Solar panel cost calculator
System size, price and payback from your electric bill and state.
Estimated cost
Typical home system, US median
$34,200
7.4 kW before incentives (Berkeley Lab). Choose your state to size a system for your bill and see the payback.
Cost before incentives
-
- System size:
- Yearly output:
- Yearly savings:
- Simple payback:
6 in 10 systemsLowHigh
How the estimate works
- Your use. A bill in dollars is turned into kWh at your state's average residential power price (July 2026, EIA). Your bill also includes fixed charges, so entering kWh from the bill is more exact.
- System size. We divide the yearly kWh you want to cover by what 1 kW of panels produces a year in your state: from 922 to 1,779 kWh per kW, median 1,376, in NREL's PVWatts model for a south-facing roof at a 20 degree tilt.
- Price. Berkeley Lab's Tracking the Sun puts the median installed price of home systems at $4.62 per watt in today's dollars, with state medians for 21 states. The range spans the national 20th to 80th percentile, $3.52 to $6.05 per watt, applied to your state.
- Payback. Yearly output times your state's power price, divided into the cost. That assumes every kWh is worth the full retail rate, which is true only with full net metering; many utilities now pay less for power you send back to the grid, which stretches payback.
Every source is on the methodology page.
No federal tax credit for systems you buy from 2026
The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit for solar panels and batteries does not apply to property placed in service after 31st Dec. 2025, according to the IRS. The cost shown here is before incentives, and in most states that is now close to what you will pay for a system you own. Some states and utilities still offer rebates or performance payments, so check before you sign.
Solar cost and payback by state
| State | Cost before incentives | kWh per kW a year | Power price, cents/kWh | Yearly savings | Payback, years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii* | $34,200 | 1,622 | 46.3 | $5,550 | 6.2 |
| California | $34,200 | 1,677 | 33.2 | $4,150 | 8.3 |
| Massachusetts | $31,700 | 1,302 | 30.1 | $2,900 | 10.9 |
| New Hampshire | $28,500 | 1,258 | 26.8 | $2,500 | 11.4 |
| Maine* | $34,200 | 1,319 | 30.0 | $2,950 | 11.7 |
| New York | $36,600 | 1,291 | 29.4 | $2,800 | 13.0 |
| District of Columbia* | $34,200 | 1,411 | 24.7 | $2,550 | 13.3 |
| Connecticut | $37,400 | 1,340 | 28.0 | $2,750 | 13.5 |
| Alaska | $26,000 | 922 | 27.1 | $1,850 | 14.1 |
| Rhode Island | $40,700 | 1,294 | 29.2 | $2,800 | 14.5 |
| Vermont* | $34,200 | 1,222 | 23.9 | $2,150 | 15.8 |
| Maryland | $35,000 | 1,392 | 21.3 | $2,200 | 15.9 |
| Pennsylvania* | $34,200 | 1,359 | 21.0 | $2,100 | 16.1 |
| Nevada | $28,500 | 1,753 | 13.5 | $1,750 | 16.2 |
| Arizona | $32,500 | 1,755 | 15.4 | $2,000 | 16.2 |
| Michigan* | $34,200 | 1,291 | 21.5 | $2,050 | 16.6 |
| New Jersey | $39,100 | 1,305 | 24.0 | $2,300 | 16.9 |
| Wisconsin | $32,500 | 1,334 | 19.0 | $1,900 | 17.4 |
| Illinois* | $34,200 | 1,308 | 19.2 | $1,850 | 18.4 |
| Ohio* | $34,200 | 1,310 | 18.7 | $1,800 | 18.8 |
| New Mexico | $37,400 | 1,779 | 15.1 | $2,000 | 18.9 |
| Delaware* | $34,200 | 1,364 | 17.9 | $1,800 | 19.0 |
| Virginia* | $34,200 | 1,427 | 16.8 | $1,800 | 19.2 |
| Colorado | $38,200 | 1,595 | 16.7 | $1,950 | 19.4 |
| Texas | $33,400 | 1,421 | 16.1 | $1,700 | 19.8 |
| Kansas* | $34,200 | 1,526 | 15.2 | $1,700 | 19.9 |
| South Carolina* | $34,200 | 1,454 | 15.9 | $1,700 | 19.9 |
| Alabama* | $34,200 | 1,376 | 16.5 | $1,700 | 20.3 |
| Indiana* | $34,200 | 1,335 | 17.0 | $1,700 | 20.3 |
| North Carolina | $33,400 | 1,446 | 14.9 | $1,600 | 20.9 |
| Minnesota | $34,200 | 1,333 | 16.2 | $1,600 | 21.3 |
| Georgia* | $34,200 | 1,402 | 15.4 | $1,600 | 21.4 |
| Mississippi* | $34,200 | 1,414 | 15.2 | $1,600 | 21.5 |
| Wyoming* | $34,200 | 1,533 | 13.9 | $1,600 | 21.6 |
| Florida | $36,600 | 1,455 | 15.3 | $1,650 | 22.2 |
| Oklahoma* | $34,200 | 1,527 | 13.6 | $1,550 | 22.3 |
| South Dakota* | $34,200 | 1,422 | 14.5 | $1,550 | 22.4 |
| Missouri* | $34,200 | 1,433 | 14.0 | $1,500 | 23.1 |
| Louisiana* | $34,200 | 1,479 | 13.3 | $1,450 | 23.4 |
| Iowa* | $34,200 | 1,370 | 14.2 | $1,450 | 23.7 |
| Kentucky* | $34,200 | 1,355 | 14.3 | $1,450 | 23.9 |
| Arkansas* | $34,200 | 1,413 | 13.6 | $1,400 | 24.0 |
| West Virginia* | $34,200 | 1,232 | 15.5 | $1,400 | 24.2 |
| Idaho* | $34,200 | 1,456 | 13.0 | $1,400 | 24.5 |
| Montana* | $34,200 | 1,344 | 13.9 | $1,400 | 24.6 |
| Tennessee* | $34,200 | 1,338 | 13.9 | $1,350 | 24.9 |
| Nebraska* | $34,200 | 1,423 | 12.9 | $1,350 | 25.2 |
| Oregon | $32,500 | 1,128 | 15.4 | $1,300 | 25.3 |
| North Dakota* | $34,200 | 1,294 | 12.4 | $1,200 | 28.9 |
| Utah | $42,300 | 1,484 | 13.2 | $1,450 | 29.3 |
| Washington | $36,600 | 1,088 | 14.4 | $1,150 | 31.6 |
* No state median in the Berkeley Lab data (fewer than 20 systems); the US median price is used.
Why quotes differ so much
Berkeley Lab found median prices among the 100 largest home solar installers ranging from $2.6 to $5.9 per watt in 2023, and noted that dealer fees on loan-financed systems can add 5% to 50% to the price. Two quotes for the same roof can be thousands of dollars apart. Compare them per watt (price divided by system size in watts), check which panels and inverters are included, and ask whether a loan's dealer fee is built into the price.
What else changes your numbers
- Roof direction and shade. The output figures assume an unshaded south-facing roof. East or west roofs and shade from trees lower the output per kW.
- Roof condition. If the roof needs replacing within a few years, do it first; removing and refitting panels later costs extra.
- Batteries. Not included. Berkeley Lab's median reported battery cost was about $1,372 per kWh of storage in 2023.
- Rising power prices. Payback here uses today's price; if rates rise, payback gets shorter.
Questions and answers
How much do solar panels cost for a house?
Berkeley Lab's median installed price for home systems is about $4.62 per watt in today's dollars, so a 7.4 kW system, the median size, comes to about $34,200 before incentives. Prices vary by state and installer; the calculator uses your state's median where Berkeley Lab has one.
Is there still a 30% federal tax credit for solar?
Not for a system you own. The IRS says the Residential Clean Energy Credit does not apply to property placed in service after 31st Dec. 2025. Some state and utility incentives remain.
How many solar panels do I need?
Divide the electricity you want to cover each year by what 1 kW produces in your state, from 922 to 1,779 kWh per kW a year in NREL's PVWatts model. That gives the system size in kW. For the number of panels, divide the size in watts by the wattage on the panel's spec sheet.
How long does solar take to pay back?
It depends on your power price, sunshine, system price and how your utility credits power you send to the grid. The state table shows simple payback for a typical system; states with expensive power and good sun pay back fastest.
Why is my quote higher than the estimate?
Installer prices vary widely: Berkeley Lab found medians from $2.6 to $5.9 per watt among the 100 largest installers in 2023, and loan dealer fees can add 5% to 50%. Ask for the price per watt, the equipment list and whether a dealer fee is included.