Solar panel payback by state
How long a 6 kW system takes to repay itself, at each state's electricity price and modelled production. Fastest first.
Solar pays back fastest in Hawaii, which is not the sunniest state — that is Nevada. Payback follows the price of the electricity you stop buying, so an expensive grid does more for the sums than a bright sky.
| State | Payback | Produces |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 2.5 yrs | 10,538 kWh |
| California | 3.7 yrs | 9,843 kWh |
| Maine | 5 yrs | 7,515 kWh |
| Massachusetts | 5.2 yrs | 7,711 kWh |
| Rhode Island | 5.4 yrs | 7,953 kWh |
| District of Columbia | 5.8 yrs | 8,349 kWh |
| New York | 5.8 yrs | 7,042 kWh |
| New Hampshire | 5.9 yrs | 7,730 kWh |
| New Jersey | 6 yrs | 8,001 kWh |
| Alaska | 6.3 yrs | 6,694 kWh |
| Connecticut | 6.5 yrs | 7,687 kWh |
| Maryland | 6.7 yrs | 8,359 kWh |
| Michigan | 6.8 yrs | 7,663 kWh |
| Vermont | 6.9 yrs | 7,349 kWh |
| New Mexico | 7 yrs | 10,745 kWh |
| Colorado | 7.4 yrs | 9,523 kWh |
| Arizona | 7.5 yrs | 10,378 kWh |
| Illinois | 7.6 yrs | 8,154 kWh |
| Delaware | 7.7 yrs | 8,436 kWh |
| Pennsylvania | 7.7 yrs | 7,181 kWh |
| Wisconsin | 7.9 yrs | 7,955 kWh |
| Ohio | 8.1 yrs | 7,599 kWh |
| Texas | 8.2 yrs | 9,202 kWh |
| Minnesota | 8.4 yrs | 8,095 kWh |
| Virginia | 8.5 yrs | 7,967 kWh |
| Florida | 8.6 yrs | 9,218 kWh |
| Nevada | 8.6 yrs | 10,803 kWh |
| Georgia | 8.7 yrs | 8,422 kWh |
| Indiana | 8.7 yrs | 8,129 kWh |
| Kansas | 8.7 yrs | 8,975 kWh |
| Wyoming | 8.7 yrs | 9,503 kWh |
| Alabama | 8.8 yrs | 8,255 kWh |
| Missouri | 8.8 yrs | 8,408 kWh |
| Iowa | 8.9 yrs | 8,329 kWh |
| South Carolina | 8.9 yrs | 8,580 kWh |
| South Dakota | 9 yrs | 8,582 kWh |
| Oklahoma | 9.2 yrs | 9,024 kWh |
| North Carolina | 9.3 yrs | 8,361 kWh |
| Arkansas | 9.7 yrs | 8,483 kWh |
| Oregon | 9.7 yrs | 7,618 kWh |
| Utah | 9.7 yrs | 9,307 kWh |
| Mississippi | 9.8 yrs | 8,321 kWh |
| Nebraska | 9.8 yrs | 8,757 kWh |
| Montana | 10 yrs | 7,884 kWh |
| Idaho | 10.3 yrs | 8,341 kWh |
| West Virginia | 10.3 yrs | 7,219 kWh |
| Louisiana | 10.5 yrs | 8,797 kWh |
| Tennessee | 10.5 yrs | 8,157 kWh |
| Washington | 10.5 yrs | 7,627 kWh |
| Kentucky | 10.7 yrs | 7,936 kWh |
| North Dakota | 11 yrs | 7,961 kWh |
Assumes $3.00 a watt installed, the 30% federal credit, full retail credit for exported power, 2% annual price rises and 0.5% panel degradation. Where a utility credits exports below retail, payback is materially longer — each state page shows both.