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Solar Savings Calculator
See how many years solar takes to pay for itself and what it saves over 25 years, with a year-by-year chart.
Your result
Enter your numbers and press the button. Your result appears here.
Savings depend most on your electricity price and how much sun your roof gets. Pick your state to load its average price, cost and output.
How it works
Each year's savings = kWh produced × electricity price. Payback is the year the running total of savings reaches the net cost. Output falls by the panel loss rate each year.
Example: an 8 kW system costing $20,800 saves $1,989 in year one at 18.19¢ per kWh and pays back in 10.7 years.
At a glance
Same settings as the calculator, changing only the system size.
| System size | Net cost | Year 1 savings | Payback | 25-yr gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 kW | $10,400 | $995 | 10.7 yrs | $13,029 |
| 6 kW | $15,600 | $1,492 | 10.7 yrs | $19,544 |
| 8 kW | $20,800 | $1,989 | 10.7 yrs | $26,059 |
| 10 kW | $26,000 | $2,487 | 10.7 yrs | $32,574 |
| 12 kW | $31,200 | $2,984 | 10.7 yrs | $39,088 |
| 15 kW | $39,000 | $3,730 | 10.7 yrs | $48,860 |
Solar by state
An 8 kW system at each state's average price per watt, electricity price and output. Payback in years, before incentives.
| State | Per watt | Electricity | kWh per kW | 8 kW cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $3.72 | 16.51¢ | 1,367 | $29,760 | 17.2 |
| Alaska | $2.60* | 27.32¢ | 922 | $20,800 | 10.6 |
| Arizona | $2.25 | 15.36¢ | 1,755 | $18,000 | 8.5 |
| Arkansas | $2.37 | 13.74¢ | 1,373 | $18,960 | 12.9 |
| California | $2.52 | 32.58¢ | 1,677 | $20,160 | 4.7 |
| Colorado | $2.63 | 16.80¢ | 1,595 | $21,040 | 10.0 |
| Connecticut | $2.67 | 27.47¢ | 1,291 | $21,360 | 7.7 |
| Delaware | $2.63 | 17.98¢ | 1,364 | $21,040 | 11.0 |
| District of Columbia | $3.20 | 24.86¢ | 1,391 | $25,600 | 9.5 |
| Florida | $2.12 | 15.32¢ | 1,455 | $16,960 | 9.7 |
| Georgia | $2.50 | 15.48¢ | 1,420 | $20,000 | 11.7 |
| Hawaii | $3.44 | 46.41¢ | 1,622 | $27,520 | 4.6 |
| Idaho | $2.95 | 13.02¢ | 1,468 | $23,600 | 16.0 |
| Illinois | $2.92 | 19.23¢ | 1,308 | $23,360 | 11.9 |
| Indiana | $2.59 | 17.04¢ | 1,332 | $20,720 | 11.7 |
| Iowa | $3.26 | 14.55¢ | 1,367 | $26,080 | 17.1 |
| Kansas | $2.66 | 15.26¢ | 1,526 | $21,280 | 11.7 |
| Kentucky | $2.48 | 14.20¢ | 1,343 | $19,840 | 13.4 |
| Louisiana | $2.31 | 13.27¢ | 1,479 | $18,480 | 12.1 |
| Maine | $2.91 | 30.23¢ | 1,319 | $23,280 | 7.4 |
| Maryland | $2.55 | 21.31¢ | 1,392 | $20,400 | 8.8 |
| Massachusetts | $2.90 | 30.19¢ | 1,302 | $23,200 | 7.5 |
| Michigan | $2.86 | 21.73¢ | 1,291 | $22,880 | 10.4 |
| Minnesota | $3.23 | 16.44¢ | 1,333 | $25,840 | 15.3 |
| Mississippi | $2.29 | 15.06¢ | 1,414 | $18,320 | 11.0 |
| Missouri | $2.49 | 14.28¢ | 1,433 | $19,920 | 12.5 |
| Montana | $2.54 | 14.13¢ | 1,344 | $20,320 | 13.8 |
| Nebraska | $2.60* | 12.92¢ | 1,423 | $20,800 | 14.6 |
| Nevada | $2.35 | 13.36¢ | 1,753 | $18,800 | 10.3 |
| New Hampshire | $2.88 | 26.91¢ | 1,258 | $23,040 | 8.7 |
| New Jersey | $2.60 | 24.09¢ | 1,305 | $20,800 | 8.4 |
| New Mexico | $2.49 | 15.34¢ | 1,779 | $19,920 | 9.3 |
| New York | $2.77 | 29.26¢ | 1,291 | $22,160 | 7.5 |
| North Carolina | $2.44 | 14.94¢ | 1,416 | $19,520 | 11.9 |
| North Dakota | $2.60* | 12.46¢ | 1,294 | $20,800 | 16.8 |
| Ohio | $2.56 | 18.81¢ | 1,296 | $20,480 | 10.8 |
| Oklahoma | $2.57 | 13.81¢ | 1,542 | $20,560 | 12.4 |
| Oregon | $2.40 | 15.46¢ | 1,121 | $19,200 | 14.3 |
| Pennsylvania | $2.60 | 21.13¢ | 1,356 | $20,800 | 9.3 |
| Rhode Island | $2.80 | 29.05¢ | 1,294 | $22,400 | 7.6 |
| South Carolina | $2.57 | 15.90¢ | 1,454 | $20,560 | 11.4 |
| South Dakota | $2.60* | 14.58¢ | 1,409 | $20,800 | 13.0 |
| Tennessee | $3.48 | 13.80¢ | 1,338 | $27,840 | 19.7 |
| Texas | $2.26 | 16.03¢ | 1,421 | $18,080 | 10.2 |
| Utah | $2.60* | 13.19¢ | 1,484 | $20,800 | 13.7 |
| Vermont | $2.78 | 23.93¢ | 1,222 | $22,240 | 9.7 |
| Virginia | $2.56 | 16.95¢ | 1,427 | $20,480 | 10.8 |
| Washington | $2.47 | 14.42¢ | 1,088 | $19,760 | 16.4 |
| West Virginia | $2.60* | 15.58¢ | 1,219 | $20,800 | 14.1 |
| Wisconsin | $3.03 | 19.05¢ | 1,334 | $24,240 | 12.3 |
| Wyoming | $2.60* | 14.01¢ | 1,533 | $20,800 | 12.5 |
* No EnergySage state average published; national $2.60 per watt used.
All savings and payback calculators
Common questions
How long does solar take to pay for itself?
It depends mainly on your electricity price and how much sun you get. At U.S. averages ($2.60/W, 18.19¢ per kWh and 1,367 kWh per kW) an 8 kW system pays back in about 10.7 years.
Do solar panels lose efficiency?
Yes, slowly. NREL's review of field studies puts the median loss at about 0.5% a year.
Is there still a federal solar tax credit?
Not for homeowners who buy their system. The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Leased systems and PPAs can still carry a business credit (48E) that the installer claims.
What if my utility pays less for exported power?
Lower the share credited at full price and enter your utility's export credit under More settings. Payback gets longer.
Sources
- 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
- NREL PVWatts v8 (20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses), state results compiled by TheGreenWatt: https://thegreenwatt.com/average-peak-sun-hours-by-state/
- NREL, Jordan and Kurtz, Photovoltaic Degradation Rates: An Analytical Review: https://docs.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/51664.pdf