Small Residential (1-4 Unit) Programs

Massachusetts Solar for All (MASFA) will be available to residents and households that demonstrate a household income of up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). All projects financed under MASFA will enable a minimum of 20% energy bill savings for the customer. The 20% energy bill savings will be based on the average household utility bill in the utility service territory, and savings must be inclusive of any payments made by residents to loan or lease providers.

MASFA will provide residents of single-family (1-4 unit) homes with two options to install solar.  

1. Zero Percent (0%) Interest Loan for residents to own their system

The zero-interest loan (ZIL) program offers an Interest Rate Buy Down (“IRBD”) to enable low-cost financing of solar loans for owners of single-family residences (1-4 units) via local lenders. With this financial assistance structure, MassCEC will cover the scheduled interest payments for each program loan over the full loan term. This means that each program loan will in effect be a “Zero-Interest Loan” for the resident. 

The resident will close their solar loan with a participating local lender. After closing the loan, the resident will make regular payments on the loan principal, to be determined by the resident and their lender. The Zero Interest Loan program will only be applicable to solar PV installation-related costs. 

Further information on the ZIL parameters and requirements is forthcoming in the MASFA ZIL Program Manual and other core program documents which will be published prior to program launch. 

2. Third-Party Owned (TPO) Solar Lease for residents to install third-party owned solar at reduced rates

The MASFA solar lease initiative (SLI) is designed to help homeowners and residents access the long-term benefits of solar PV in circumstances where solar system ownership and financing may not be the right fit.

With this financial assistance structure, lease partners selected by MassCEC will receive financial assistance to reduce the lease term for the resident, enabling ‘accelerated’ lease offerings which more closely mimic the feel of financed PV ownership. Under this model, the resident will make monthly lease payments for an initial payment period as determined by the resident and third-party solar system owner, followed by an ‘in-lease’ period in which the homeowner will make no more monthly payments, but will continue to receive energy and cost savings for the remaining term of the lease. Further information on the TPO lease parameters and requirements is forthcoming in core program documents which will be published prior to program launch. 

Technical Assistance 

MASFA will provide technical assistance to help residents decide which ownership structure is best for them. Upon program launch, this assistance will be available through one-on-one sessions with the MASFA Decision-Support Provider. In the meantime, to learn more about installing and financing solar—including a comparison of lease and loan models—visit MassCEC's Clean Energy Lives Here website. 

Lease vs. Loan

As you begin exploring solar, an important step is deciding what type of ownership and financing structures are right for you. The MASFA coalition will hire a Decision Support provider to help residents choose which option is right for them. Prior to program launch, we encourage interested residents to learn more about incentives, ownership, and financing options for solar. 

Consumer Protection

As you explore if solar is right for you, it is important to be informed about consumer best practices. Learn more about consumer protections.