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 Nevada: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity

1,818 kWha year from 1 kW of panels in Nevada, rank 1 of 51 (1 = sunniest), PVWatts at the state's population centre

Across 5 Nevada cities, yearly output runs from 1,588 kWh per kW in Elko to 1,754 in Las Vegas. May is the best month at 186 kWh per kW and Jan the worst at 110. Nevada pays back in 12.6 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 20 of 51), 0.9 years shorter than the middle state. 1,818 kWh per kW (rank 1) at 13.15 ¢ (rank 42 from the top): sunshine drives it. Utility-scale solar in Nevada: 5,480 MW in 70 plants, 30.8% of 2025 generation; 3,726 MW more under construction or planned.

Sun inside Nevada: 5 cities, 10% apart

Solar output in 5 cities of Nevada
Nevada citykWh per kW a yearAgainst state pointSun, kWh/m2 a dayPayback at $3.00Residents
Las Vegas1,754-3.5%6.4013.0650,873
Reno1,667-8.3%6.0113.7268,959
Fernley1,678-7.7%6.0413.623,631
Mesquite1,727-5.0%6.3313.221,314
Elko1,588-12.6%5.6214.420,624

Nevada state point 36.95, -116.14; city points Las Vegas 36.23, -115.26; Reno 39.55, -119.85; Fernley 39.56, -119.19; Mesquite 36.81, -114.13; Elko 40.84, -115.77. Panel and method: solar method.

Output by month in Nevada cities: 12 rows
Nevada monthLas VegasRenoFernleyMesquiteElko
Jan107.482.793.1104.877.8
Feb118.9101.9100.8114.893.7
Mar154.7148.8143.8153.4134.1
Apr172.4163.2158.1165.5149.1
May181.2164.5179.5177.6162.3
Jun175.9179.4177.9174.7176.4
Jul165.1177.1174.4167.7176.7
Aug160.8172.5175.0165.5168.2
Sep155.9151.9155.8157.3146.3
Oct133.9137.5132.9141.5135.5
Nov117.699.498.6108.599.1
Dec110.687.788.296.268.4

Nevada: 5 cities, best month 181 and worst 68 kWh per kW across them.

CSV

Best and worst month in Nevada: May 186, Jan 110 kWh per kW

Nevada output and value by month
Nevada monthkWh per kWPrice ¢Value per kWkWh per kW per sun unit
Jan109.513.88$15.200.82
Feb120.814.30$17.270.81
Mar162.314.43$23.420.79
Apr169.713.66$23.180.77
May185.513.29$24.650.75
Jun183.012.26$22.440.73
Jul172.912.39$21.420.71
Aug177.412.53$22.230.71
Sep160.313.05$20.920.74
Oct148.013.77$20.380.77
Nov117.814.20$16.730.81
Dec110.412.83$14.160.83

Nevada: December to February give 19% of a year (rank 34 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 1.7 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Dec (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 Nevada is not modelled separately.

Nevada: payback 12.6 years, rank 20 of 51

Solar measures for Nevada
MeasureValueRank of 51Median state
Output of 1 kW a year, kWh1,81811,372
Home price, ¢ per kWh13.154215.37
Value of 1 kW a year$23920$222
Payback at $3.00 a watt12.6 years2013.5 years

EIA-861 (2024): 134,326 home net-metered systems in Nevada, 102.4 per 1,000 accounts (rank 3), average 7.6 kW.

Sizes and prices per watt in Nevada

Systems of 4 to 12 kW in Nevada
Nevada kWkWh a yearValue a yearCost at $2.50At $3.00At $3.50t CO2
47,270$956$10,000$12,000$14,0002.1
610,906$1,434$15,000$18,000$21,0003.2
814,541$1,912$20,000$24,000$28,0004.2
1018,176$2,390$25,000$30,000$35,0005.3
1221,811$2,868$30,000$36,000$42,0006.4
Payback in Nevada by price and retail share
Nevada $ per watt100% retail75%50%25%
$2.008.411.216.733.5
$2.5010.513.920.941.8
$3.0012.616.725.150.2
$3.5014.619.529.358.6
$4.0016.722.333.566.9

Nevada: 1,818 kWh/kW × 13.15 ¢ = 239 a year per kW; the 30% column (8.8 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.

CSV

Utility-scale solar in Nevada: 5,480 MW

Nevada: 5,480 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 70 plants across 11 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 6 of 51; 1745 W per resident, rank 1. Solar made 30.8% of Nevada's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 1, +24.0 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Gemini Solar Hybrid in Clark County, 690 MW (2024); Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm in Clark County, 300 MW (2023); Silver State Solar Power South in Clark County, 260 MW (2016). By county: Clark 4,200 MW, Washoe 395 MW, Nye 242 MW, Eureka 200 MW. Proposed: 901 MW under construction (3 plants) and 2,825 MW planned (11 plants); batteries 1,704 MW running and 3,320 MW proposed.

Utility-scale solar added in Nevada by year
Nevada yearMW addedCumulative share of today's MW
20194238%
202016011%
202163422%
202231028%
202365240%
2024117461%
202519465%

Net metering and CO2 in Nevada

EIA-861 (2024): 134,326 home net-metered systems in Nevada, 102.4 per 1,000 accounts (rank 3), average 7.6 kW.

6 kW in Nevada: 10,906 kWh a year displaces 3.2 t CO2 at 0.291 kg per kWh, +0.2 t against the average state.

Nevada utilities and solar payback

Solar payback by utility in Nevada
Nevada utilityHomesPrice ¢Value of 1 kWPayback at $3.00
Nevada Power Co916,38515.33$27910.8 yr
Sierra Pacific Power Co330,89114.52$26411.4 yr
Valley Electric Assn, Inc22,36816.73$3049.9 yr
Overton Power District No 515,54510.69$19415.4 yr
City of Boulder City7,14510.37$18915.9 yr
Mt Wheeler Power, Inc5,1698.50$15519.4 yr
Wells Rural Electric Co4,62110.05$18316.4 yr

Nevada among its neighbours

Closest states to Nevada
Closest to NevadaPayback, yearskWh per kWPrice, ¢Utility-scale solar, points of generationMiles away
Nevada (this page)12.61,81813.1530.8-
California-7.1-130+19.39-4.0209
Utah+2.3-277-0.08-13.4327
Arizona-1.4-68+2.17-17.5344
Idaho+6.0-447-1.33-22.8498
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

Nevada against its neighbours in the payback ranking

  • -1 places, Wisconsin -0.1 years against Nevada
  • +0 places, Pennsylvania -0.0 years against Nevada
  • Nevada, rank 20: 12.6 years
  • +2 places, Delaware +0.1 years against Nevada
  • +3 places, Florida +0.2 years against Nevada

Your numbers for Nevada

    Limits in Nevada

    Nevada: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 8.8 years instead of 12.6, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Nevada export rates in our data: output counts at 13.15 ¢. All limits.

    Sources for Nevada

    More about Nevada

    Nevada electricity hub, Nevada EV charging: 627 stations, where Nevada ranks for rooftop solar, 12.6 years against 51 states, Nevada calculators.

    Questions

    Nevada sunshine for solar panels?

    1,818 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 1 of 51; from 1,588 in Elko to 1,754 in Las Vegas.

    Nevada utility-scale solar capacity?

    5,480 MW in 70 plants (EIA-860), 1745 W per resident, rank 1; 3,726 MW proposed.

    Nevada electricity from solar, what share?

    30.8% of 2025 net generation, rank 1 of 51, +24.0 points against the nation.

    Net metering in Nevada?

    134,326 systems, 102.4 per 1,000 accounts, rank 3.

    Where in Nevada is solar best?

    Yes: 10% between Elko and Las Vegas in yearly output.

    Winter cut in Nevada solar output?

    December to February give 19% of the year; May makes 186 kWh per kW and Jan 110.

    Solar payback in Nevada?

    12.6 years at $3.00 a watt; 10.5 at $2.50; 14.6 at $3.50; 1,818 kWh per kW at 13.15 ¢.

    Nevada pays half price for exports?

    Payback 25.1 years at a 50% retail share.

    CO2 displaced in Nevada?

    3.2 t a year on 6 kW at 0.291 kg per kWh.

    Federal solar credit in Nevada: still available?

    Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Nevada payback would be 8.8 years, not 12.6.

    Share this page

    1,818 kWh a year from 1 kW of panels in Nevada, rank 1 of 51 (1 = sunniest), PVWatts at the state's population centre