Solar Incentives in Westchester County, NY

Westchester County runs from Yonkers on the city line up to the Putnam border, taking in White Plains, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Scarsdale, Rye, Harrison, Greenburgh, Ossining, Peekskill and dozens of villages. ZIP codes here begin 105, 106, 107 and 108. It is the strongest residential solar economics in New York State, and one of the more physically constrained.

Why the economics are strong

Under Phase One net metering, each exported kilowatt-hour is credited at the full retail rate, and Westchester’s retail electricity rate is high by national standards. The higher the rate, the more each unit your roof exports is worth. A system interconnected today holds that treatment for 20 years.

That is why a Westchester quote can look expensive in absolute terms and still pay back faster than a cheaper system in a low-rate upstate territory.

Why shading is the constraint

Westchester’s residential neighbourhoods are heavily wooded with mature oaks and maples that predate the houses. The low winter sun angle means a tree irrelevant in July removes hours of production in December.

Insist on an on-site shading assessment rather than a satellite estimate, and ask what the model assumes about winter. Where shading is severe the honest options are a smaller system, a different roof plane, or community solar. Tree removal is sometimes proposed and is a genuine trade-off with real cost, sometimes municipal permitting, and a permanent effect on the property — it should be presented as your decision, not assumed into a production estimate.

Con Edison, and the charge on a large system

Most of Westchester is Con Edison territory. Its 2026 residential Customer Benefit Contribution — the monthly charge on DC system size for anyone interconnecting on or after 1 January 2022 — is $1.29 per kW-month.

Westchester houses are large, so systems here tend to be larger than the state average and the charge is more visible:

• An 8 kW system: $10.32 a month, about $124 a year.
• A 12 kW system: $15.48 a month, about $186 a year.
• A 16 kW system: $20.64 a month, about $248 a year.

It is recalculated annually and is not locked in at interconnection. Note also that Westchester’s northern and eastern edges are not uniformly Con Edison — confirm against the name on your own bill rather than assuming from the county.

The property tax question matters more here

RPTL 487 exempts the added value of a solar system from property tax for 15 years, unless the municipality has opted out. The RPTL 487 exemption is not automatic: file form RP-487 with your assessor by the taxable status date (March 1 in most towns; January 2 in Nassau towns; May 1 or June 1 in Westchester towns; set by charter in cities; usually January 1 in villages), and the system must be built before January 1, 2030 (RP-487 instructions). In Westchester the city, town or village, the county and the school district each decide for their own levy.

Check the school district first. Westchester school taxes are a large share of the total property tax bill, so a school district opt-out is the one that costs you most, and it is the one most often overlooked. Ask specifically rather than accepting a general assurance that solar is exempt.

Two local steps that happen before the utility

• Homeowners associations. Common in parts of the county. New York law prevents an HOA from adopting or enforcing rules that effectively prohibit or unreasonably limit solar on property the homeowner owns — but that does not remove architectural review, and review takes time. Condominium owners are in a different and weaker position, because the roof is usually a common element.
• Historic and architectural review applies in several Westchester municipalities and can restrict street-visible placement.

Raise both at the quoting stage. They occur before the municipal permit and long before Con Edison is involved.

2026 incentives

The 30% federal residential credit under section 25D is gone, terminated for expenditures made after 31 December 2025, with an expenditure treated as made when the original installation is completed.

New York’s 25% credit capped at $5,000 on Form IT-255 remains — and this matters in Westchester specifically, because the county sees a great many lease and PPA offers, and New York’s credit reaches leases and PPAs of ten years or more as well as purchases where the federal one never did. The state sales tax exemption also remains. NY-Sun does not, for now: in Con Edison territory the last standard residential block closed on 29 May 2025 and the Affordable Solar block on 15 October 2025. As of September 2026 NYSERDA has no open NY-Sun block for homes in any utility territory; check NYSERDA’s NY-Sun dashboard for a new one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is solar worth it in Westchester County?

The economics are among the strongest in New York because retail electricity rates are high and net metering credits exports at the full retail rate. The binding constraint is usually shading from mature trees rather than the financial case.

Does solar increase property taxes in Westchester?

RPTL 487 exempts the added value for 15 years where the municipality has not opted out, but the town or village, the county and the school district each decide for their own levy. Check the school district too — it decides for its own levy.

How much is the Con Edison solar charge on a Westchester system?

At the 2026 residential rate of $1.29 per kW-month, a 12 kW system pays about $186 a year and a 16 kW system about $248. Westchester systems are often larger than the state average, so the charge is more noticeable here.

Can a Westchester HOA stop me installing solar?

Not on property you own — New York law prevents rules that effectively prohibit or unreasonably limit solar there. Architectural review still applies and still takes time. Condominium owners are weaker placed, because the roof is usually a common element rather than theirs.

This article is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Incentive amounts, eligibility rules and deadlines change and depend on your utility, your tax situation and your property. Confirm current terms with NYSERDA, your utility and a qualified tax professional before making a decision.