Solar in Louisiana: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity
Louisiana pays back in 16.1 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 41 of 51), 2.6 years longer than the middle state. 1,484 kWh per kW (rank 12) at 12.57 ¢ (rank 48 from the top): sunshine drives it. Across 5 Louisiana cities, yearly output runs from 1,418 kWh per kW in Shreveport to 1,521 in New Orleans. May is the best month at 148 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 95. Utility-scale solar in Louisiana: 1,352 MW in 18 plants, 2.3% of 2025 generation; 1,977 MW more under construction or planned.
Louisiana: payback 16.1 years, rank 41 of 51
| Measure | Value | Rank of 51 | Median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output of 1 kW a year, kWh | 1,484 | 12 | 1,372 |
| Home price, ¢ per kWh | 12.57 | 48 | 15.37 |
| Value of 1 kW a year | $187 | 41 | $222 |
| Payback at $3.00 a watt | 16.1 years | 41 | 13.5 years |
EIA-861 (2024): 34,325 home net-metered systems in Louisiana, 16.0 per 1,000 accounts (rank 25), average 6.2 kW.
Louisiana utilities and solar payback
| Louisiana utility | Homes | Price ¢ | Value of 1 kW | Payback at $3.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Louisiana LLC | 957,522 | 11.05 | $164 | 18.3 yr |
| Cleco Power LLC | 251,927 | 12.33 | $183 | 16.4 yr |
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | 207,011 | 13.46 | $200 | 15.0 yr |
| Entergy New Orleans, LLC | 188,178 | 13.03 | $193 | 15.5 yr |
| Dixie Electric Membership Corp | 110,675 | 11.91 | $177 | 17.0 yr |
| Southwest Louisiana E M C | 108,368 | 11.55 | $172 | 17.5 yr |
| City of Lafayette | 59,961 | 10.12 | $150 | 20.0 yr |
| Washington-St Tammany E C, Inc | 50,901 | 11.85 | $176 | 17.1 yr |
| Beauregard Electric Coop, Inc | 40,051 | 13.70 | $203 | 14.8 yr |
| Claiborne Electric Coop, Inc | 21,438 | 13.00 | $193 | 15.5 yr |
| City of Alexandria | 19,541 | 11.10 | $165 | 18.2 yr |
| South Louisiana Elec Coop Assn | 16,997 | 13.48 | $200 | 15.0 yr |
Sizes and prices per watt in Louisiana
| Louisiana kW | kWh a year | Value a year | Cost at $2.50 | At $3.00 | At $3.50 | t CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,938 | $746 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 | 2.1 |
| 6 | 8,906 | $1,120 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $21,000 | 3.1 |
| 8 | 11,875 | $1,493 | $20,000 | $24,000 | $28,000 | 4.1 |
| 10 | 14,844 | $1,866 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | 5.1 |
| 12 | 17,813 | $2,239 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $42,000 | 6.2 |
| Louisiana $ per watt | 100% retail | 75% | 50% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | 10.7 | 14.3 | 21.4 | 42.9 |
| $2.50 | 13.4 | 17.9 | 26.8 | 53.6 |
| $3.00 | 16.1 | 21.4 | 32.2 | 64.3 |
| $3.50 | 18.8 | 25.0 | 37.5 | 75.0 |
| $4.00 | 21.4 | 28.6 | 42.9 | 85.7 |
Louisiana: 1,484 kWh/kW × 12.57 ¢ = 187 a year per kW; the 30% column (11.3 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.
CSVNet metering and CO2 in Louisiana
EIA-861 (2024): 34,325 home net-metered systems in Louisiana, 16.0 per 1,000 accounts (rank 25), average 6.2 kW.
6 kW in Louisiana: 8,906 kWh a year displaces 3.1 t CO2 at 0.345 kg per kWh, +0.1 t against the average state.
Sun inside Louisiana: 5 cities, 7% apart
| Louisiana city | kWh per kW a year | Against state point | Sun, kWh/m2 a day | Payback at $3.00 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 1,521 | +2.4% | 5.47 | 15.7 | 376,035 |
| Baton Rouge | 1,468 | -1.1% | 5.40 | 16.3 | 223,699 |
| Shreveport | 1,418 | -4.5% | 5.33 | 16.8 | 183,483 |
| Lafayette | 1,478 | -0.4% | 5.32 | 16.1 | 121,537 |
| Lake Charles | 1,443 | -2.8% | 5.20 | 16.5 | 81,679 |
Louisiana state point 30.62, -91.38; city points New Orleans 30.05, -89.94; Baton Rouge 30.44, -91.13; Shreveport 32.47, -93.79; Lafayette 30.21, -92.03; Lake Charles 30.20, -93.21. Panel and method: solar method.
Output by month in Louisiana cities: 12 rows
| Louisiana month | New Orleans | Baton Rouge | Shreveport | Lafayette | Lake Charles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 107.4 | 87.8 | 95.0 | 100.3 | 98.7 |
| Feb | 106.5 | 107.9 | 91.6 | 104.4 | 99.3 |
| Mar | 134.3 | 129.9 | 123.3 | 131.6 | 120.8 |
| Apr | 140.6 | 136.9 | 130.8 | 137.2 | 136.2 |
| May | 147.4 | 146.3 | 143.6 | 148.4 | 147.8 |
| Jun | 133.9 | 133.2 | 137.2 | 130.5 | 134.6 |
| Jul | 140.1 | 135.6 | 140.1 | 136.2 | 134.3 |
| Aug | 127.5 | 128.4 | 136.6 | 132.3 | 133.5 |
| Sep | 128.9 | 128.0 | 124.0 | 130.1 | 128.0 |
| Oct | 133.3 | 137.3 | 114.9 | 131.5 | 122.0 |
| Nov | 112.5 | 107.0 | 94.9 | 109.4 | 99.5 |
| Dec | 108.2 | 89.8 | 86.2 | 86.0 | 88.8 |
Louisiana: 5 cities, best month 148 and worst 86 kWh per kW across them.
CSVBest and worst month in Louisiana: May 148, Dec 95 kWh per kW
| Louisiana month | kWh per kW | Price ¢ | Value per kW | kWh per kW per sun unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100.9 | 11.10 | $11.20 | 0.80 |
| Feb | 102.5 | 11.84 | $12.14 | 0.78 |
| Mar | 128.2 | 13.06 | $16.74 | 0.77 |
| Apr | 138.1 | 13.57 | $18.74 | 0.75 |
| May | 147.9 | 13.26 | $19.61 | 0.74 |
| Jun | 133.4 | 12.74 | $17.00 | 0.72 |
| Jul | 139.7 | 13.12 | $18.33 | 0.72 |
| Aug | 135.5 | 12.55 | $17.01 | 0.72 |
| Sep | 129.7 | 12.36 | $16.03 | 0.73 |
| Oct | 128.8 | 12.39 | $15.96 | 0.75 |
| Nov | 104.1 | 12.74 | $13.26 | 0.78 |
| Dec | 95.4 | 12.56 | $11.98 | 0.80 |
Louisiana: December to February give 20% of a year (rank 47 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 1.6 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.80) and lowest in Aug (0.72); 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 Louisiana is not modelled separately.
Utility-scale solar in Louisiana: 1,352 MW
Louisiana: 1,352 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 18 plants across 13 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 24 of 51; 293 W per resident, rank 26. Solar made 2.3% of Louisiana's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 32, -4.4 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Oxbow Solar 1 in Pointe Coupee County, 300 MW (2024); Oak Ridge Solar in Richland County, 200 MW (2023); Elizabeth Solar Plant in Allen County, 143 MW (2024). By county: Pointe Coupee 300 MW, Richland 200 MW, Allen 143 MW, St Landry 135 MW. Proposed: 870 MW under construction (6 plants) and 1,106 MW planned (12 plants); batteries 0 MW running and 208 MW proposed.
| Louisiana year | MW added | Cumulative share of today's MW |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 23 | 2% |
| 2020 | 50 | 5% |
| 2021 | 0 | 5% |
| 2022 | 50 | 9% |
| 2023 | 220 | 25% |
| 2024 | 726 | 79% |
| 2025 | 282 | 100% |
Louisiana among its neighbours
| Closest to Louisiana | Payback, years | kWh per kW | Price, ¢ | Utility-scale solar, points of generation | Miles away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana (this page) | 16.1 | 1,484 | 12.57 | 2.3 | - |
| Mississippi | -0.5 | -115 | +1.46 | +1.3 | 170 |
| Alabama | -2.6 | -101 | +3.53 | -1.4 | 319 |
| Arkansas | +1.0 | -113 | +0.27 | +4.6 | 329 |
| Texas | -3.1 | +13 | +2.90 | +8.7 | 365 |
Louisiana against its neighbours in the payback ranking
- -1 places, South Dakota -0.1 years against Louisiana
- +0 places, Missouri -0.0 years against Louisiana
- Louisiana, rank 41: 16.1 years
- +2 places, West Virginia +0.2 years against Louisiana
- +3 places, Tennessee +0.4 years against Louisiana
Your numbers for Louisiana
Limits in Louisiana
Louisiana: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 11.3 years instead of 16.1, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Louisiana export rates in our data: output counts at 12.57 ¢. All limits.
Sources for Louisiana
- PVWatts v8 (NLR), 5 Louisiana cities and one state point: 1,484 kWh per kW
- EIA-860 2025 and EIA-923 2025: 1,352 MW of solar in Louisiana
- EIA-861 2024: 34,325 net-metered systems in Louisiana
- EIA retail sales 2025: 12.57 ¢ per kWh in Louisiana
- IRS 25D (ended 2025): 11.3 years in Louisiana with it; licences and periods for Louisiana
More about Louisiana
Louisiana electricity hub, Louisiana EV charging: 260 stations, where Louisiana ranks for rooftop solar, 16.1 years against 51 states, Louisiana calculators.
Questions
Winter cut in Louisiana solar output?
December to February give 20% of the year; May makes 148 kWh per kW and Dec 95.
Solar payback in Louisiana?
16.1 years at $3.00 a watt; 13.4 at $2.50; 18.8 at $3.50; 1,484 kWh per kW at 12.57 ¢.
Louisiana sunshine for solar panels?
1,484 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 12 of 51; from 1,418 in Shreveport to 1,521 in New Orleans.
Louisiana electricity from solar, what share?
2.3% of 2025 net generation, rank 32 of 51, -4.4 points against the nation.
Where in Louisiana is solar best?
Yes: 7% between Shreveport and New Orleans in yearly output.
Net metering in Louisiana?
34,325 systems, 16.0 per 1,000 accounts, rank 25.
Louisiana utility-scale solar capacity?
1,352 MW in 18 plants (EIA-860), 293 W per resident, rank 26; 1,977 MW proposed.
Louisiana pays half price for exports?
Payback 32.2 years at a 50% retail share.
CO2 displaced in Louisiana?
3.1 t a year on 6 kW at 0.345 kg per kWh.
Federal solar credit in Louisiana: still available?
Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Louisiana payback would be 11.3 years, not 16.1.