state 25% credit, and NY-Sun, an 8 kW Queens system can pay back in as few as 4 to 6 years. Solar may not make financial sense if you rent, plan to sell within 3 to 4 years, have a heavily shaded roof, or have very low electricity usage. We will give you an honest assessment either way.

Con Edison solar in Queens

Con Edison serves Queens with full retail-rate net metering. Excess solar generation your system sends to the grid earns bill credits at Con Edison's retail electricity rate (~$0.30–$0.34/kWh), applied against your monthly bill. Credits roll forward month to month and are reconciled annually. The interconnection process — handled by your installer — typically takes 6 to 10 weeks from application to permission to operate.

Next steps for Queens homeowners

The right path is knowing your real numbers before you talk to anyone selling you something. We will give you a free, no-pressure estimate for your Queens home with every 2026 New York incentive applied honestly — the 25% credit, current NY-Sun rates in your territory, accurate Con Edison net metering credits, and real payback math. A real person reviews your estimate and follows up — no call center, no chatbot, no seven installers calling you simultaneously. If solar does not fit your Queens situation, we will tell you that instead.