What New Jersey pays for your exported solar power
Export compensation is the single biggest payback lever in 2026. Here is New Jersey's current rule in plain words, with the official source.
Under New Jersey's export rules, compensation for surplus power decides the payback - which typically runs 10-14 years on unsubsidized 2026 math.
Installed home solar for Franklin Lakes homeowners averages about $2.58 a watt across the U.S. marketplace - roughly $30,960 for a 12 kW system before incentives.
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey has about 11,251 residents, and its solar quotes are built from system size, roof complexity and export rules - not the town name.
Whether solar still pays in New Jersey after the federal credit's end comes down to arithmetic, not ideology: installed cost (about $2.58 a watt at the marketplace average), what your utility pays for exports, and how much of your generation you use yourself. High self-consumption - daytime usage, EV charging, batteries - is now the biggest lever.
The honest 2026 answer for Franklin Lakes: solar pays back slower without the 30% credit - paybacks that ran 7-10 years often now run 10-14 - but electricity rates keep rising and hardware is the cheapest it has ever been. The deciding factor is New Jersey's export compensation, covered in the net metering section.
The 2026 numbers
| System size | Installed price (marketplace avg) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 kW | $15,480 | Small roof / low usage |
| 8 kW | $20,640 | Typical starter system |
| 10 kW | $25,800 | Family home with AC |
| 12 kW | $30,960 | Large home / EV charging |
| Home battery (optional) | $12,000-$16,000 | Backup power + self-consumption |
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New Jersey rules that decide your payback
| Rule | New Jersey status |
|---|---|
| Export compensation (net metering) | Full retail-rate net metering: homeowners receive full retail credit on their utility bill for every kWh their system produces over a 12-month annualized cycle, systems must be sized not to exceed the customer's annual electric needs, and any excess generation existing when a customer switches suppliers or changes their anniversary date is credited at the wholesale Locational Marginal Price rather than retail. |
| State incentive | Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) Program - Administratively Determined Incentive (ADI) sub-program, which pays residential net-metered systems SREC-IIs for 15 years; the Board cut the residential rate from $85/MWh to $77/MWh for all registrations received on or after July 27, 2026, and opened a 300 MW residential block for Energy Year 2027 on June 1, 2026 (first-come, first-served until subscribed or June 1, 2027) |
| Sales tax on the system | Exempt |
| Property tax on added home value | Excluded |
The residential ADI block is chronically oversubscribed - registrations ran ~5.2 MW/week in EY2026 and the Board had to move 35 MW from the non-residential segment in April 2026 to keep the residential block from closing early - so homeowners should confirm block capacity remains before signing.
This guide is research, not advice: an independent summary of published prices and state rules. It is not an installer, lender or tax advisor - verify incentive eligibility with a licensed tax professional before relying on it.
What this means for Franklin Lakes roofs
Whether solar still pays in New Jersey after the federal credit's end comes down to arithmetic, not ideology: installed cost (about $2.58 a watt at the marketplace average), what your utility pays for exports, and how much of your generation you use yourself. High self-consumption - daytime usage, EV charging, batteries - is now the biggest lever.
This guide is research, not advice: an independent summary of published prices and state rules. It is not an installer, lender or tax advisor - verify incentive eligibility with a licensed tax professional before relying on it.
Getting Franklin Lakes quotes
Marketplace platforms collect bids from multiple NJ installers against the same spec, which is the only clean way to compare - same roof, same size, different prices. Getting quotes is free and does not commit you to anything; prices come from the installers, never from this site.
This guide is research, not advice: an independent summary of published prices and state rules. It is not an installer, lender or tax advisor - verify incentive eligibility with a licensed tax professional before relying on it.
Common questions
Is there still a federal solar tax credit in 2026?
No. The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit was repealed effective for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, per the IRS. Only systems finished by the end of 2025 qualified. State-level incentives are separate and some survive - check the state page in this guide.
Does solar raise my property taxes?
It depends on the state - many exempt solar's added home value from property tax, others do not, and some exemptions have expiration dates. This guide's state page lists the verified rule and source for your state.
What happens if my installer goes out of business?
Panel and inverter warranties come from the manufacturers and survive, but the workmanship warranty usually dies with the company. That is a real risk in the post-credit shakeout - prefer installers with years of local history, and get manufacturer-backed workmanship coverage where offered.
How much does home solar cost in 2026?
The U.S. marketplace average is about $2.58 per watt installed - roughly $15,500 for a 6 kW system and $31,000 for 12 kW, before any state incentives. Quotes meaningfully above that level deserve a written explanation of what justifies the premium.
How long do solar panels actually last?
Panels are typically warrantied for 25 years of production and commonly outlive it, losing about 0.5% output per year. Inverters are the component that usually needs replacement - typically once, around year 12-15, at a few thousand dollars.
Get solar quotes for Franklin Lakes
These platforms collect bids from licensed installers so you can compare against the same spec. Prices come from installers, not from this site.
Disclosure: this is an independent guide. If you request quotes through a link here, the platform may pay this site a referral fee. That fee never changes your quotes.