Solar Panel Output Calculator
Estimate how many kWh solar panels make per year, month and day where you live.
Your result
Enter your numbers and press the button. Your result appears here.
NREL's PVWatts model puts the U.S. average at about 1,367 kWh a year per kW of panels, from about 920 in Alaska to 1,780 in New Mexico.
How it works
Yearly kWh = system kW × yearly kWh per kW. Monthly = yearly ÷ 12; daily = yearly ÷ 365.
Example: 8.00 kW makes about 10,936 kWh a year, 911 a month and 30.0 a day.
At a glance
Same settings as the calculator, changing only the kwh per kw.
| kWh per kW | Per year | Per month | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,100 | 8,800 kWh | 733 kWh | 24.1 kWh |
| 1,200 | 9,600 kWh | 800 kWh | 26.3 kWh |
| 1,300 | 10,400 kWh | 867 kWh | 28.5 kWh |
| 1,400 | 11,200 kWh | 933 kWh | 30.7 kWh |
| 1,550 | 12,400 kWh | 1,033 kWh | 34.0 kWh |
| 1,700 | 13,600 kWh | 1,133 kWh | 37.3 kWh |
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.
Common questions
How much electricity does a solar panel produce?
A 400 W panel makes about 550 kWh a year, or 1.5 kWh a day, at the U.S. average of 1,367 kWh per kW. In Arizona it is closer to 700 kWh a year.
Why is my output lower in winter?
Shorter days, a lower sun and snow cut production. The yearly figure averages the seasons.
Sources
- NREL PVWatts v8 (20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses), state results compiled by TheGreenWatt: https://thegreenwatt.com/average-peak-sun-hours-by-state/
- NREL PVWatts Calculator: https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/
- 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