Massachusetts SMART: the incentive that pairs with BERDO.
SMART pays a tariff per kWh generated, with adders that reward storage pairing, siting and low-income service. In Boston, the same project can answer a BERDO obligation and earn a SMART tariff at once.
The rule in one paragraph
SMART is a declining-block tariff program in Eversource, National Grid and Unitil territories. Projects receive a base compensation rate per kWh set by their block and capacity, plus adders and subtractors tied to siting, pairing and offtake.
SMART II continued the structure with revised capacity blocks and adder rules, including specific requirements for paired energy storage systems and for projects serving low-income customers.
Who it applies to
Commercial, industrial, institutional and multifamily properties in participating Massachusetts utility territories, within available block capacity.
Adder eligibility depends on project type, siting category and offtake arrangement; confirm current block and adder availability at application.
What it costs / what it pays
The tariff pays per kWh over the program term, and the storage adder pays for a battery that is also doing demand-charge work on the same site.
Together with the federal credit, SMART is often the difference between a Massachusetts rooftop that clears a financing threshold and one that does not.
How NOI's structure fits
NOI builds solar and storage together where the tariff, the adder and the demand charge all support it, and takes the incentive inside its own structure.
For a Boston owner, the compliance answer and the revenue answer come from the same asset, on one site license, with no capex.
Timeline
- Week 0Bill and tariff review; block and adder eligibility check.
- Weeks 2-4Site walk, roof and electrical assessment.
- Months 1-3SMART application and interconnection filing.
- Months 4-10Construction and commissioning; tariff payments begin.
Talk to us about this on your building
Send the address and twelve months of bills. We come back with the compliance position and the operating case together.
Other programs in this section
Annual carbon caps on NYC buildings over 25,000 sq ft, with a sharp step-down in 2030.
ComplianceBoston's emissions performance standard, with Alternative Compliance Payments and a 2030 threshold drop.
ComplianceWashington DC's Building Energy Performance Standards, enforced on cycles with compliance pathways.
IncentiveNYSERDA's declining-block incentives for commercial and industrial solar across New York.
IncentiveNew Jersey's Successor Solar Incentive, community solar program, and what changed after TRECs.
IncentiveConnecticut's non-residential renewable energy solutions tariff plus Energy Storage Solutions incentives.
IncentiveAlternative Energy Credits, PPL and PECO rebate programs, and the Act 129 efficiency framework.
This page reflects our understanding as of September 18, 2026. Regulatory numbers and program rules move. Confirm current statute specifics with your tax and legal advisors before signature.