Solar Panel Installation on Long Island and in NYC
Cut your energy bills by up to 50%, get massive tax credits, and earn money back from your utility company.
Our Solar Panel Systems
The Green Plug designs and installs residential solar panel systems across Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the NYC metro. Our NABCEP-certified, in-house crews handle the site assessment, permits, PSEG Long Island or Con Edison interconnection, and incentive paperwork, so you deal with one contractor from the first visit to the day your system turns on. Most of our customers cut their electric bill by 30-50%. Schedule a free energy assessment to see what solar would save on yours.
High-Efficiency Monocrystalline Panels
Monocrystalline panels rated around 22% efficiency, so a typical Long Island roof fits more production in less space.
Rated for Long Island/NYC Weather
Racking and modules rated for heavy snow loads and hurricane-force wind, with flashing and sealing for both pitched shingle roofs and flat roofs.
25-Year Panel and Workmanship Warranty
Manufacturer warranty on the panels plus our own 25-year workmanship warranty covering the installation and every roof penetration.
Microinverters and Real-Time Monitoring
Panel-level Enphase microinverters and optimizers keep shade on one panel from dragging down the array, and our monitoring app shows your production in real time.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost?
What a solar system costs in NYC or on Long Island depends on how much electricity you use, how many panels your roof can hold, whether you add a battery, and whether your electrical panel needs an upgrade.
Typical System Cost and Payback Period
A typical Long Island home needs a 7-10 kW system. After the incentives are applied, most of our customers see a payback period of 5-7 years, and the panels keep producing for 25 years or more under warranty. Your exact number comes from your last twelve months of utility bills and a roof survey, both of which are part of our free assessment. For a quick estimate first, use our Solar Savings Calculator.
Zero-Down Financing: Own or Lease
You can buy the system outright, finance it with no money down, or lease it. Owning gives you the tax credits and the full bill savings; a lease or power purchase agreement trades some of that savings for no upfront cost and no maintenance responsibility.
Our current financing partner offers rates from 0.99% as of October 2026. We walk through all three options with real numbers at the assessment so you can compare monthly cost against your current bill.
Maintenance and Monitoring Costs
Solar panels have no moving parts. Rain handles most cleaning on a pitched roof, and the monitoring app flags a drop in production before you would notice it on a bill. Budget under $200 a year for an occasional cleaning or inspection. Inverters carry a 10-15 year warranty and are the one component likely to need replacement during the system’s life.
New York Solar Incentives and Tax Credits
Solar incentives in New York come from three places: the State of New York, New York City (for homes in the five boroughs), and your utility. Which ones apply to you depends on where you live, whether you own or lease the system, and when it is installed. We confirm your eligibility at the assessment and prepare the paperwork for every program you qualify for. The figures below are current as of our last update; incentive rules change, so ask us to confirm before you decide.
Federal Solar Tax Credit
The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit, the 30% tax credit homeowners used to claim on a purchased solar system, ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. If you buy your system with cash or a loan today, there is no federal credit to claim. We are monitoring changes to legislation and incentives on the Federal level.
New York State Solar Tax Credit and NY-Sun Incentive
New York State offers a personal income tax credit for residential solar, and NYSERDA’s NY-Sun program pays an upfront incentive to the installer that comes off your contract price.
Both apply to homes on Long Island and in NYC. We are a registered NY-Sun participating contractor and the NY-Sun incentive is applied on your contract rather than claimed later.
NYC Solar Property Tax Abatement
If your home is in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, or Staten Island, New York City’s solar property tax abatement reduces your property tax bill over four years by a percentage of the system cost. It stacks with the state credit and NY-Sun.
The abatement is filed through the NYC Department of Buildings with the installation permit, which is one reason to use a DOB-approved contractor; we file it as part of the project.
Net Metering with PSEG Long Island and Con Edison
When your panels produce more than your home is using, the extra flows to the grid and your utility credits your account. On Long Island that is PSEG Long Island; in Queens and the other boroughs it is Con Edison (except the Rockaways, which PSEG Long Island serves).
Both utilities credit excess production under their current net metering rules, so summer overproduction offsets winter bills. We submit the interconnection application and the utility’s final approval is the last step before your system is switched on.
Solar Panels for Flat Roofs, Older Roofs, and Roof Replacements
Your roof is the foundation of your solar system, and we see every kind: asphalt shingle capes and colonials, flat tar-and-gravel and modified bitumen roofs on rowhouses and attached homes, and slate on older houses.
Because we are a GAF-certified roofing contractor as well as a solar installer, we assess the roof first and tell you honestly whether it should be replaced before panels go on it.
Flat Roof Solar Installation
Flat roofs are common across NYC and work well for solar. We mount panels on tilted racking, either ballasted (weighted, with no roof penetrations) or attached, angled to catch the sun and spaced so rows do not shade each other. Flat-roof systems are easier to access and clean, and the tilt can be tuned for winter production. NYC installations are filed with the Department of Buildings, which we handle as an approved contractor.
Replacing Your Roof Before Going Solar
Solar panels last 25 years or more. If your roof has less than ten years left, replacing it first avoids paying to remove and reinstall the panels later.
We replace most roofs in a single day with GAF roofing systems and install the solar mounts into the new roof deck, so one crew, one schedule, and one warranty cover both. A roof replacement bundled with solar can also qualify for financing as one project.
Read more in our guide to combining roof and solar installations and see our roof replacement services.
Is My Roof Good for Solar?
The best roofs face south, southeast, or southwest, have unshaded space for 16 or more panels, and are structurally sound. East and west faces still produce well, and flat roofs can be tilted toward any direction.
During our free assessment we check orientation, shading from trees and neighboring buildings, roof age and condition, and the structure’s ability to carry the added load.
If the roof needs reinforcement or repair, we tell you before you sign anything. All roof work we do under a solar project is covered by our 25-year workmanship warranty.
Solar Battery Storage and Backup Power
A standard grid-tied solar system shuts off during a power outage for the safety of utility line workers, even on a sunny day. If you want power through an outage, you need a battery.
We install home batteries as part of a new solar system or added to an existing one. The battery stores your daytime overproduction, powers essential circuits (refrigerator, heat, well pump, medical equipment, internet) when the grid goes down, and switches over automatically.
On Long Island, where storms and downed lines are a regular part of fall and winter, storage is the most common add-on we quote. Battery systems may qualify for their own incentives depending on current local, state, and federal policy.
Ask about storage at your assessment, or see our all-in-one energy packages that bundle solar, storage, and a heat pump.
Solar Technology Built for the Long Island Climate
Long Island gets about 5 peak sun hours a day averaged across the year, and solar panels produce electricity from daylight, not heat. Cold, clear winter days are good for output because panel voltage rises as temperature drops; what reduces winter production is shorter days and snow cover, not cold.
Snow slides off tilted panels within a day or two of a storm, and the monitoring app shows you exactly what the system produced each day so there is no guessing. Summer is when most of your annual production happens, and net metering carries that surplus forward as credits for the darker months. Over its life, a typical home system here offsets roughly 3-4 tons of carbon dioxide a year.
Residential and Commercial Solar Installation on Long Island and in NYC
Most of our solar work is residential: single-family homes across Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as the boroughs.
However, we also design and install commercial systems for small and mid-size buildings including flat-roof and ground-mount arrays, with the same in-house crews and permit handling.
Commercial projects have their own incentive rules and procurement requirements; check out our guide on building a FEOC-compliant commercial solar system for up to date information.
For a commercial quote, contact us and mention the building type and your most recent utility bill.
Why Choose The Green Plug
Immediate Cost Savings
See 30-50% reduction on your very first energy bill after installation
Complete Management
Dedicated project manager handles all permits and paperwork
Certified Installation
Work done by NABCEP certified installers following strict NYC building codes
Property Value Boost
Increase your home's market value with energy-efficient upgrades
Own or Lease
Choose among different financing options. We've got you covered.
Pay Less Personal Taxes
Enjoy tax credits. Our team will prepare all documents
Ready to reduce your electricity bills? See your potential
savings with our Solar Calculator and get a free estimate.
Our Solar Installation Process
CONSULTATION & ASSESSMENT
• Free energy evaluation • Bill review • Financial planning • Comprehensive site survey including roof assessment and solar exposure analysis.
Design & Permitting
● Custom system design with production estimates
● Smart tech integration
● Complete permit handling for New York building and utility requirements.
Installation
● Professional setup of high-quality solar panels with weather-resistant mounting ● Smart monitoring system ● Optional battery backup installation
Final Approval
● Complete New York electrical inspection
● System performance testing
● Utility approval, followed by system activation and thorough owner training.
- Free Professional Energy Audit ($499 Value)
- Custom Savings Report
- Available Tax Incentive Analysis
Solar Panel FAQs for Long Island and NYC Homeowners
Are solar panels worth it in New York?
For most Long Island and NYC homeowners, yes. Electric rates here are among the highest in the country, which means every kilowatt-hour your panels produce is worth more than it would be elsewhere. Combined with New York State and NYC incentives and net metering credits, most of our customers reach payback in 5-7 years and then have 18 or more years of production under warranty. The exceptions are heavily shaded roofs and roofs that need replacement with no budget to do it.
How does net metering work with PSEG Long Island and Con Edison?
Your meter tracks electricity flowing both directions. When your panels produce more than you use, the surplus goes to the grid and your utility credits your account; when you draw from the grid at night or in winter, the credits offset it. PSEG Long Island serves Nassau and Suffolk; Con Edison serves Queens and the other boroughs. Both credit under their current net metering rules. We file the interconnection application for you.
Can you install solar panels on a flat roof?
Yes. Flat roofs are common in Queens and across NYC, and we install on them regularly using tilted racking that is either ballasted (weighted, no roof penetrations) or mechanically attached. The tilt angle improves production over a flat lay and lets rain and snow run off. Flat-roof arrays are also easier to inspect and clean. NYC flat-roof projects are filed with the Department of Buildings, which we handle as an approved contractor.
Should I replace my roof before installing solar panels?
If your roof has less than about ten years of life left, replace it first. Panels last 25 years or more, and removing and reinstalling them later to re-roof adds cost. We are a GAF-certified roofer, so we assess the roof at the free consultation, replace it in one day if needed, and set the solar mounts into the new deck under one workmanship warranty.
Do solar panels work during the winter?
Yes. Panels run on light, not heat, and cold weather actually raises panel voltage and efficiency. Winter production is lower mainly because days are shorter and snow can cover panels for a day or two after a storm before sliding off the tilted surface. Net metering is designed for this: your summer surplus becomes credits that offset winter bills. Your production estimate already accounts for Long Island’s seasonal pattern.
What happens to my solar system during a power outage?
A standard grid-tied system shuts off automatically during an outage so it cannot send power into lines that utility crews are repairing. To keep power during an outage, you need a battery. A battery stores your daytime production and runs essential circuits (refrigerator, heat, well pump, medical equipment) when the grid is down, switching over automatically. We install batteries with new systems or add them to existing ones.
How do I claim the New York solar tax credit and NYC property tax abatement?
The New York State solar tax credit is claimed on your state income tax return for the year the system is installed; we provide the cost documentation your preparer needs. The NYC solar property tax abatement, for homes in Queens and the other boroughs, is filed through the Department of Buildings with the installation permit; we file it as part of the project and the reduction appears on your property tax bill over four years.
Do solar panels increase home value in New York?
Studies of home sales consistently find that buyers pay more for homes with owned solar systems, because the buyer inherits lower electric bills. A Zillow study found that homes in New York could expect to sell for up to 5.4% more with solar panels installed.
In NYC, the property tax abatement means the added value does not raise your property taxes during the abatement period. Leased systems transfer differently; we’ll explain the difference during your free assessment.