Electric Consumer

Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-861, EIA retail sales, EIA-860/923, EPA eGRID, NREL PVWatts · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Solar payback by state

4.3 to 21.6 yearssimple payback of rooftop solar across the 51 states, $3.00 a watt

At $3.00 a watt and full retail credit for the output, simple payback runs from 4.3 years in Hawaii to 21.6 in Washington; the median state is 13.5. Sun and price pull in different directions: across the states the correlation of output and home price is r = -0.07, so the sunniest state is not the one with the fastest payback.

Find your state

Pick a state to see where it ranks.

Simple solar payback by state at $3.00 a wattNew Mexico: 11.2 yrTexas: 12.9 yrKentucky: 16.9 yrOhio: 14.2 yrGeorgia: 14.4 yrArkansas: 17.0 yrOregon: 17.3 yrPennsylvania: 12.5 yrMissouri: 16.0 yrNorth Carolina: 15.2 yrUtah: 14.9 yrVirginia: 14.6 yrWyoming: 14.5 yrWest Virginia: 16.2 yrNew York: 8.9 yrIndiana: 13.5 yrKansas: 13.9 yrIdaho: 18.5 yrNevada: 12.6 yrIllinois: 13.0 yrVermont: 10.7 yrNew Jersey: 10.0 yrMinnesota: 14.0 yrMaryland: 11.1 yrIowa: 15.9 yrHawaii: 4.3 yrNew Hampshire: 9.7 yrRhode Island: 7.9 yrConnecticut: 8.0 yrMontana: 17.6 yrArizona: 11.2 yrNebraska: 16.9 yrWashington: 21.6 yrSouth Dakota: 16.0 yrCalifornia: 5.5 yrAlabama: 13.5 yrWisconsin: 12.5 yrMississippi: 15.6 yrColorado: 12.3 yrOklahoma: 15.3 yrTennessee: 16.4 yrLouisiana: 16.1 yrMichigan: 11.7 yrMassachusetts: 7.7 yrFlorida: 12.7 yrAlaska: 11.3 yrNorth Dakota: 19.2 yrSouth Carolina: 13.7 yrMaine: 8.5 yrDelaware: 12.7 yrDistrict of Columbia: 9.8 yr
  • 4.3 yr to 10.7 yr
  • 10.7 yr to 12.7 yr
  • 12.7 yr to 14.5 yr
  • 14.5 yr to 16.2 yr
  • 16.2 yr to 21.6 yr

Darker = longer payback. Click a state for its payback page.

All 51 states, shortest payback first

Simple payback, years

  1. 1Hawaii4.3 yr
  2. 2California5.5 yr
  3. 3Massachusetts7.7 yr
  4. 4Rhode Island7.9 yr
  5. 5Connecticut8.0 yr
  6. 6Maine8.5 yr
  7. 7New York8.9 yr
  8. 8New Hampshire9.7 yr
  9. 9District of Columbia9.8 yr
  10. 10New Jersey10.0 yr
  11. 11Vermont10.7 yr
  12. 12Maryland11.1 yr
  13. 13New Mexico11.2 yr
  14. 14Arizona11.2 yr
  15. 15Alaska11.3 yr
  16. 16Michigan11.7 yr
  17. 17Colorado12.3 yr
  18. 18Wisconsin12.5 yr
  19. 19Pennsylvania12.5 yr
  20. 20Nevada12.6 yr
  21. 21Delaware12.7 yr
  22. 22Florida12.7 yr
  23. 23Texas12.9 yr
  24. 24Illinois13.0 yr
  25. 25Alabama13.5 yr
  26. 26Indiana13.5 yr
  27. 27South Carolina13.7 yr
  28. 28Kansas13.9 yr
  29. 29Minnesota14.0 yr
  30. 30Ohio14.2 yr
  31. 31Georgia14.4 yr
  32. 32Wyoming14.5 yr
  33. 33Virginia14.6 yr
  34. 34Utah14.9 yr
  35. 35North Carolina15.2 yr
  36. 36Oklahoma15.3 yr
  37. 37Mississippi15.6 yr
  38. 38Iowa15.9 yr
  39. 39South Dakota16.0 yr
  40. 40Missouri16.0 yr
  41. 41Louisiana16.1 yr
  42. 42West Virginia16.2 yr
  43. 43Tennessee16.4 yr
  44. 44Nebraska16.9 yr
  45. 45Kentucky16.9 yr
  46. 46Arkansas17.0 yr
  47. 47Oregon17.3 yr
  48. 48Montana17.6 yr
  49. 49Idaho18.5 yr
  50. 50North Dakota19.2 yr
  51. 51Washington21.6 yr

The table, sortable, with CSV

Solar payback by state
1Hawaii1,71440.593.64.35.0220.50.628
2California1,68732.544.65.56.4147.70.178
3Massachusetts1,27730.486.47.79.064.90.373
4Rhode Island1,29529.466.67.99.237.90.381
5Connecticut1,28229.386.68.09.366.90.244
6Maine1,26727.787.18.59.920.60.141
7New York1,27326.397.48.910.430.70.211
8New Hampshire1,25824.568.19.711.334.60.124
9District of Columbia1,39221.948.29.811.5No data0.179
10New Jersey1,32422.638.310.011.754.00.212
11Vermont1,22522.928.910.712.529.20.019
12Maryland1,38819.489.211.112.944.10.236
13New Mexico1,78415.089.311.213.053.60.349
14Arizona1,75015.329.311.213.1101.20.311
15Alaska1,01726.099.411.313.29.30.367
16Michigan1,28020.019.811.713.75.70.360
17Colorado1,53415.8510.312.314.471.30.492
18Wisconsin1,32418.1610.412.514.66.70.525
19Pennsylvania1,24119.3010.412.514.614.80.293
20Nevada1,81813.1510.512.614.6102.40.291
21Delaware1,38317.1310.612.714.829.90.319
22Florida1,54615.2410.612.714.927.80.357
23Texas1,49815.4710.812.915.110.90.348
24Illinois1,30817.6910.813.015.125.20.214
25Alabama1,38316.1011.213.515.7No data0.323
26Indiana1,37016.2311.213.515.73.70.661
27South Carolina1,46314.9611.413.716.09.90.253
28Kansas1,48214.5611.613.916.25.70.330
29Minnesota1,35315.8211.714.016.49.20.339
30Ohio1,24416.9611.914.216.64.80.483
31Georgia1,41314.7312.014.416.84.70.324
32Wyoming1,54913.3812.114.516.96.70.826
33Virginia1,34315.2812.214.617.119.00.243
34Utah1,54113.0712.414.917.463.80.641
35North Carolina1,41114.0212.615.217.711.40.283
36Oklahoma1,49513.1212.715.317.810.50.294
37Mississippi1,37014.0313.015.618.21.30.375
38Iowa1,37313.7213.315.918.612.50.286
39South Dakota1,40013.3813.316.018.71.10.151
40Missouri1,38613.4913.416.018.710.50.655
41Louisiana1,48412.5713.416.118.816.00.345
42West Virginia1,19915.4113.516.218.91.10.886
43Tennessee1,38513.1813.716.419.2No data0.298
44Nebraska1,43912.3414.116.919.74.10.462
45Kentucky1,34013.2414.116.919.74.90.787
46Arkansas1,37212.8414.217.019.911.30.451
47Oregon1,13015.3714.417.320.217.70.165
48Montana1,31612.9814.617.620.517.40.479
49Idaho1,37111.8215.418.521.621.90.142
50North Dakota1,32611.8116.019.222.30.60.584
51Washington1,06213.1118.021.625.117.10.120

Payback = price per kW over (kWh per kW times home price). Scenarios, simple, no credit, full retail value of output.

CSV

Utility-scale solar and the spread inside each state

EIA-860 lists 154,300 MW of operable utility-scale solar in the 51 states. Nevada has the most per resident (1745 W). Inside a state the sun varies too: in Hawaii the best of its cities beats the worst by 36% a year.

Utility-scale solar and sun spread by state
1Nevada5,480174530.83,7261019
2New Mexico2,914137815.92,076321
3Texas30,767103811.043,793820
4Arizona6,86994513.38,395920
5Utah3,05291617.42,1882016
6Arkansas2,5478406.93,763619
7Maine96069710.0578618
8Indiana4,5936746.24,253816
9North Carolina7,0516668.91,750619
10California24,83163326.88,6061617
11Virginia5,1805988.23,5591118
12Colorado3,2635629.92,7381120
13Florida12,3015619.32,830722
14Mississippi1,5245173.71,6061019
15Georgia5,4145007.64,130420
16Wisconsin2,5414316.03,050416
17Wyoming2424171.11,4271216
18Rhode Island4524127.14418
19Hawaii57840010.21713623
20Ohio4,4863815.53,226615
21South Carolina1,9563753.11,756320
22Idaho7023718.06252415
23Illinois4,3893463.54,836317
24Minnesota1,9213365.0328317
25Oregon1,2953054.24,7042812
26Louisiana1,3522932.31,977720
27Kentucky1,1402532.22,321717
28South Dakota2172422.0104917
29Vermont15624110.392617
30Missouri1,4252312.21,691419
31Iowa7012191.7776616
32Massachusetts1,5032159.259918
33Michigan1,9671962.24,726215
34Maryland1,1481863.43001719
35Montana1811641.32001314
36New York3,1231573.23,8901418
37Alabama7461480.91,311819
38West Virginia2591450.4120416
39Connecticut4931371.5294418
40New Jersey1,2381342.684918
41Oklahoma5241310.82,383719
42Tennessee8191171.7966817
43Delaware1151143.1208418
44Kansas278950.7423618
45Pennsylvania1,132870.72,0491318
46Nebraska160810.7100717
47District of Columbia355218.40No data19
48Washington268350.61,6502814
49Alaska8100.10347
50New Hampshire430.0241219
51North Dakota000.0295815

Operable nameplate MW of plants of 1 MW and larger; proposed = under construction plus planned; spread = best minus worst of up to 5 cities over their mean.

CSV

Sun against price

Nevada has the most sun at 1,818 kWh per kW; Alaska the least at 1,017. A sunny place with cheap power can pay back slower than a dull place with dear power.

Solar output against home price, 51 states1,0001,2001,4001,6001,8002,0001020304050Alaska: 26, 1,017AKAlabama: 16, 1,383Arkansas: 13, 1,372Arizona: 15, 1,750California: 33, 1,687Colorado: 16, 1,534Connecticut: 29, 1,282District of Columbia: 22, 1,392Delaware: 17, 1,383Florida: 15, 1,546Georgia: 15, 1,413Hawaii: 41, 1,714HIIowa: 14, 1,373Idaho: 12, 1,371Illinois: 18, 1,308Indiana: 16, 1,370Kansas: 15, 1,482Kentucky: 13, 1,340Louisiana: 13, 1,484Massachusetts: 30, 1,277Maryland: 19, 1,388Maine: 28, 1,267Michigan: 20, 1,280Minnesota: 16, 1,353Missouri: 13, 1,386Mississippi: 14, 1,370Montana: 13, 1,316North Carolina: 14, 1,411North Dakota: 12, 1,326NDNebraska: 12, 1,439New Hampshire: 25, 1,258New Jersey: 23, 1,324New Mexico: 15, 1,784Nevada: 13, 1,818NVNew York: 26, 1,273Ohio: 17, 1,244Oklahoma: 13, 1,495Oregon: 15, 1,130Pennsylvania: 19, 1,241Rhode Island: 29, 1,295South Carolina: 15, 1,463South Dakota: 13, 1,400Tennessee: 13, 1,385Texas: 15, 1,498Utah: 13, 1,541Virginia: 15, 1,343Vermont: 23, 1,225Washington: 13, 1,062Wisconsin: 18, 1,324West Virginia: 15, 1,199Wyoming: 13, 1,549Home price 2025, ¢/kWhSolar output, kWh per kW a year

Try your own numbers

    What this does not include

    • Federal credit. The residential clean energy credit (section 25D) was 30% of cost for property placed in service 2022 through 2025 and "is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025" (IRS, page retrieved 2 Oct 2026). The default credit in the calculator is 0%. Business owners should ask a tax adviser about other credits.
    • Export rates. Our data has no state export or buyback rates, only the number and size of net-metered systems from EIA-861. The input "output valued at the retail price" is therefore the upper bound at 100%; lower it for a state or utility that pays less for exports.
    • Not included. Panel degradation, inverter replacement, financing cost, roof condition and shading, fixed monthly charges, local incentives, price changes in later years, and the effect of time-of-use rates.
    • One point per state. PVWatts runs at the population-weighted centre of the state's places with a fixed 20 degree south roof and 14% losses. Your roof differs.
    • Price per kW is a scenario. $2,500, $3,000 and $3,500 per kW are our round scenarios for the whole installed system, not quotes or a source average; enter your own quote.

    Sources and dates

    Sources with periods and retrieval dates
    SourcePeriodRetrievedLicenceUsed for
    NLR (formerly NREL) PVWatts v8 APItypical weather year, 1 kW fixed roof system2 Oct 2026Computed by us from the free API; we publish results only, API terms of use applyOutput per kW, by month; city points for the in-state spread (data/pvwatts_points.json)
    EIA electricity retail sales, annual and monthly (API v2)annual 2010 to 2025, monthly to Jul 20261 Oct 2026U.S. government data, public domain; cite EIAHome price 2025
    EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024 finaldata year 2024 (2015 to 2023 files for history)1 Oct 2026U.S. government data, public domain; EIA asks for citationNet-metered systems, count and size
    EPA eGRID2023 (rev2, June 2025)data year 20232 Oct 2026U.S. government data, public domain; cite EPACO2 per kWh
    EIA-923 generation (2025 final) and EIA-860 generator file (2025)data year 20252 Oct 2026U.S. government data, public domain; cite EIAUtility-scale solar: capacity, plants, additions, proposed (EIA-860) and share of generation (EIA-923)
    IRS: Residential Clean Energy Creditproperty placed in service 2022 to 20252 Oct 2026U.S. government publication, public domainEnd date of the 25D credit

    All other site sources, with join keys: data sources.

    Keep reading

    Questions

    How long does rooftop solar take to pay back?

    On this simple model between 4.3 and 21.6 years at $3.00 a watt, median 13.5. Your quote, credits and export rate change it.

    Which state has the shortest solar payback?

    Hawaii at 4.3 years: 1,714 kWh per kW and 40.59 cents.

    Which state has the longest?

    Washington at 21.6 years: 1,062 kWh per kW and 13.11 cents.

    Is the 30% federal credit still available?

    Not for homeowners installing after 2025. IRS: the residential clean energy credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

    Where does the system price come from?

    It is a scenario: $2,500, $3,000 and $3,500 per kW of installed capacity. We do not hold a state quote database; type your quote into the calculator.

    Why is the sunniest state not the fastest payback?

    Payback depends on both output and the price of the power replaced. Across states output and price correlate at r = -0.07.

    What is net metering and where is it common?

    Net metering credits exports against use. We count home net-metered systems from EIA-861 per 1,000 accounts for each state on its page; the rules differ by utility.

    How is the carbon saving worked out?

    Output in kWh times the state's eGRID CO2 per kWh. It is the state average, not the marginal plant.

    Can I download the data?

    Yes: the CSV under the table has all 51 rows, and the combined state table is at data/state-metrics-2025.csv.

    Which state has the most utility-scale solar per resident?

    Nevada, 1745 watts per resident (5,480 MW, EIA-860 2025).

    How much does solar output vary inside one state?

    Hawaii has the widest gap among its cities: 36% between best and worst (PVWatts, up to 5 cities per state).

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    4.3 to 21.6 years simple payback of rooftop solar across the 51 states, $3.00 a watt