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

1,225 kWha year from 1 kW of panels in Vermont, rank 47 of 51 (1 = sunniest), PVWatts at the state's population centre

Across 5 Vermont cities, yearly output runs from 1,157 kWh per kW in Newport to 1,226 in Bellows Falls. Jul is the best month at 138 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 51. Vermont pays back in 10.7 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 11 of 51), 2.8 years shorter than the middle state. 1,225 kWh per kW (rank 47) at 22.92 ¢ (rank 10 from the top): price of power drives it. Utility-scale solar in Vermont: 156 MW in 54 plants, 10.3% of 2025 generation; 92 MW more under construction or planned.

Sun inside Vermont: 5 cities, 6% apart

Solar output in 5 cities of Vermont
Vermont citykWh per kW a yearAgainst state pointSun, kWh/m2 a dayPayback at $3.00Residents
Burlington1,222-0.3%4.3610.744,649
Rutland1,175-4.1%4.2711.115,747
Barre1,182-3.5%4.2711.18,461
Newport1,157-5.5%4.1411.34,413
Bellows Falls1,226+0.1%4.4810.72,851

Vermont state point 44.10, -72.89; city points Burlington 44.49, -73.24; Rutland 43.61, -72.98; Barre 44.20, -72.51; Newport 44.94, -72.21; Bellows Falls 43.13, -72.46. Panel and method: solar method.

Output by month in Vermont cities: 12 rows
Vermont monthBurlingtonRutlandBarreNewportBellows Falls
Jan65.469.168.663.274.2
Feb84.381.683.480.890.0
Mar120.8115.7120.8113.2118.5
Apr119.5116.7119.3116.9116.0
May136.5117.6125.2129.5131.7
Jun127.5120.6118.7118.3125.7
Jul137.1134.7132.9134.4131.3
Aug131.4125.2122.4118.4120.4
Sep115.0110.9102.7110.0108.8
Oct78.975.580.071.785.4
Nov55.655.760.553.266.2
Dec49.651.248.147.458.1

Vermont: 5 cities, best month 137 and worst 47 kWh per kW across them.

CSV

Best and worst month in Vermont: Jul 138, Dec 51 kWh per kW

Vermont output and value by month
Vermont monthkWh per kWPrice ¢Value per kWkWh per kW per sun unit
Jan71.921.74$15.630.85
Feb86.221.99$18.960.83
Mar124.522.38$27.860.81
Apr131.222.97$30.140.76
May136.123.75$32.320.73
Jun126.523.00$29.090.72
Jul138.222.14$30.600.71
Aug124.922.27$27.820.72
Sep101.023.92$24.160.73
Oct74.924.78$18.560.77
Nov58.824.17$14.210.80
Dec50.623.22$11.750.83

Vermont: December to February give 17% of a year (rank 20 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 2.7 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.85) 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 Vermont is not modelled separately.

Vermont: payback 10.7 years, rank 11 of 51

Solar measures for Vermont
MeasureValueRank of 51Median state
Output of 1 kW a year, kWh1,225471,372
Home price, ¢ per kWh22.921015.37
Value of 1 kW a year$28111$222
Payback at $3.00 a watt10.7 years1113.5 years

EIA-861 (2024): 9,466 home net-metered systems in Vermont, 29.2 per 1,000 accounts (rank 16), average 11.0 kW.

Sizes and prices per watt in Vermont

Systems of 4 to 12 kW in Vermont
Vermont kWkWh a yearValue a yearCost at $2.50At $3.00At $3.50t CO2
44,900$1,123$10,000$12,000$14,0000.1
67,349$1,684$15,000$18,000$21,0000.1
89,799$2,246$20,000$24,000$28,0000.2
1012,249$2,807$25,000$30,000$35,0000.2
1214,699$3,369$30,000$36,000$42,0000.3
Payback in Vermont by price and retail share
Vermont $ per watt100% retail75%50%25%
$2.007.19.514.228.5
$2.508.911.917.835.6
$3.0010.714.221.442.7
$3.5012.516.624.949.9
$4.0014.219.028.557.0

Vermont: 1,225 kWh/kW × 22.92 ¢ = 281 a year per kW; the 30% column (7.5 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.

CSV

Utility-scale solar in Vermont: 156 MW

Vermont: 156 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 54 plants across 14 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 46 of 51; 241 W per resident, rank 29. Solar made 10.3% of Vermont's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 8, +3.5 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Coolidge Solar 1, LLC in Windsor County, 20 MW (2018); GMP Solar/Storage-Ferrisburgh Hybrid in Addison County, 5 MW (2019); GMP Solar - Williamstown in Orange County, 5 MW (2016). By county: Chittenden 34 MW, Windsor 29 MW, Rutland 20 MW, Addison 19 MW. Proposed: 2 MW under construction (1 plant) and 90 MW planned (3 plants); batteries 21 MW running and 16 MW proposed.

Utility-scale solar added in Vermont by year
Vermont yearMW addedCumulative share of today's MW
20191711%
2020212%
20211220%
2022624%
2023728%
2024028%
2025028%

Net metering and CO2 in Vermont

EIA-861 (2024): 9,466 home net-metered systems in Vermont, 29.2 per 1,000 accounts (rank 16), average 11.0 kW.

6 kW in Vermont: 7,349 kWh a year displaces 0.1 t CO2 at 0.019 kg per kWh, -2.9 t against the average state.

Vermont utilities and solar payback

Solar payback by utility in Vermont
Vermont utilityHomesPrice ¢Value of 1 kWPayback at $3.00
Green Mountain Power Corp226,67522.09$27111.1 yr
Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc35,96423.26$28510.5 yr
City of Burlington Electric17,86118.88$23113.0 yr

Vermont among its neighbours

Closest states to Vermont
Closest to VermontPayback, yearskWh per kWPrice, ¢Utility-scale solar, points of generationMiles away
Vermont (this page)10.71,22522.9210.3-
New Hampshire-1.0+33+1.64-10.397
Massachusetts-3.0+52+7.56-1.1148
Maine-2.2+42+4.86-0.3154
Rhode Island-2.8+70+6.54-3.2176
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

Vermont against its neighbours in the payback ranking

Your numbers for Vermont

    Limits in Vermont

    Vermont: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 7.5 years instead of 10.7, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Vermont export rates in our data: output counts at 22.92 ¢. All limits.

    Sources for Vermont

    More about Vermont

    Vermont electricity hub, Vermont EV charging: 544 stations, where Vermont ranks for rooftop solar, 10.7 years against 51 states, Vermont calculators.

    Questions

    Vermont sunshine for solar panels?

    1,225 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 47 of 51; from 1,157 in Newport to 1,226 in Bellows Falls.

    Vermont electricity from solar, what share?

    10.3% of 2025 net generation, rank 8 of 51, +3.5 points against the nation.

    Solar payback in Vermont?

    10.7 years at $3.00 a watt; 8.9 at $2.50; 12.5 at $3.50; 1,225 kWh per kW at 22.92 ¢.

    Net metering in Vermont?

    9,466 systems, 29.2 per 1,000 accounts, rank 16.

    Where in Vermont is solar best?

    Yes: 6% between Newport and Bellows Falls in yearly output.

    Winter cut in Vermont solar output?

    December to February give 17% of the year; Jul makes 138 kWh per kW and Dec 51.

    Vermont utility-scale solar capacity?

    156 MW in 54 plants (EIA-860), 241 W per resident, rank 29; 92 MW proposed.

    Vermont pays half price for exports?

    Payback 21.4 years at a 50% retail share.

    CO2 displaced in Vermont?

    0.1 t a year on 6 kW at 0.019 kg per kWh.

    Federal solar credit in Vermont: still available?

    Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Vermont payback would be 7.5 years, not 10.7.

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    1,225 kWh a year from 1 kW of panels in Vermont, rank 47 of 51 (1 = sunniest), PVWatts at the state's population centre