Solar in Kansas: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity
Utility-scale solar in Kansas: 278 MW in 37 plants, 0.7% of 2025 generation; 423 MW more under construction or planned. Kansas pays back in 13.9 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 28 of 51), 0.4 years longer than the middle state. 1,482 kWh per kW (rank 13) at 14.56 ¢ (rank 33 from the top): sunshine drives it. Across 5 Kansas cities, yearly output runs from 1,444 kWh per kW in Overland Park to 1,526 in Wichita. Jun is the best month at 156 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 84.
Utility-scale solar in Kansas: 278 MW
Kansas: 278 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 37 plants across 29 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 39 of 51; 95 W per resident, rank 44. Solar made 0.7% of Kansas's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 44, -6.1 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Pixley Solar Energy in Barber County, 189 MW (2025); Russell in Russell County, 20 MW (2025); Johnson Corner Solar 1 in Stanton County, 20 MW (2020). By county: Barber 189 MW, Russell 20 MW, Stanton 20 MW, Pratt 7 MW. Proposed: 221 MW under construction (3 plants) and 202 MW planned (1 plant); batteries 0 MW running and 75 MW proposed.
| Kansas year | MW added | Cumulative share of today's MW |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 6 | 2% |
| 2020 | 20 | 9% |
| 2021 | 15 | 15% |
| 2022 | 6 | 17% |
| 2023 | 6 | 19% |
| 2024 | 9 | 22% |
| 2025 | 212 | 99% |
Kansas: payback 13.9 years, rank 28 of 51
| Measure | Value | Rank of 51 | Median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output of 1 kW a year, kWh | 1,482 | 13 | 1,372 |
| Home price, ¢ per kWh | 14.56 | 33 | 15.37 |
| Value of 1 kW a year | $216 | 28 | $222 |
| Payback at $3.00 a watt | 13.9 years | 28 | 13.5 years |
EIA-861 (2024): 7,534 home net-metered systems in Kansas, 5.7 per 1,000 accounts (rank 38), average 7.5 kW.
Sun inside Kansas: 5 cities, 6% apart
| Kansas city | kWh per kW a year | Against state point | Sun, kWh/m2 a day | Payback at $3.00 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | 1,526 | +3.0% | 5.39 | 13.5 | 396,488 |
| Overland Park | 1,444 | -2.6% | 5.07 | 14.3 | 197,199 |
| Topeka | 1,467 | -1.0% | 5.16 | 14.0 | 126,103 |
| Manhattan | 1,465 | -1.2% | 5.15 | 14.1 | 53,951 |
| Salina | 1,513 | +2.1% | 5.33 | 13.6 | 46,432 |
Kansas state point 38.48, -96.35; city points Wichita 37.69, -97.35; Overland Park 38.89, -94.69; Topeka 39.03, -95.69; Manhattan 39.19, -96.61; Salina 38.81, -97.61. Panel and method: solar method.
Output by month in Kansas cities: 12 rows
| Kansas month | Wichita | Overland Park | Topeka | Manhattan | Salina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 95.6 | 92.5 | 99.0 | 88.1 | 93.9 |
| Feb | 110.3 | 99.4 | 100.0 | 100.8 | 103.2 |
| Mar | 134.6 | 115.3 | 117.4 | 120.4 | 129.6 |
| Apr | 139.9 | 120.3 | 135.4 | 136.9 | 139.3 |
| May | 149.2 | 147.6 | 134.5 | 142.3 | 150.3 |
| Jun | 156.3 | 144.6 | 147.4 | 154.7 | 156.0 |
| Jul | 156.8 | 154.4 | 156.8 | 147.7 | 150.0 |
| Aug | 153.2 | 145.1 | 146.3 | 151.6 | 155.0 |
| Sep | 129.7 | 131.5 | 127.0 | 131.5 | 134.5 |
| Oct | 116.1 | 123.6 | 126.4 | 115.6 | 116.3 |
| Nov | 98.3 | 92.9 | 91.3 | 94.2 | 100.1 |
| Dec | 86.1 | 76.4 | 85.6 | 81.3 | 85.0 |
Kansas: 5 cities, best month 157 and worst 76 kWh per kW across them.
CSVBest and worst month in Kansas: Jun 156, Dec 84 kWh per kW
| Kansas month | kWh per kW | Price ¢ | Value per kW | kWh per kW per sun unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89.6 | 13.36 | $11.97 | 0.85 |
| Feb | 98.6 | 13.67 | $13.48 | 0.83 |
| Mar | 121.6 | 14.34 | $17.44 | 0.81 |
| Apr | 134.4 | 14.82 | $19.92 | 0.78 |
| May | 141.9 | 14.73 | $20.90 | 0.76 |
| Jun | 156.0 | 15.04 | $23.46 | 0.74 |
| Jul | 148.5 | 14.46 | $21.47 | 0.73 |
| Aug | 152.0 | 14.77 | $22.45 | 0.73 |
| Sep | 128.4 | 15.20 | $19.52 | 0.76 |
| Oct | 133.2 | 15.17 | $20.21 | 0.79 |
| Nov | 94.3 | 15.10 | $14.24 | 0.82 |
| Dec | 83.5 | 14.43 | $12.05 | 0.84 |
Kansas: December to February give 18% of a year (rank 28 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 1.9 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.85) and lowest in Jul (0.73); 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 Kansas is not modelled separately.
Net metering and CO2 in Kansas
EIA-861 (2024): 7,534 home net-metered systems in Kansas, 5.7 per 1,000 accounts (rank 38), average 7.5 kW.
6 kW in Kansas: 8,892 kWh a year displaces 2.9 t CO2 at 0.330 kg per kWh, -0.1 t against the average state.
Sizes and prices per watt in Kansas
| Kansas kW | kWh a year | Value a year | Cost at $2.50 | At $3.00 | At $3.50 | t CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,928 | $863 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 | 2.0 |
| 6 | 8,892 | $1,295 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $21,000 | 2.9 |
| 8 | 11,856 | $1,726 | $20,000 | $24,000 | $28,000 | 3.9 |
| 10 | 14,820 | $2,158 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | 4.9 |
| 12 | 17,784 | $2,589 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $42,000 | 5.9 |
| Kansas $ per watt | 100% retail | 75% | 50% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | 9.3 | 12.4 | 18.5 | 37.1 |
| $2.50 | 11.6 | 15.4 | 23.2 | 46.3 |
| $3.00 | 13.9 | 18.5 | 27.8 | 55.6 |
| $3.50 | 16.2 | 21.6 | 32.4 | 64.9 |
| $4.00 | 18.5 | 24.7 | 37.1 | 74.1 |
Kansas: 1,482 kWh/kW × 14.56 ¢ = 216 a year per kW; the 30% column (9.7 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.
CSVKansas among its neighbours
| Closest to Kansas | Payback, years | kWh per kW | Price, ¢ | Utility-scale solar, points of generation | Miles away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas (this page) | 13.9 | 1,482 | 14.56 | 0.7 | - |
| Nebraska | +3.0 | -43 | -2.22 | -0.0 | 189 |
| Oklahoma | +1.4 | +13 | -1.44 | +0.1 | 200 |
| Missouri | +2.1 | -96 | -1.07 | +1.5 | 220 |
| Iowa | +2.0 | -109 | -0.84 | +1.0 | 295 |
Kansas against its neighbours in the payback ranking
- -1 places, Indiana -0.4 years against Kansas
- +0 places, South Carolina -0.2 years against Kansas
- Kansas, rank 28: 13.9 years
- +2 places, Minnesota +0.1 years against Kansas
- +3 places, Ohio +0.3 years against Kansas
Kansas utilities and solar payback
| Kansas utility | Homes | Price ¢ | Value of 1 kW | Payback at $3.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | 341,806 | 14.29 | $212 | 14.2 yr |
| Evergy Kansas South, Inc | 302,508 | 14.25 | $211 | 14.2 yr |
| City of Kansas City | 61,475 | 15.36 | $228 | 13.2 yr |
| Midwest Energy Inc | 29,832 | 11.44 | $170 | 17.7 yr |
| Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc | 20,118 | 13.97 | $207 | 14.5 yr |
| FreeState Electric Coop | 17,514 | 16.41 | $243 | 12.3 yr |
| Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc | 14,243 | 11.86 | $176 | 17.1 yr |
| Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc | 13,273 | 14.29 | $212 | 14.2 yr |
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | 12,602 | 15.86 | $235 | 12.8 yr |
| City of Garden City | 10,449 | 15.85 | $235 | 12.8 yr |
| City of McPherson | 7,432 | 8.99 | $133 | 22.5 yr |
| City of Winfield | 6,284 | 13.82 | $205 | 14.6 yr |
Your numbers for Kansas
Limits in Kansas
Kansas: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 9.7 years instead of 13.9, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Kansas export rates in our data: output counts at 14.56 ¢. All limits.
Sources for Kansas
- PVWatts v8 (NLR), 5 Kansas cities and one state point: 1,482 kWh per kW
- EIA-860 2025 and EIA-923 2025: 278 MW of solar in Kansas
- EIA-861 2024: 7,534 net-metered systems in Kansas
- EIA retail sales 2025: 14.56 ¢ per kWh in Kansas
- IRS 25D (ended 2025): 9.7 years in Kansas with it; licences and periods for Kansas
More about Kansas
Kansas electricity hub, Kansas EV charging: 573 stations, where Kansas ranks for rooftop solar, 13.9 years against 51 states, Kansas calculators.
Questions
Kansas utility-scale solar capacity?
278 MW in 37 plants (EIA-860), 95 W per resident, rank 44; 423 MW proposed.
Kansas electricity from solar, what share?
0.7% of 2025 net generation, rank 44 of 51, -6.1 points against the nation.
Kansas sunshine for solar panels?
1,482 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 13 of 51; from 1,444 in Overland Park to 1,526 in Wichita.
Net metering in Kansas?
7,534 systems, 5.7 per 1,000 accounts, rank 38.
Where in Kansas is solar best?
Yes: 6% between Overland Park and Wichita in yearly output.
Solar payback in Kansas?
13.9 years at $3.00 a watt; 11.6 at $2.50; 16.2 at $3.50; 1,482 kWh per kW at 14.56 ¢.
Winter cut in Kansas solar output?
December to February give 18% of the year; Jun makes 156 kWh per kW and Dec 84.
Kansas pays half price for exports?
Payback 27.8 years at a 50% retail share.
CO2 displaced in Kansas?
2.9 t a year on 6 kW at 0.330 kg per kWh.
Federal solar credit in Kansas: still available?
Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Kansas payback would be 9.7 years, not 13.9.