Manchester–Nashua Energy Guide: Solar, Batteries, Backup, EV

In short: Eversource, the state’s largest utility and one of four serving the Manchester–Nashua area, averaged about 22.7¢ per kWh in 2024, and its customers lost about 13 hours of power once major storms are counted. FEMA rates Hillsborough County’s ice storm risk very high. Eversource pays up to $3,000 toward an enrolled battery, and Manchester exempts solar from property tax.

Below: what each local utility means for solar, batteries and charging, how permits work in Manchester and Nashua, and how to plan for ice storms. Statewide rules (NEM 2.0 history, the plug-in solar law, licensing, incentives) are in our New Hampshire energy guide.

Manchester–Nashua at a glance

• Utilities: in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, EIA lists Eversource (Public Service Co of NH), Liberty Utilities, Unitil and the NH Electric Co-op. Unitil serves part of Derry. Your bill says which one you have.
• Price, 2024 average: Eversource about 22.7¢ per kWh, Liberty 22.9¢, Unitil 23.3¢ (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales, for homes on the utility’s own supply). Prices rose sharply in 2026; see the state page.
• Outages, 2024: Eversource 786 minutes per customer with major events, 82 without; Liberty 370 and 93; Unitil 593 and 98 (EIA-861).
• Sun: about 3.81 kWh per square meter per day in Manchester and Nashua (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,110 kWh a year per kW of panels.
• Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Hillsborough County “very high” for ice storms and “relatively high” for lightning, strong wind and winter weather.
• Public charging: 71 public ports in Manchester, 32 in Nashua, 15 in Londonderry and 14 each in Bedford and Merrimack (AFDC, October 2026). Few stations are listed under Derry.

Your utility and what it means

All four utilities follow New Hampshire’s NEM 2.0 rule for small solar: exports earn the supply price, transmission and a quarter of distribution. What changes from one utility to the next is the price, the outage record and the programs.

• Eversource: in a May 2026 copy of its rate page, Rate R carried a $19.81 monthly charge, 6.291¢ distribution and 4.445¢ transmission per kWh. By our arithmetic, an exported kWh then earned the supply price plus about 6¢. Delivery rates change several times a year, so ask your installer to use current figures. Eversource also offers a whole-house Time-of-Day rate (ROTOD-2). For batteries, its New Hampshire home battery incentive, funded by the state Clean Energy Fund, paid $230 per kWh up to $3,000 (May 2026). It covers listed Enphase and FranklinWH batteries bought after October 1, 2022, and requires three summers of demand response: about 40 events a year, 3 to 8 p.m., June through September. The battery is never drained below 20%, and Eversource skips events when extreme weather is forecast. Funding is limited.
• Liberty Utilities: since January 2025, a solar application up to 25 kW costs $200, and Liberty asks you to apply before buying equipment. Its battery pilot installs two Tesla Powerwalls for $50 a month over ten years or $4,866 upfront, with 8 to 12 hours of backup. It was capped in phases, so ask whether it is still open. Liberty also has an EV time-of-use rate on a separate meter.
• Unitil (part of Derry): offers an EV time-of-use rate for New Hampshire homes. It needs a second meter socket installed by your electrician.

Community power: Nashua runs Nashua Community Power through the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, which buys electricity supply for the city’s customers. Your utility still delivers the power and handles outages and solar connections. Compare the supply line on your bill. In the other towns, ask the city or town whether a program is running.

Backup power in Manchester–Nashua

Ice is the local threat. FEMA rates Hillsborough County “very high” for ice storms, the top rating, and ice on lines and trees causes long outages. Eversource’s 2024 figures show the pattern: 82 minutes on an ordinary-day basis, but 786 once major events count. Its average interruption lasted about eight hours. Plan for a cold night or two without power, not a short flicker.

• Multi-day ice or wind storms: a standby or portable generator with a transfer switch keeps a furnace, well pump and fridge running. See generator installation and size it with the generator sizing tool.
• Quiet backup with a payback: a home battery enrolled in Eversource’s program earns an upfront incentive and still covers your home in an outage. Size it with the battery backup calculator.
• Apartments: a portable power station for lights, phones, internet and medical devices.

Compare all the options in our backup power guide. Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).

Solar in Manchester–Nashua

By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system here makes about 6,700 kWh a year. Used at home, that would have been worth about $1,510 at Eversource’s 2024 average price, and more at 2026 prices. Exported power earns less under NEM 2.0, so a system sized to your own use pays back best. These are estimates, not quotes.

Manchester property tax: the city adopted the state’s optional solar exemption in 2015. Qualifying solar equipment is exempt for 100% of its assessed value, so the panels do not raise your tax bill. In Nashua and the other towns, ask the assessor whether the exemption has been adopted.

Check your roof with the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and how net metering works.

Home batteries in Manchester–Nashua

Batteries have a stronger case here than in most of the state because two local utilities pay toward them. Eversource’s incentive is $230 per kWh: a 10 kWh battery would earn $2,300, and the cap is $3,000. Liberty’s lease spreads the cost of two Powerwalls over ten years. EIA counted 631 Eversource solar homes with a paired battery at the end of 2024. Compare costs on the battery cost page and see battery installation.

EV charging in Manchester–Nashua

At 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs about $6.80 per 100 miles at Eversource’s 2024 average, and slightly more on Liberty or Unitil (our estimate). Time-of-use rates can cut that if you charge overnight. Liberty and Unitil put the charger on its own meter. Manchester has the area’s largest public network, 71 ports at 31 locations. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and an electrical permit. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.

Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Manchester: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Permits and inspections

• Manchester: the Planning and Community Development Department takes building permits online. Electrical permit forms are filled in online, then printed, signed and mailed with the fee. Rentals, multi-family and commercial work need a licensed NH master electrician.
• Nashua: the Department of Building Safety (City Hall, 229 Main Street) issues building permits for the structure and separate electrical permits. The state building code moved to the 2018 and 2021 editions at the end of 2024.
• Bedford, Merrimack, Londonderry and Derry: apply to your town’s building department.
• Utility approval: Eversource, Liberty or Unitil must approve a grid-tied solar or battery system before it is switched on.

Use a New Hampshire-licensed electrician (license checks are on the state page), and check HOA or condo rules before you sign.

Cities we cover

• Manchester
• Nashua
• Bedford
• Merrimack
• Londonderry
• Derry

Get help in Manchester–Nashua

Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Manchester–Nashua area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.

Manchester–Nashua energy questions

Does Eversource pay for home batteries in New Hampshire?

Yes, while funding lasts. In May 2026 its program, funded by the state Clean Energy Fund, paid $230 per kWh of battery capacity, up to $3,000. It covers listed Enphase or FranklinWH batteries enrolled in summer demand response for three years. Check the program page for current terms.

Is solar exempt from property tax in Manchester?

Yes. Manchester adopted the state’s optional exemption (RSA 72:62) in February 2015. It covers 100% of the assessed value of qualifying solar equipment. Other towns decide for themselves, so ask your assessor.

What is Nashua Community Power?

It is the city’s electricity supply program, run through the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. It replaces the utility’s default supply price on your bill, while Eversource or Liberty still delivers the power, fixes outages and connects solar. Compare the supply price on your bill with the utility’s default rate.

Why plan for long outages in Hillsborough County?

FEMA rates the county very high for ice storms, and in 2024 Eversource customers lost about 13 hours of power once major events are counted, against under 1.5 hours on ordinary days. Backup sized for a day or more without power fits the local record.

Sources

EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; service territory; net metering); Eversource New Hampshire delivery rates and home battery incentive pages (archived May 2026; the live site blocked our checks); Liberty Utilities New Hampshire battery, net metering and EV pages; Unitil service areas and EV time-of-use pages; Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire member page; City of Manchester permit and solar exemption pages; City of Nashua Building Safety pages (archived 2026); NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. Read October 2026 unless noted. Estimates are ours and labelled.