Commercial Solar EPC in New Hampshire

Net metering in New Hampshire: NEM 2.0

New Hampshire's current tariff, NEM 2.0, came out of PUC Order No. 26,029 and took effect September 1, 2017. In November 2024, in Docket DE 22-060, the PUC issued Order No. 27,074, which kept NEM 2.0 in place, allowed utilities to charge interconnection application fees from January 1, 2025, and kept (without extending) the legacy period for existing net-metered customers through December 31, 2040. A second phase of that docket is considering broader local-generation and storage compensation, so the tariff could change for future projects; systems built now are evaluated under NEM 2.0.

What matters for a commercial owner is the size split:

In plain terms, a large customer-generator (over 100 kW) earns roughly the default energy supply rate on every exported kWh, while every kWh consumed on site avoids the full retail rate. That gap is why we size New Hampshire commercial arrays to the daytime load curve, and why the 100 kW line is a real design decision: a system just under 100 kW AC can outperform a larger one on a per-dollar basis at some sites. The general cap for net metering is 1 MW AC.

Group net metering and municipal hosts

A group host can share credits with members in the same utility territory, provided total host and member load equals or exceeds annual generation and a group agreement is in place. A large generator that does not use at least 20% of its output on site must register as a group. Hosts register with the NH Department of Energy and their utility and report annually.

Under HB 315 (signed August 26, 2021), a municipal group host can net meter projects between 1 and 5 MW AC if every member is a political subdivision (towns, school districts, and similar public bodies) in the same utility territory. For a town that wants to cover schools, water treatment, and town buildings from a closed landfill or gravel pit, that 5 MW pathway is the most useful structure in the state.

Property tax: the local-option exemption

RSA 72:61 through 72:72 let each city or town adopt a property tax exemption for solar energy systems, by vote of its legislative body. The exemption is local option, so whether it exists, and how much it covers, depends on the municipality. For municipalities adopting on or after January 1, 2020, the statutory definition of a solar energy system covers systems that produce electricity for a building, including photovoltaics, inverters, and storage. Towns that adopted before 2020 use an older definition that covers PV systems providing electricity for a building but does not mention storage.

That detail matters for batteries: in a town with a pre-2020 exemption, storage may not be covered unless the town re-adopts. We confirm the local exemption and its adoption date with the assessor during feasibility, because property tax on a commercial array otherwise runs for the life of the system.

Sources

• Community Power Coalition of NH, Statement on PUC Ruling in Net Metering Docket (Order No. 27,074, DE 22-060). communitypowernh.gov
• NH Department of Energy, Net Metering and Group Net Metering Overview. energy.nh.gov
• NH Department of Energy, Commercial & Industrial Solar Incentive Program. energy.nh.gov
• NH Department of Energy, Financial Incentives for Commercial Sustainable Energy in NH (2018). energy.nh.gov
• NH RSA 72:61, Definitions (solar energy systems). gencourt.state.nh.us
• Rath, Young and Pignatelli, New Hampshire Raises Size Limit for Municipal Solar Projects to 5 Megawatts. rathlaw.com
• Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer, New Hampshire Net Metering Update (Order No. 26,029). primmer.com
• NH General Court, Puc 900 Net Metering Rules. gc.nh.gov