Solar in Connecticut: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity
Connecticut pays back in 8.0 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 5 of 51), 5.5 years shorter than the middle state. 1,282 kWh per kW (rank 39) at 29.38 ¢ (rank 5 from the top): price of power drives it. Across 3 Connecticut cities, yearly output runs from 1,252 kWh per kW in Hartford to 1,309 in Norwich. Jul is the best month at 139 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 66. Utility-scale solar in Connecticut: 493 MW in 92 plants, 1.5% of 2025 generation; 294 MW more under construction or planned.
Connecticut: payback 8.0 years, rank 5 of 51
| Measure | Value | Rank of 51 | Median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output of 1 kW a year, kWh | 1,282 | 39 | 1,372 |
| Home price, ¢ per kWh | 29.38 | 5 | 15.37 |
| Value of 1 kW a year | $377 | 5 | $222 |
| Payback at $3.00 a watt | 8.0 years | 5 | 13.5 years |
EIA-861 (2024): 103,856 home net-metered systems in Connecticut, 66.9 per 1,000 accounts (rank 6), average 7.7 kW.
Sizes and prices per watt in Connecticut
| Connecticut kW | kWh a year | Value a year | Cost at $2.50 | At $3.00 | At $3.50 | t CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,129 | $1,507 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 | 1.3 |
| 6 | 7,693 | $2,260 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $21,000 | 1.9 |
| 8 | 10,258 | $3,014 | $20,000 | $24,000 | $28,000 | 2.5 |
| 10 | 12,822 | $3,767 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | 3.1 |
| 12 | 15,386 | $4,521 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $42,000 | 3.8 |
| Connecticut $ per watt | 100% retail | 75% | 50% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | 5.3 | 7.1 | 10.6 | 21.2 |
| $2.50 | 6.6 | 8.8 | 13.3 | 26.5 |
| $3.00 | 8.0 | 10.6 | 15.9 | 31.9 |
| $3.50 | 9.3 | 12.4 | 18.6 | 37.2 |
| $4.00 | 10.6 | 14.2 | 21.2 | 42.5 |
Connecticut: 1,282 kWh/kW × 29.38 ¢ = 377 a year per kW; the 30% column (5.6 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.
CSVSun inside Connecticut: 3 cities, 4% apart
| Connecticut city | kWh per kW a year | Against state point | Sun, kWh/m2 a day | Payback at $3.00 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | 1,291 | +0.7% | 4.53 | 7.9 | 148,012 |
| Hartford | 1,252 | -2.3% | 4.61 | 8.2 | 119,970 |
| Norwich | 1,309 | +2.1% | 4.72 | 7.8 | 39,992 |
Connecticut state point 41.45, -72.95; city points Bridgeport 41.19, -73.20; Hartford 41.77, -72.68; Norwich 41.55, -72.09. Panel and method: solar method.
Output by month in Connecticut cities: 12 rows
| Connecticut month | Bridgeport | Hartford | Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74.8 | 74.0 | 80.4 |
| Feb | 87.7 | 90.7 | 91.9 |
| Mar | 117.8 | 113.4 | 118.4 |
| Apr | 113.2 | 124.1 | 127.4 |
| May | 141.3 | 129.8 | 134.0 |
| Jun | 136.3 | 126.9 | 130.5 |
| Jul | 144.9 | 137.0 | 140.2 |
| Aug | 128.9 | 123.7 | 127.1 |
| Sep | 116.2 | 112.2 | 119.5 |
| Oct | 100.5 | 87.1 | 96.8 |
| Nov | 73.2 | 72.9 | 73.5 |
| Dec | 55.7 | 60.5 | 69.2 |
Connecticut: 3 cities, best month 145 and worst 56 kWh per kW across them.
CSVBest and worst month in Connecticut: Jul 139, Dec 66 kWh per kW
| Connecticut month | kWh per kW | Price ¢ | Value per kW | kWh per kW per sun unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78.8 | 30.02 | $23.66 | 0.83 |
| Feb | 91.0 | 33.20 | $30.21 | 0.82 |
| Mar | 117.6 | 32.50 | $38.22 | 0.80 |
| Apr | 117.1 | 32.23 | $37.74 | 0.76 |
| May | 132.0 | 31.59 | $41.70 | 0.74 |
| Jun | 132.2 | 27.19 | $35.95 | 0.73 |
| Jul | 139.3 | 27.60 | $38.45 | 0.71 |
| Aug | 125.5 | 30.24 | $37.95 | 0.72 |
| Sep | 113.1 | 30.48 | $34.47 | 0.74 |
| Oct | 90.4 | 27.72 | $25.06 | 0.77 |
| Nov | 79.4 | 27.02 | $21.45 | 0.81 |
| Dec | 65.7 | 25.30 | $16.62 | 0.83 |
Connecticut: December to February give 18% of a year (rank 30 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 2.1 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.83) and lowest in Jul (0.71); 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 Connecticut is not modelled separately.
Utility-scale solar in Connecticut: 493 MW
Connecticut: 493 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 92 plants across 8 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 37 of 51; 137 W per resident, rank 39. Solar made 1.5% of Connecticut's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 39, -5.2 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Gravel Pit Solar, LLC in Hartford County, 120 MW (2025); Quinebaug Solar in Windham County, 49 MW (2021); DWW Solar ll in Hartford County, 37 MW (2019). By county: Hartford 241 MW, Windham 78 MW, New London 77 MW, Litchfield 37 MW. Proposed: 86 MW under construction (6 plants) and 208 MW planned (3 plants); batteries 2 MW running and 340 MW proposed.
| Connecticut year | MW added | Cumulative share of today's MW |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 42 | 9% |
| 2020 | 28 | 14% |
| 2021 | 90 | 32% |
| 2022 | 30 | 39% |
| 2023 | 4 | 39% |
| 2024 | 33 | 46% |
| 2025 | 168 | 80% |
Net metering and CO2 in Connecticut
EIA-861 (2024): 103,856 home net-metered systems in Connecticut, 66.9 per 1,000 accounts (rank 6), average 7.7 kW.
6 kW in Connecticut: 7,693 kWh a year displaces 1.9 t CO2 at 0.244 kg per kWh, -1.1 t against the average state.
Connecticut utilities and solar payback
| Connecticut utility | Homes | Price ¢ | Value of 1 kW | Payback at $3.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | 1,174,420 | 25.31 | $324 | 9.2 yr |
| United Illuminating Co | 312,291 | 31.06 | $398 | 7.5 yr |
| Town of Wallingford | 21,405 | 15.65 | $201 | 14.9 yr |
| City of Norwich | 18,870 | 22.78 | $292 | 10.3 yr |
| Groton Dept of Utilities | 12,284 | 18.70 | $240 | 12.5 yr |
Connecticut among its neighbours
| Closest to Connecticut | Payback, years | kWh per kW | Price, ¢ | Utility-scale solar, points of generation | Miles away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut (this page) | 8.0 | 1,282 | 29.38 | 1.5 | - |
| New York | +1.0 | -9 | -2.99 | +1.7 | 76 |
| Rhode Island | -0.1 | +12 | +0.08 | +5.6 | 81 |
| New Jersey | +2.1 | +41 | -6.75 | +1.1 | 101 |
| Massachusetts | -0.3 | -5 | +1.10 | +7.7 | 102 |
Connecticut against its neighbours in the payback ranking
- -1 places, Massachusetts -0.3 years against Connecticut
- +0 places, Rhode Island -0.1 years against Connecticut
- Connecticut, rank 5: 8.0 years
- +2 places, Maine +0.6 years against Connecticut
- +3 places, New York +1.0 years against Connecticut
Your numbers for Connecticut
Limits in Connecticut
Connecticut: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 5.6 years instead of 8.0, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Connecticut export rates in our data: output counts at 29.38 ¢. All limits.
Sources for Connecticut
- PVWatts v8 (NLR), 3 Connecticut cities and one state point: 1,282 kWh per kW
- EIA-860 2025 and EIA-923 2025: 493 MW of solar in Connecticut
- EIA-861 2024: 103,856 net-metered systems in Connecticut
- EIA retail sales 2025: 29.38 ¢ per kWh in Connecticut
- IRS 25D (ended 2025): 5.6 years in Connecticut with it; licences and periods for Connecticut
More about Connecticut
Connecticut electricity hub, Connecticut EV charging: 1,631 stations, where Connecticut ranks for rooftop solar, 8.0 years against 51 states, Connecticut calculators.
Questions
Solar payback in Connecticut?
8.0 years at $3.00 a watt; 6.6 at $2.50; 9.3 at $3.50; 1,282 kWh per kW at 29.38 ¢.
Net metering in Connecticut?
103,856 systems, 66.9 per 1,000 accounts, rank 6.
Connecticut sunshine for solar panels?
1,282 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 39 of 51; from 1,252 in Hartford to 1,309 in Norwich.
Connecticut utility-scale solar capacity?
493 MW in 92 plants (EIA-860), 137 W per resident, rank 39; 294 MW proposed.
Connecticut electricity from solar, what share?
1.5% of 2025 net generation, rank 39 of 51, -5.2 points against the nation.
Where in Connecticut is solar best?
Yes: 4% between Hartford and Norwich in yearly output.
Winter cut in Connecticut solar output?
December to February give 18% of the year; Jul makes 139 kWh per kW and Dec 66.
Connecticut pays half price for exports?
Payback 15.9 years at a 50% retail share.
CO2 displaced in Connecticut?
1.9 t a year on 6 kW at 0.244 kg per kWh.
Federal solar credit in Connecticut: still available?
Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Connecticut payback would be 5.6 years, not 8.0.