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, NREL PVWatts · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Solar in Arizona: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity

1,750 kWha year from 1 kW of panels in Arizona, rank 3 of 51 (1 = sunniest), PVWatts at the state's population centre

Across 5 Arizona cities, yearly output runs from 1,687 kWh per kW in Flagstaff to 1,840 in Yuma. May is the best month at 179 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 109. Arizona pays back in 11.2 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 14 of 51), 2.3 years shorter than the middle state. 1,750 kWh per kW (rank 3) at 15.32 ¢ (rank 27 from the top): sunshine drives it. Utility-scale solar in Arizona: 6,869 MW in 117 plants, 13.3% of 2025 generation; 8,395 MW more under construction or planned.

Sun inside Arizona: 5 cities, 9% apart

Solar output in 5 cities of Arizona
Arizona citykWh per kW a yearAgainst state pointSun, kWh/m2 a dayPayback at $3.00Residents
Phoenix1,755+0.3%6.5111.21,624,832
Tucson1,788+2.2%6.5711.0543,348
Buckeye1,774+1.4%6.5911.099,844
Yuma1,840+5.2%6.8410.698,461
Flagstaff1,687-3.6%6.2211.676,333

Arizona state point 33.36, -111.90; city points Phoenix 33.57, -112.09; Tucson 32.15, -110.87; Buckeye 33.43, -112.64; Yuma 32.52, -114.52; Flagstaff 35.19, -111.62. Panel and method: solar method.

Output by month in Arizona cities: 12 rows
Arizona monthPhoenixTucsonBuckeyeYumaFlagstaff
Jan117.7127.3115.9128.9117.4
Feb122.6128.2127.6133.7124.7
Mar150.7165.0157.1166.3160.5
Apr169.7172.2171.4175.6161.9
May177.7184.5181.3184.0171.8
Jun173.4171.6170.7172.0168.6
Jul158.2148.9161.2165.8132.0
Aug154.9150.2159.6165.0133.2
Sep147.4149.7148.5152.1137.9
Oct141.8148.3142.9152.9141.3
Nov123.5123.1122.6125.8120.4
Dec117.0118.6115.6118.2117.2

Arizona: 5 cities, best month 184 and worst 116 kWh per kW across them.

CSV

Best and worst month in Arizona: May 179, Dec 109 kWh per kW

Arizona output and value by month
Arizona monthkWh per kWPrice ¢Value per kWkWh per kW per sun unit
Jan117.314.72$17.270.79
Feb122.615.20$18.640.77
Mar154.215.14$23.350.76
Apr170.515.67$26.720.74
May179.015.71$28.120.73
Jun170.415.23$25.950.71
Jul156.515.34$24.010.70
Aug158.315.17$24.010.70
Sep148.115.27$22.610.71
Oct140.715.55$21.880.74
Nov123.315.66$19.310.77
Dec108.815.46$16.820.80

Arizona: December to February give 20% of a year (rank 46 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 1.6 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Dec (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 Arizona is not modelled separately.

Arizona: payback 11.2 years, rank 14 of 51

Solar measures for Arizona
MeasureValueRank of 51Median state
Output of 1 kW a year, kWh1,75031,372
Home price, ¢ per kWh15.322715.37
Value of 1 kW a year$26814$222
Payback at $3.00 a watt11.2 years1413.5 years

EIA-861 (2024): 317,245 home net-metered systems in Arizona, 101.2 per 1,000 accounts (rank 4), average 8.1 kW.

Sizes and prices per watt in Arizona

Systems of 4 to 12 kW in Arizona
Arizona kWkWh a yearValue a yearCost at $2.50At $3.00At $3.50t CO2
46,999$1,072$10,000$12,000$14,0002.2
610,498$1,608$15,000$18,000$21,0003.3
813,998$2,144$20,000$24,000$28,0004.4
1017,497$2,681$25,000$30,000$35,0005.5
1220,996$3,217$30,000$36,000$42,0006.5
Payback in Arizona by price and retail share
Arizona $ per watt100% retail75%50%25%
$2.007.59.914.929.8
$2.509.312.418.737.3
$3.0011.214.922.444.8
$3.5013.117.426.152.2
$4.0014.919.929.859.7

Arizona: 1,750 kWh/kW × 15.32 ¢ = 268 a year per kW; the 30% column (7.8 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.

CSV

Utility-scale solar in Arizona: 6,869 MW

Arizona: 6,869 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 117 plants across 12 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 5 of 51; 945 W per resident, rank 4. Solar made 13.3% of Arizona's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 6, +6.5 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Sonoran Solar Energy in Maricopa County, 490 MW (2023); Agua Caliente Solar Project in Yuma County, 348 MW (2014); McFarland B Solar and Storage in Yuma County, 300 MW (2024). By county: Maricopa 3,095 MW, Pinal 1,441 MW, Yuma 1,185 MW, Pima 475 MW. Proposed: 4,270 MW under construction (22 plants) and 4,125 MW planned (14 plants); batteries 4,951 MW running and 8,495 MW proposed.

Utility-scale solar added in Arizona by year
Arizona yearMW addedCumulative share of today's MW
2019320%
20202975%
202138110%
202221513%
2023106229%
2024124647%
2025153269%

Net metering and CO2 in Arizona

EIA-861 (2024): 317,245 home net-metered systems in Arizona, 101.2 per 1,000 accounts (rank 4), average 8.1 kW.

6 kW in Arizona: 10,498 kWh a year displaces 3.3 t CO2 at 0.311 kg per kWh, +0.2 t against the average state.

Arizona utilities and solar payback

Solar payback by utility in Arizona
Arizona utilityHomesPrice ¢Value of 1 kWPayback at $3.00
Arizona Public Service Co1,256,12016.45$28810.4 yr
Salt River Project1,053,40713.46$23512.7 yr
Tucson Electric Power Co412,74715.63$27311.0 yr
UNS Electric, Inc95,19116.02$28010.7 yr
Trico Electric Cooperative Inc52,45014.17$24812.1 yr
Sulphur Springs Valley E C Inc46,00813.49$23612.7 yr
Mohave Electric Cooperative, Inc.41,00911.20$19615.3 yr
Navopache Electric Coop, Inc40,07613.43$23512.8 yr
Electrical Dist No3 Pinal County32,00913.93$24412.3 yr
Navajo Tribal Utility Authority27,01416.63$29110.3 yr
City of Mesa15,33116.93$29610.1 yr
USBIA-San Carlos Project11,43219.49$3418.8 yr

Arizona among its neighbours

Closest states to Arizona
Closest to ArizonaPayback, yearskWh per kWPrice, ¢Utility-scale solar, points of generationMiles away
Arizona (this page)11.21,75015.3213.3-
New Mexico-0.0+34-0.24+2.6329
Nevada+1.4+68-2.17+17.5344
California-5.7-63+17.22+13.5449
Utah+3.7-209-2.25+4.0486
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

Arizona against its neighbours in the payback ranking

  • -1 places, Maryland -0.1 years against Arizona
  • +0 places, New Mexico -0.0 years against Arizona
  • Arizona, rank 14: 11.2 years
  • +2 places, Alaska +0.1 years against Arizona
  • +3 places, Michigan +0.5 years against Arizona

Your numbers for Arizona

    Limits in Arizona

    Arizona: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 7.8 years instead of 11.2, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Arizona export rates in our data: output counts at 15.32 ¢. All limits.

    Sources for Arizona

    More about Arizona

    Arizona electricity hub, Arizona EV charging: 1,540 stations, where Arizona ranks for rooftop solar, 11.2 years against 51 states, Arizona calculators.

    Questions

    Arizona sunshine for solar panels?

    1,750 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 3 of 51; from 1,687 in Flagstaff to 1,840 in Yuma.

    Arizona utility-scale solar capacity?

    6,869 MW in 117 plants (EIA-860), 945 W per resident, rank 4; 8,395 MW proposed.

    Net metering in Arizona?

    317,245 systems, 101.2 per 1,000 accounts, rank 4.

    Winter cut in Arizona solar output?

    December to February give 20% of the year; May makes 179 kWh per kW and Dec 109.

    Arizona electricity from solar, what share?

    13.3% of 2025 net generation, rank 6 of 51, +6.5 points against the nation.

    Solar payback in Arizona?

    11.2 years at $3.00 a watt; 9.3 at $2.50; 13.1 at $3.50; 1,750 kWh per kW at 15.32 ¢.

    Where in Arizona is solar best?

    Yes: 9% between Flagstaff and Yuma in yearly output.

    Arizona pays half price for exports?

    Payback 22.4 years at a 50% retail share.

    CO2 displaced in Arizona?

    3.3 t a year on 6 kW at 0.311 kg per kWh.

    Federal solar credit in Arizona: still available?

    Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Arizona payback would be 7.8 years, not 11.2.

    Share this page

    1,750 kWh a year from 1 kW of panels in Arizona, rank 3 of 51 (1 = sunniest), PVWatts at the state's population centre