Solar Panel Calculator for St. John's, NL
Estimate the cost, savings and payback of solar panels in St. John's, NL, using local NREL sunshine data, provincial prices and the local electricity rate.
Your result
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St. John's gets about 3.73 peak sun hours a day on a south-facing roof, so each kW of panels makes about 1,106 kWh a year. That ranks #109 of the 111 cities on this site. Output peaks in Jun and is lowest in Dec.
Sunshine in St. John's by month
What an 8 kW system makes in St. John's
| Month | Sun hours a day | Output | Bill savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.66 | 352 kWh | C$55 |
| Feb | 2.56 | 488 kWh | C$76 |
| Mar | 4.18 | 872 kWh | C$136 |
| Apr | 4.89 | 968 kWh | C$151 |
| May | 5.43 | 1,088 kWh | C$170 |
| Jun | 5.47 | 1,048 kWh | C$163 |
| Jul | 5.34 | 1,032 kWh | C$161 |
| Aug | 5.03 | 976 kWh | C$152 |
| Sep | 4.13 | 792 kWh | C$123 |
| Oct | 2.81 | 576 kWh | C$90 |
| Nov | 1.83 | 368 kWh | C$57 |
| Dec | 1.41 | 296 kWh | C$46 |
| Year | 3.73 | 8,848 kWh | C$1,379 |
Savings at 15.59¢ per kWh, with every kWh credited at that price.
Cost and payback by system size
At C$4.00 per watt, the midpoint of the Newfoundland and Labrador range, before incentives.
| System | Cost | Year 1 savings | Payback | 25-yr gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 kW | C$16,000 | C$690 | 24.6 yrs | C$247 |
| 6 kW | C$24,000 | C$1,035 | 24.6 yrs | C$370 |
| 8 kW | C$32,000 | C$1,379 | 24.6 yrs | C$493 |
| 10 kW | C$40,000 | C$1,724 | 24.6 yrs | C$616 |
| 12 kW | C$48,000 | C$2,069 | 24.6 yrs | C$740 |
How many panels you need in St. John's
| Monthly use | System | 400 W panels |
|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | 5.42 kW | 14 |
| 750 kWh | 8.14 kW | 21 |
| 1,000 kWh | 10.85 kW | 28 |
| 1,500 kWh | 16.27 kW | 41 |
| 2,000 kWh | 21.70 kW | 55 |
Covering 100% of a year's use at 1,106 kWh per kW.
Common questions
Is solar worth it in St. John's?
At local averages an 8 kW system costs about C$32,000 before incentives, saves about C$1,379 in its first year and pays back in about 24.6 years.
How many peak sun hours does St. John's get?
About 3.73 a day over the year on a south-facing roof at 20°, from 1.4 in Dec to 5.5 in Jun, according to NREL's PVWatts model.
How much does a 1 kW solar system produce in St. John's?
About 1,106 kWh a year, or 92 kWh a month on average.
Are there solar incentives in Canada?
Programs change often and differ by province and utility. Check with your provincial energy department and your utility before you buy.
Sources
- NREL PVWatts V8 API (south-facing, 20° tilt, 14% losses, typical-year weather): https://developer.nlr.gov/docs/solar/pvwatts/v8/
- 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/