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Solar by state
Two numbers decide most of the math: what you pay for power and how much sun you get. Here's every state, ranked by payback for a home with a $150 monthly bill.
| State | Power price | Sun hours | System size | Year-1 savings | Payback | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.4¢ | 5.2 | 6.7 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 19 |
| Alaska | 28.8¢ | 3.2 | 6.2 kW | $1,380 | 12 yrs | 17 |
| Arizona | 15.4¢ | 6.5 | 5.6 kW | $1,380 | 11 yrs | 10 |
| Arkansas | 14.3¢ | 5.2 | 7.7 kW | $1,380 | 15 yrs | 39 |
| California | 33.6¢ | 6.1 | 2.8 kW | $1,380 | 6 yrs | 2 |
| Colorado | 17.0¢ | 5.7 | 5.9 kW | $1,380 | 12 yrs | 18 |
| Connecticut | 24.2¢ | 4.5 | 5.2 kW | $1,380 | 11 yrs | 11 |
| Delaware | 18.5¢ | 4.8 | 6.4 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 20 |
| Florida | 15.0¢ | 5.5 | 6.9 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 21 |
| Georgia | 16.3¢ | 5.2 | 6.8 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 22 |
| Hawaii | 48.0¢ | 5.8 | 2.0 kW | $1,380 | 5 yrs | 1 |
| Idaho | 13.7¢ | 5.2 | 8.0 kW | $1,380 | 15 yrs | 40 |
| Illinois | 19.2¢ | 4.5 | 6.6 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 23 |
| Indiana | 16.7¢ | 4.7 | 7.3 kW | $1,380 | 14 yrs | 31 |
| Iowa | 16.0¢ | 4.8 | 7.5 kW | $1,380 | 14 yrs | 32 |
| Kansas | 15.3¢ | 5.4 | 6.9 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 24 |
| Kentucky | 13.8¢ | 4.8 | 8.6 kW | $1,380 | 16 yrs | 45 |
| Louisiana | 12.7¢ | 5.3 | 8.4 kW | $1,380 | 16 yrs | 46 |
| Maine | 32.4¢ | 4.5 | 3.9 kW | $1,380 | 8 yrs | 3 |
| Maryland | 21.4¢ | 4.9 | 5.4 kW | $1,380 | 11 yrs | 12 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5¢ | 4.7 | 4.0 kW | $1,380 | 8 yrs | 4 |
| Michigan | 23.1¢ | 4.5 | 5.5 kW | $1,380 | 11 yrs | 13 |
| Minnesota | 17.4¢ | 4.6 | 7.1 kW | $1,380 | 14 yrs | 33 |
| Mississippi | 14.5¢ | 5.3 | 7.5 kW | $1,380 | 14 yrs | 34 |
| Missouri | 16.1¢ | 5.0 | 7.0 kW | $1,380 | 14 yrs | 35 |
| Montana | 15.0¢ | 4.8 | 8.0 kW | $1,380 | 15 yrs | 41 |
| Nebraska | 13.8¢ | 5.0 | 8.3 kW | $1,380 | 16 yrs | 47 |
| Nevada | 12.8¢ | 6.4 | 6.9 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 25 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6¢ | 4.6 | 4.7 kW | $1,380 | 10 yrs | 7 |
| New Jersey | 25.2¢ | 4.7 | 4.8 kW | $1,380 | 10 yrs | 8 |
| New Mexico | 16.1¢ | 6.4 | 5.5 kW | $1,380 | 11 yrs | 14 |
| New York | 29.9¢ | 4.5 | 4.2 kW | $1,380 | 9 yrs | 5 |
| North Carolina | 15.2¢ | 5.2 | 7.1 kW | $1,380 | 14 yrs | 36 |
| North Dakota | 13.4¢ | 4.5 | 9.5 kW | $1,380 | 17 yrs | 50 |
| Ohio | 19.4¢ | 4.5 | 6.5 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 26 |
| Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | 5.5 | 7.2 kW | $1,380 | 14 yrs | 37 |
| Oregon | 16.0¢ | 4.1 | 8.8 kW | $1,380 | 16 yrs | 48 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | 4.8 | 5.5 kW | $1,380 | 11 yrs | 15 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3¢ | 4.7 | 4.3 kW | $1,380 | 9 yrs | 6 |
| South Carolina | 15.5¢ | 5.3 | 6.9 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 27 |
| South Dakota | 15.4¢ | 4.9 | 7.6 kW | $1,380 | 15 yrs | 42 |
| Tennessee | 13.7¢ | 4.8 | 8.6 kW | $1,380 | 16 yrs | 49 |
| Texas | 15.9¢ | 5.2 | 6.9 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 28 |
| Utah | 13.1¢ | 5.4 | 8.1 kW | $1,380 | 15 yrs | 43 |
| Vermont | 23.8¢ | 4.4 | 5.5 kW | $1,380 | 11 yrs | 16 |
| Virginia | 17.6¢ | 5.0 | 6.5 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 29 |
| Washington | 14.7¢ | 4.0 | 9.8 kW | $1,380 | 18 yrs | 51 |
| Washington, DC | 25.2¢ | 4.9 | 4.6 kW | $1,380 | 10 yrs | 9 |
| West Virginia | 15.8¢ | 4.6 | 7.9 kW | $1,380 | 15 yrs | 44 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1¢ | 4.6 | 6.5 kW | $1,380 | 13 yrs | 30 |
| Wyoming | 14.4¢ | 5.4 | 7.4 kW | $1,380 | 14 yrs | 38 |
Select a column header to sort. Assumes a $150 monthly bill, 90% offset, $3.00 per watt installed, no tax credit, 3% yearly power price rise. Power prices: US Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electric Power Monthly, residential average price, July 2026. Sunshine: NREL PVWatts / NSRDB, average peak sun hours for each state's largest city.
How to read this table
Power price matters most. Every kWh your panels make is worth what you'd otherwise pay, so a home in a 30¢ state earns twice as much per panel as one in a 15¢ state.
Sun hours come second. A kW of panels in Arizona makes roughly 60% more energy than the same kW in Washington.
Export rules are the hidden third factor. Some utilities credit exported power at the full retail rate; others pay much less. See net metering explained.
Your result will differ. Run your own numbers in the savings calculator.