Rhode Island solar installation & market data
The Rhode Island solar market at a glance.
Rhode Island has about 28,738 solar systems totalling 220.2 MW, as reported by its utilities through July 2026. 18 MW of residential solar was added in the trailing twelve months, up 5.4% on the twelve months before. 10.4% of owner-occupied homes have gone solar and 7.2% of solar customers have a battery. SolarDNA tracks 3,941 individual installations here, with a median residential cost of $3.83 per watt, from 116 installers.
Rhode Island's SolarDNA Market Score: 46 out of 100.
Rhode Island scores 46 out of 100 on SolarDNA's Market Score, a 0-to-100 scale benchmarked against every other state market. That is higher than 69% of U.S. states. Grade C (Good).
The score combines 5 subscores, each computed from observed market data:
- Velocity (55): trailing-12-month growth in solar added versus the prior twelve months, so accelerating markets score higher.
- Cost (58): median installed $/W relative to the national median (a cheaper market scores higher).
- Incentives (47): net-metering coverage, RECs a new system can earn, state tax credit, rebate program and tax exemptions (components listed below).
- Resource (18): annual solar irradiance, so the same system produces more where this score is high.
- Depth (49): proven demand: how many systems are already installed, with a bonus for markets that show adoption without being saturated.
Renewable Energy Fund grants; property and sales tax exemptions.
Federal: Federal residential credit (25D) ended for systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025. Third-party-owned systems can still use the commercial credit (48E) through 2027 under construction-start rules.
State-level averages hide wide variation. Here's how to go deeper in the app:
- 1Narrow to a zip codeZip metrics give a far more accurate picture of the exact neighborhoods you are considering.
- 2Apply filtersFilter by score, growth, $/W, adoption and permits to reach the markets that actually match your model.
- 3Benchmark the installersSee who already wins there, how fast they are growing, and what they charge per watt.
How SolarDNA defines these metrics
Solar systems
Solar systems is the market-size figure: the systems utilities report on their lines, plus an estimate (sized from reported capacity) for systems outside net metering. It is current for every state.
How SolarDNA calculates solar systems →Tracked installations
Tracked installations are the individual residential, commercial and utility-scale systems SolarDNA holds a record for. SolarDNA de-duplicates the same system across records. Pricing, installers, equipment and every zip-level figure come from these records.
How SolarDNA calculates tracked installations →Median installed cost
Median installed cost is the middle price per watt (DC) that homeowners paid for a residential system in the trailing twelve months, before incentives. Quartiles show the spread.
How SolarDNA calculates median installed cost →Adoption rate
Adoption rate is the share of owner-occupied homes with a residential solar system. It measures how saturated a market is, not how fast it is growing.
How SolarDNA calculates adoption rate →12-month growth
For a state, growth compares the residential solar capacity added in the trailing twelve months with the twelve months before, from utility-reported totals with one-off reporting corrections smoothed out. For cities and zip codes it compares tracked installations.
How SolarDNA calculates 12-month growth →Battery share
Battery share is the portion of a state's solar customers whose system includes a battery, as reported by utilities.
How SolarDNA calculates battery share →Permits
Permits count the solar building permits filed in the last twelve months. They lead installations by several months, which makes them the earliest read on demand.
How SolarDNA calculates permits →Market Score
SolarDNA's Market Score grades each market from 0 to 100 on solar sales potential, weighing velocity, cost, incentives, solar resource and installer depth. Markets are benchmarked against every other market in the country, and the letter grade is set on a curve: A is the top 10% of markets, C the middle 40%, F the bottom 10%.
How SolarDNA calculates market score →See what a specific Rhode Island zip code looks like
Drop in any Rhode Island zip code and SolarDNA opens its market card: score, installs, median $/W, growth and permits, benchmarked against the state.
Dive deeper into the Rhode Island market
Market size & momentum
Systems, capacity, monthly additions, battery share and solar customers by utility.
- •How many solar systems are there in Rhode Island?
- •Is solar still growing in Rhode Island?
- •Which utility territories are adding the most?
Pricing & economics
Installed $/W, quartiles, system sizes and simple payback.
- •How much does solar cost in Rhode Island?
- •Is $/W falling in Rhode Island?
- •What is the median system size?
Growth & adoption
Installs by year, adoption, TAM penetration and battery attach.
- •Is solar demand growing in Rhode Island?
- •How saturated is the market?
- •How many systems add a battery?
Installers
The league table: volume, momentum, system size and pricing per installer.
- •Who installs the most in Rhode Island?
- •Which installers are growing fastest?
- •What do they charge per watt?
Utilities & incentives
Retail rates by utility, net metering, SREC value and the planned utility pipeline.
- •What are electricity rates in Rhode Island?
- •Which utilities offer net metering?
- •How big is the utility-scale pipeline?
How big Rhode Island's solar market is, and where it is heading
Totals reported by Rhode Island's utilities through July 2026 (latest months are preliminary)
Trailing-12-month residential capacity added carried forward at half the observed growth rate (capped at ±30%), with a ±10% band. Not a forecast of permits or policy.
Solar customers by utility in Rhode Island
Net-metered solar customers through July 2026. Most systems here use another tariff, so these rows understate each territory
| Utility | Solar customers | Capacity | Added, 12 mo | Growth | With battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Narragansett Electric Co | 21,715 | 168 MW | 2,468 | ▲ 2.3% | 7.2% |
What solar costs in Rhode Island
Residential systems, trailing twelve months
How fast Rhode Island is going solar
From SolarDNA's installation records, which run through December 2, 2024; current momentum is in the market totals above
Top installers in Rhode Island
Ranked by installations in this state
| # | Installer | Installs | 12-mo | Avg kW | $/W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEWPORT ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION | 628 | 43 | 8.64 | $3.55 |
| 2 | SOLPOWER ENERGY | 603 | 72 | 9.69 | $3.60 |
| 3 | BRIGHT PLANET SOLAR | 334 | 2 | 7.02 | $4.89 |
| 4 | TRINITY SOLAR | 302 | 23 | 6.76 | $4.20 |
| 5 | RGS ENERGY | 299 | 0 | 10.19 | $4.00 |
| 6 | SUNWATT SOLAR | 284 | 29 | 9.71 | $3.49 |
| 7 | ROOFTOP POWER | 225 | 60 | 9.61 | $5.67 |
| 8 | ISAKSEN SOLAR | 117 | 21 | 10.65 | $3.80 |
| 9 | NEC SOLAR | 105 | 23 | 10.15 | $3.75 |
| 10 | NEW PORT RENEWABLE | 91 | 3 | 65.19 | $3.90 |
| 11 | RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICE OF NEW ENGLAND | 71 | 0 | 13.29 | $3.30 |
| 12 | NEW ENGLAND CLEAN ENERGY | 54 | 1 | 8.71 | $4.41 |
| 13 | SECOND GENERATION ENERGY | 53 | 0 | 11.76 | $3.02 |
| 14 | SOLARWORKS | 38 | 0 | 104.26 | $3.94 |
| 15 | WHITE LABEL SOLAR | 38 | 8 | 8.15 | $4.41 |
Top zip markets in Rhode Island
Ranked by installations · click for the zip market
| Zip | Installs | $/W | Growth | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02902 Providence | 1 | $4.87 | — | 41.7 C |
Utilities and retail rates
Implied residential rate per utility
| Utility | Type | Res. customers | ¢/kWh | Net metering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Narragansett Electric Co | Investor Owned | 332,540 | 25.1 | ✓ |
| NextEra Energy Services, LLC | Retail Power Marketer | 85,764 | 11.6 | — |
| SmartEnergy Holdings, LLC | Retail Power Marketer | 8,190 | 16.2 | — |
| Clearview Electric Inc. | Retail Power Marketer | 5,619 | 23.2 | — |
| Town Square Energy | Retail Power Marketer | 5,265 | 17.1 | — |
| Adjustment 2024 | 4,409 | 17.9 | — | |
| Pascoag Utility District | Municipal | 4,373 | 16.5 | ✓ |
| Sunrun Inc. | Behind the Meter | 3,252 | 26.9 | — |
Other solar markets in Rhode Island
Three ways to slice Rhode Island's 3.9K installations
See how the market splits by sector, by battery attach and by installer, updated with every refresh.
See all breakdownsWhen demand peaks in Rhode Island
Quick answers about Rhode Island's market
🛡 Why trust SolarDNA data?
How many solar installations are there in Rhode Island?
How much does solar cost in Rhode Island?
Is the Rhode Island solar market growing?
What is the solar adoption rate in Rhode Island?
Is Rhode Island a good market for solar sales?
How many solar installers work in Rhode Island?
How many solar permits were filed in Rhode Island?
How current is Rhode Island's solar data?
There's a lot more inside the SolarDNA app.
- ◇Zip and city market pages
- ◇Installer league tables
- ◇Territory builder
- ◇Solarizer deal estimates
- ◇Permit activity where reported
- ◇Export the data