See if solar is worth it — in 30 seconds.
Your real state electricity rate and an honest 25-year payback — updated for 2026, when the 30% federal credit went away for buyers. No email, no sales call — just your number.
Sources: EIA · NREL · IRS. No federal credit — it ended 31 Dec 2025.
This is an independent estimate for guidance only — not a quote or financial advice. Real costs depend on your roof, shading and installer. Always get itemised quotes before buying.
Solar payback by state
Payback swings hugely by state because power prices and sunshine do. Pick yours for local numbers and net-metering notes.
● pays off fast ● middling ● slow
More energy calculators
⚡ EV charging cost
What it really costs to charge an electric car in your state — per mile and versus gas.
EV charging calculator❄️ AC running cost
What an air conditioner costs to run where you live — per hour, day, month and season.
AC cost calculator🔥 Heat pump vs gas
Whether a heat pump heats cheaper than your gas furnace at your state's power price — and the breakeven point.
Heat pump calculatorHow solar payback works
Solar “payback” is the number of years of electricity-bill savings it takes to recover what you paid for the system after incentives. Three things move it the most:
- Your electricity rate. The more you pay per kWh, the more each solar kWh saves you. This is why Hawaii and California pay off years faster than cheap-power states.
- Your sunshine. A kilowatt of panels in Arizona makes ~50% more power a year than the same panels in Washington.
- Incentives. The 30% federal credit ended for buyers on 31 Dec 2025, so it no longer helps a purchased system — but state, utility and SREC programs still can, and a lease/PPA can route the remaining commercial credit back into your rate.
See the full methodology and data sources.
Common questions
How is the solar payback period calculated?
We estimate the system size needed to cover your power use from your monthly bill and your state’s electricity rate, apply your installed cost per watt, subtract any state/utility incentive you enter, then divide that net cost by your annual savings — adjusting each year for rising power prices and gradual panel wear.
Does the 30% federal solar tax credit still apply?
No — not for systems you buy. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 2025) ended the federal Residential Clean Energy Credit for any system placed in service after 31 December 2025, dropping it from 30% to 0% with no phase-down. We apply no federal credit by default. The credit can still flow to the owner under a lease or PPA (third-party ownership), who may pass some value through in your rate. Always check with a tax professional.
Does this account for my state’s incentives?
We use your real state electricity rate and sunshine, which are the biggest drivers. State and utility rebates change constantly and vary by provider, so rather than guess we link you to DSIRE (the official incentives database) and let you type any rebate into the calculator.
Why does payback vary so much between states?
Two things dominate: how much you pay per kWh (Hawaii and California pay 2–4× what Washington or North Dakota pay) and how much sun your roof gets. High prices plus good sun mean fast payback; cheap power plus cloudy skies mean slow.
Is this a quote? Do you sell my details?
No to both. There’s no form, no email, nothing leaves your browser, and we are not a solar installer. It’s a free estimate to help you decide whether getting real quotes is worth your time.
Go deeper
Plain-English guides to the things the calculator raises — no sales pitch:
- Is solar worth it in 2026? — the five numbers that decide it.
- How solar payback actually works — the math behind the break-even.
- Net metering, explained — why your exports may pay less than you think.
- The federal tax credit ended in 2025 — what that means for your payback.
- How America gets its power — 1882 to 2026 in one chart, and why rates are rising again.
- How to actually cut your electricity bill — every fix ranked by dollars, and the three that don't move the needle.