Solar in Alabama: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity
Utility-scale solar in Alabama: 746 MW in 12 plants, 0.9% of 2025 generation; 1,311 MW more under construction or planned. Alabama pays back in 13.5 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 25 of 51), 0.0 years shorter than the middle state. 1,383 kWh per kW (rank 24) at 16.10 ¢ (rank 21 from the top): sun and price equally drives it. Across 5 Alabama cities, yearly output runs from 1,352 kWh per kW in Birmingham to 1,467 in Mobile. May is the best month at 142 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 81.
Utility-scale solar in Alabama: 746 MW
Alabama: 746 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 12 plants across 11 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 32 of 51; 148 W per resident, rank 37. Solar made 0.9% of Alabama's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 42, -5.9 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Muscle Shoals in Colbert County, 227 MW (2021); Black Bear Solar 1 in Montgomery County, 100 MW (2023); East Atmore Solar in Escambia County, 80 MW (2025). By county: Colbert 227 MW, Montgomery 100 MW, Covington 80 MW, Escambia 80 MW. Proposed: 320 MW under construction (4 plants) and 991 MW planned (10 plants); batteries 1 MW running and 400 MW proposed.
| Alabama year | MW added | Cumulative share of today's MW |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 | 0% |
| 2020 | 0 | 0% |
| 2021 | 227 | 30% |
| 2022 | 0 | 30% |
| 2023 | 180 | 55% |
| 2024 | 32 | 59% |
| 2025 | 80 | 70% |
Net metering and CO2 in Alabama
EIA-861 (2024): 77 home net-metered systems in Alabama, 0.0 per 1,000 accounts (rank 49), average 12.7 kW.
6 kW in Alabama: 8,298 kWh a year displaces 2.7 t CO2 at 0.323 kg per kWh, -0.3 t against the average state.
Alabama: payback 13.5 years, rank 25 of 51
| Measure | Value | Rank of 51 | Median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output of 1 kW a year, kWh | 1,383 | 24 | 1,372 |
| Home price, ¢ per kWh | 16.10 | 21 | 15.37 |
| Value of 1 kW a year | $223 | 25 | $222 |
| Payback at $3.00 a watt | 13.5 years | 25 | 13.5 years |
EIA-861 (2024): 77 home net-metered systems in Alabama, 0.0 per 1,000 accounts (rank 49), average 12.7 kW.
Sun inside Alabama: 5 cities, 8% apart
| Alabama city | kWh per kW a year | Against state point | Sun, kWh/m2 a day | Payback at $3.00 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | 1,387 | +0.3% | 5.07 | 13.4 | 218,814 |
| Birmingham | 1,352 | -2.2% | 5.15 | 13.8 | 199,322 |
| Montgomery | 1,464 | +5.9% | 5.34 | 12.7 | 198,440 |
| Mobile | 1,467 | +6.1% | 5.32 | 12.7 | 185,097 |
| Tuscaloosa | 1,379 | -0.3% | 5.29 | 13.5 | 107,699 |
Alabama state point 33.01, -86.73; city points Huntsville 34.70, -86.68; Birmingham 33.53, -86.80; Montgomery 32.35, -86.27; Mobile 30.67, -88.10; Tuscaloosa 33.23, -87.53. Panel and method: solar method.
Output by month in Alabama cities: 12 rows
| Alabama month | Huntsville | Birmingham | Montgomery | Mobile | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88.5 | 82.2 | 102.6 | 93.9 | 94.8 |
| Feb | 86.0 | 84.4 | 101.5 | 91.7 | 90.0 |
| Mar | 124.3 | 114.9 | 123.3 | 138.7 | 119.7 |
| Apr | 131.9 | 132.8 | 139.9 | 139.1 | 125.0 |
| May | 143.1 | 138.0 | 145.7 | 151.0 | 141.4 |
| Jun | 131.1 | 132.6 | 134.3 | 132.3 | 133.5 |
| Jul | 136.6 | 134.2 | 140.7 | 131.5 | 130.1 |
| Aug | 131.0 | 130.8 | 131.4 | 127.4 | 129.4 |
| Sep | 120.4 | 118.0 | 130.0 | 122.3 | 122.7 |
| Oct | 115.6 | 117.5 | 124.2 | 140.6 | 117.8 |
| Nov | 97.5 | 87.1 | 100.0 | 106.6 | 95.9 |
| Dec | 80.9 | 79.5 | 90.4 | 92.2 | 78.8 |
Alabama: 5 cities, best month 151 and worst 79 kWh per kW across them.
CSVBest and worst month in Alabama: May 142, Dec 81 kWh per kW
| Alabama month | kWh per kW | Price ¢ | Value per kW | kWh per kW per sun unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92.3 | 15.09 | $13.93 | 0.80 |
| Feb | 87.9 | 15.83 | $13.91 | 0.78 |
| Mar | 121.0 | 16.56 | $20.04 | 0.76 |
| Apr | 130.8 | 16.81 | $21.99 | 0.74 |
| May | 141.9 | 16.15 | $22.92 | 0.72 |
| Jun | 135.6 | 16.06 | $21.78 | 0.71 |
| Jul | 134.4 | 15.93 | $21.41 | 0.70 |
| Aug | 127.3 | 16.24 | $20.67 | 0.70 |
| Sep | 119.4 | 16.43 | $19.62 | 0.71 |
| Oct | 114.5 | 16.72 | $19.14 | 0.74 |
| Nov | 96.2 | 16.08 | $15.47 | 0.77 |
| Dec | 81.4 | 16.01 | $13.03 | 0.79 |
Alabama: December to February give 19% of a year (rank 37 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 1.7 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.80) and lowest in Jul (0.70); PVWatts lowers cell output when the panel is hot, and the sun angle changes with the season. Our runs use one fixed 14% loss figure for every place, so snow or soiling in Alabama is not modelled separately.
Sizes and prices per watt in Alabama
| Alabama kW | kWh a year | Value a year | Cost at $2.50 | At $3.00 | At $3.50 | t CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,532 | $891 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 | 1.8 |
| 6 | 8,298 | $1,336 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $21,000 | 2.7 |
| 8 | 11,064 | $1,781 | $20,000 | $24,000 | $28,000 | 3.6 |
| 10 | 13,830 | $2,227 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | 4.5 |
| 12 | 16,596 | $2,672 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $42,000 | 5.4 |
| Alabama $ per watt | 100% retail | 75% | 50% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | 9.0 | 12.0 | 18.0 | 35.9 |
| $2.50 | 11.2 | 15.0 | 22.5 | 44.9 |
| $3.00 | 13.5 | 18.0 | 26.9 | 53.9 |
| $3.50 | 15.7 | 21.0 | 31.4 | 62.9 |
| $4.00 | 18.0 | 24.0 | 35.9 | 71.9 |
Alabama: 1,383 kWh/kW × 16.10 ¢ = 223 a year per kW; the 30% column (9.4 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.
CSVAlabama utilities and solar payback
| Alabama utility | Homes | Price ¢ | Value of 1 kW | Payback at $3.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Power Co | 1,332,911 | 16.77 | $232 | 12.9 yr |
| City of Huntsville | 197,537 | 11.45 | $158 | 18.9 yr |
| Baldwin County El Member Corp | 83,005 | 13.87 | $192 | 15.6 yr |
| City of Athens | 50,985 | 12.24 | $169 | 17.7 yr |
| Foley Board of Utilities | 50,954 | 13.48 | $186 | 16.1 yr |
| Central Alabama Electric Coop | 45,036 | 16.64 | $230 | 13.0 yr |
| City of Florence | 41,594 | 11.61 | $161 | 18.7 yr |
| Cullman Electric Coop, Inc | 39,779 | 13.26 | $183 | 16.4 yr |
| Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp | 36,973 | 14.49 | $200 | 15.0 yr |
| Tallapoosa River Elec Coop Inc | 29,578 | 14.39 | $199 | 15.1 yr |
| Sand Mountain Electric Coop | 27,298 | 12.55 | $174 | 17.3 yr |
| City of Dothan | 26,752 | 10.72 | $148 | 20.2 yr |
Alabama among its neighbours
| Closest to Alabama | Payback, years | kWh per kW | Price, ¢ | Utility-scale solar, points of generation | Miles away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (this page) | 13.5 | 1,383 | 16.10 | 0.9 | - |
| Mississippi | +2.1 | -14 | -2.07 | +2.7 | 170 |
| Georgia | +0.9 | +30 | -1.37 | +6.7 | 170 |
| Tennessee | +3.0 | +2 | -2.92 | +0.7 | 193 |
| Louisiana | +2.6 | +101 | -3.53 | +1.4 | 319 |
Alabama against its neighbours in the payback ranking
- -1 places, Texas -0.5 years against Alabama
- +0 places, Illinois -0.5 years against Alabama
- Alabama, rank 25: 13.5 years
- +2 places, Indiana +0.0 years against Alabama
- +3 places, South Carolina +0.2 years against Alabama
Your numbers for Alabama
Limits in Alabama
Alabama: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 9.4 years instead of 13.5, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Alabama export rates in our data: output counts at 16.10 ¢. All limits.
Sources for Alabama
- PVWatts v8 (NLR), 5 Alabama cities and one state point: 1,383 kWh per kW
- EIA-860 2025 and EIA-923 2025: 746 MW of solar in Alabama
- EIA-861 2024: 77 net-metered systems in Alabama
- EIA retail sales 2025: 16.10 ¢ per kWh in Alabama
- IRS 25D (ended 2025): 9.4 years in Alabama with it; licences and periods for Alabama
More about Alabama
Alabama electricity hub, Alabama EV charging: 567 stations, where Alabama ranks for rooftop solar, 13.5 years against 51 states, Alabama calculators.
Questions
Alabama electricity from solar, what share?
0.9% of 2025 net generation, rank 42 of 51, -5.9 points against the nation.
Winter cut in Alabama solar output?
December to February give 19% of the year; May makes 142 kWh per kW and Dec 81.
Alabama utility-scale solar capacity?
746 MW in 12 plants (EIA-860), 148 W per resident, rank 37; 1,311 MW proposed.
Where in Alabama is solar best?
Yes: 8% between Birmingham and Mobile in yearly output.
Alabama sunshine for solar panels?
1,383 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 24 of 51; from 1,352 in Birmingham to 1,467 in Mobile.
Solar payback in Alabama?
13.5 years at $3.00 a watt; 11.2 at $2.50; 15.7 at $3.50; 1,383 kWh per kW at 16.10 ¢.
Alabama pays half price for exports?
Payback 26.9 years at a 50% retail share.
CO2 displaced in Alabama?
2.7 t a year on 6 kW at 0.323 kg per kWh.
Federal solar credit in Alabama: still available?
Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Alabama payback would be 9.4 years, not 13.5.
6 kW system output in Alabama?
8,298 kWh a year, worth $1,336 at the retail price.