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Solar Panel Calculator by City
Sunshine, output, cost and payback for 99 U.S. and 12 Canadian cities, each with its own calculator.
All cities
Payback for an 8 kW system before incentives. Canadian figures are in Canadian dollars.
| City | Sun hours a day | kWh per kW | Electricity | Payback (yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 5.17 | 1,361 | 16.51¢ | 17.2 |
| Anchorage, AK | 3.05 | 904 | 27.32¢ | 10.8 |
| Chandler, AZ | 6.53 | 1,753 | 15.36¢ | 8.5 |
| Gilbert, AZ | 6.52 | 1,750 | 15.36¢ | 8.5 |
| Mesa, AZ | 6.51 | 1,747 | 15.36¢ | 8.5 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 6.51 | 1,751 | 15.36¢ | 8.5 |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 6.51 | 1,750 | 15.36¢ | 8.5 |
| Tucson, AZ | 6.48 | 1,769 | 15.36¢ | 8.4 |
| Little Rock, AR | 5.12 | 1,409 | 13.74¢ | 12.6 |
| Anaheim, CA | 6.01 | 1,659 | 32.58¢ | 4.7 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 6.18 | 1,673 | 32.58¢ | 4.7 |
| Fresno, CA | 6.04 | 1,605 | 32.58¢ | 4.9 |
| Irvine, CA | 5.99 | 1,665 | 32.58¢ | 4.7 |
| Long Beach, CA | 5.97 | 1,656 | 32.58¢ | 4.7 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 6.14 | 1,692 | 32.58¢ | 4.6 |
| Oakland, CA | 5.61 | 1,571 | 32.58¢ | 5.0 |
| Riverside, CA | 6.20 | 1,695 | 32.58¢ | 4.6 |
| Sacramento, CA | 5.87 | 1,618 | 32.58¢ | 4.8 |
| San Diego, CA | 5.71 | 1,600 | 32.58¢ | 4.9 |
| San Francisco, CA | 5.45 | 1,530 | 32.58¢ | 5.1 |
| San Jose, CA | 5.82 | 1,620 | 32.58¢ | 4.8 |
| Aurora, CO | 5.74 | 1,614 | 16.80¢ | 9.9 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 5.99 | 1,682 | 16.80¢ | 9.5 |
| Denver, CO | 5.42 | 1,527 | 16.80¢ | 10.5 |
| Hartford, CT | 4.61 | 1,251 | 27.47¢ | 7.9 |
| Wilmington, DE | 4.80 | 1,364 | 17.98¢ | 11.0 |
| Washington, DC | 4.74 | 1,346 | 24.86¢ | 9.8 |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | 5.57 | 1,541 | 15.32¢ | 9.2 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 5.42 | 1,511 | 15.32¢ | 9.4 |
| Miami, FL | 5.51 | 1,517 | 15.32¢ | 9.3 |
| Orlando, FL | 5.52 | 1,513 | 15.32¢ | 9.3 |
| Tampa, FL | 5.66 | 1,558 | 15.32¢ | 9.1 |
| Atlanta, GA | 5.06 | 1,381 | 15.48¢ | 12.0 |
| Savannah, GA | 5.52 | 1,492 | 15.48¢ | 11.1 |
| Honolulu, HI | 5.69 | 1,586 | 46.41¢ | 4.7 |
| Boise, ID | 5.18 | 1,456 | 13.02¢ | 16.2 |
| Chicago, IL | 4.55 | 1,319 | 19.23¢ | 11.8 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 4.73 | 1,342 | 17.04¢ | 11.6 |
| Des Moines, IA | 4.80 | 1,381 | 14.55¢ | 16.9 |
| Wichita, KS | 5.35 | 1,514 | 15.26¢ | 11.8 |
| Louisville, KY | 4.74 | 1,328 | 14.20¢ | 13.6 |
| New Orleans, LA | 5.32 | 1,479 | 13.27¢ | 12.1 |
| Portland, ME | 4.59 | 1,332 | 30.23¢ | 7.3 |
| Baltimore, MD | 4.93 | 1,407 | 21.31¢ | 8.7 |
| Boston, MA | 4.70 | 1,302 | 30.19¢ | 7.5 |
| Detroit, MI | 4.47 | 1,291 | 21.73¢ | 10.4 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 4.64 | 1,342 | 16.44¢ | 15.2 |
| Saint Paul, MN | 4.59 | 1,335 | 16.44¢ | 15.2 |
| Jackson, MS | 5.25 | 1,412 | 15.06¢ | 11.0 |
| Kansas City, MO | 5.10 | 1,448 | 14.28¢ | 12.4 |
| Saint Louis, MO | 4.92 | 1,395 | 14.28¢ | 12.9 |
| Billings, MT | 4.76 | 1,344 | 14.13¢ | 13.8 |
| Lincoln, NE | 5.07 | 1,451 | 12.92¢ | 14.3 |
| Omaha, NE | 5.00 | 1,427 | 12.92¢ | 14.6 |
| Henderson, NV | 6.51 | 1,787 | 13.36¢ | 10.1 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 6.54 | 1,794 | 13.36¢ | 10.0 |
| Reno, NV | 6.02 | 1,663 | 13.36¢ | 10.8 |
| Manchester, NH | 4.58 | 1,259 | 26.91¢ | 8.7 |
| Newark, NJ | 4.66 | 1,306 | 24.09¢ | 8.4 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 6.41 | 1,774 | 15.34¢ | 9.3 |
| Albany, NY | 4.48 | 1,225 | 29.26¢ | 7.9 |
| Buffalo, NY | 4.34 | 1,225 | 29.26¢ | 7.9 |
| New York, NY | 4.59 | 1,291 | 29.26¢ | 7.5 |
| Charlotte, NC | 5.28 | 1,467 | 14.94¢ | 11.4 |
| Greensboro, NC | 5.09 | 1,424 | 14.94¢ | 11.8 |
| Raleigh, NC | 5.13 | 1,369 | 14.94¢ | 12.3 |
| Fargo, ND | 4.45 | 1,294 | 12.46¢ | 16.8 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 4.70 | 1,278 | 18.81¢ | 10.9 |
| Cleveland, OH | 4.53 | 1,307 | 18.81¢ | 10.7 |
| Columbus, OH | 4.62 | 1,320 | 18.81¢ | 10.6 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 5.55 | 1,554 | 13.81¢ | 12.3 |
| Tulsa, OK | 5.23 | 1,470 | 13.81¢ | 13.0 |
| Portland, OR | 4.09 | 1,120 | 15.46¢ | 14.3 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 4.81 | 1,364 | 21.13¢ | 9.2 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 4.43 | 1,206 | 21.13¢ | 10.4 |
| Providence, RI | 4.70 | 1,294 | 29.05¢ | 7.6 |
| Charleston, SC | 5.26 | 1,431 | 15.90¢ | 11.6 |
| Columbia, SC | 5.22 | 1,427 | 15.90¢ | 11.6 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 4.81 | 1,393 | 14.58¢ | 13.2 |
| Memphis, TN | 5.10 | 1,427 | 13.80¢ | 18.5 |
| Nashville, TN | 4.86 | 1,352 | 13.80¢ | 19.5 |
| Arlington, TX | 5.46 | 1,515 | 16.03¢ | 9.5 |
| Austin, TX | 5.43 | 1,489 | 16.03¢ | 9.7 |
| Dallas, TX | 5.45 | 1,506 | 16.03¢ | 9.6 |
| El Paso, TX | 6.69 | 1,843 | 16.03¢ | 7.8 |
| Fort Worth, TX | 5.57 | 1,541 | 16.03¢ | 9.3 |
| Houston, TX | 5.22 | 1,437 | 16.03¢ | 10.0 |
| Plano, TX | 5.57 | 1,549 | 16.03¢ | 9.3 |
| San Antonio, TX | 5.45 | 1,491 | 16.03¢ | 9.7 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 5.38 | 1,503 | 13.19¢ | 13.5 |
| Burlington, VT | 4.32 | 1,212 | 23.93¢ | 9.8 |
| Richmond, VA | 5.01 | 1,369 | 16.95¢ | 11.3 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 5.07 | 1,441 | 16.95¢ | 10.7 |
| Seattle, WA | 3.96 | 1,093 | 14.42¢ | 16.3 |
| Spokane, WA | 4.44 | 1,257 | 14.42¢ | 14.1 |
| Charleston, WV | 4.57 | 1,219 | 15.58¢ | 14.1 |
| Madison, WI | 4.53 | 1,314 | 19.05¢ | 12.5 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 4.56 | 1,328 | 19.05¢ | 12.3 |
| Cheyenne, WY | 5.49 | 1,568 | 14.01¢ | 12.2 |
| Calgary, AB | 4.33 | 1,233 | 22.90¢ | 9.8 |
| Edmonton, AB | 4.02 | 1,171 | 22.00¢ | 10.8 |
| Vancouver, BC | 3.67 | 1,011 | 12.60¢ | 24.5 |
| Winnipeg, MB | 4.35 | 1,280 | 10.53¢ | 23.0 |
| Moncton, NB | 4.25 | 1,177 | 16.61¢ | 15.6 |
| St. John's, NL | 3.73 | 1,106 | 15.59¢ | 24.6 |
| Halifax, NS | 4.13 | 1,194 | 20.48¢ | 12.4 |
| Ottawa, ON | 4.34 | 1,212 | 14.35¢ | 16.3 |
| Toronto, ON | 4.40 | 1,276 | 15.57¢ | 14.2 |
| Charlottetown, PE | 4.03 | 1,177 | 19.69¢ | 13.1 |
| Montreal, QC | 4.34 | 1,267 | 8.29¢ | over 25 |
| Regina, SK | 4.40 | 1,286 | 17.89¢ | 13.2 |
Sources
- NREL PVWatts V8 API (south-facing, 20° tilt, 14% losses, typical-year weather): https://developer.nlr.gov/docs/solar/pvwatts/v8/
- EnergySage, Solar panel cost by state (updated November 6, 2026): https://www.energysage.com/local-data/solar-panel-cost/
- U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B (residential price, Jan–Aug 2026): https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_b
- Hydro-Québec, Comparison of Electricity Prices in Major North American Cities, 2025 (1,000 kWh a month, before tax): https://www.hydroquebec.com/data/documents-donnees/pdf/comparaison-prix-2025-en.pdf
- Green Building Canada, Solar panel costs in Canada by province (2026): https://greenbuildingcanada.ca/solar-panels-cost-canada/