Are Solar Panels Worth It in Washington? (2026)

Marginal — do the math carefully for Washington. — a 6.0 kW rooftop system in Washington pays back in about 14.3 years and delivers $5,061 in net 20-year savings after install cost and the federal tax credit. Payback approaches or exceeds warranty life. Solar may not pay off financially unless install prices drop or you self-consume aggressively.

Payback14.3 yrs

Annual savings$883

Net install (after ITC)$12,600

20-yr net$5,061

Assumes 6 kW system at $3.00/watt (state avg), 3.6 peak sun hours/day in Washington, and 14.36¢/kWh electricity rate (April 2026).

The short answer

In Washington, cheap grid electricity + low sun / high install cost mean solar payback is slow. Better to focus first on efficiency (LEDs, heat pump, insulation).

The 4 things that actually determine "worth it"

Electricity rate. Washington: 14.36¢/kWh. National avg: 18.83¢. You’re 24% below average — cheap grid electricity makes payback slower.
Sunshine. Washington: 3.6 peak sun hours/day. National avg: 4.5. Below average — you’ll need a slightly larger system for the same production.
Install cost in Washington. $3.00/watt (state avg). Similar to national $3.00/W.
Incentive stack. Federal ITC 30% applies universally. None (production incentive expired 2020) Net metering: Yes, 1:1 Full incentive breakdown →

Where Washington ranks nationally

Across all 51 states, Washington ranks #51 of 51 by 20-year net solar savings (1 = best). The top states are dominated by combinations of high electricity rates and high sunshine (CA, HI, MA, NY, CT). The bottom are cheap-power / cloudy-sky states (WA, OR, ID, ND).

See the full national ranking.

Break-even analysis

Your solar system in Washington needs to save $12,600 in electricity to pay for itself. At $883/year savings, that’s 14.3 years. Panels are warrantied for 25 years and typically last 30+ — meaning 15.7+ years of free electricity after breakeven.

Common objections addressed

“What if I move before payback?”

Homes with paid-off solar typically sell for ~$15,000-$25,000 more than comparable homes without. If you owe money on the panels (loan), the sale is more complex. Cash or fully-paid-off systems recover most or all of the remaining "unused" value at sale.

“Won’t rates drop?”

U.S. residential electricity rates have risen ~4%/year over the past decade. Even if rates flatline, the payback above holds. If rates rise, your solar looks better in retrospect.

“What about hail / storms?”

Solar panels are rated for 1-inch hail at 50 mph. Damage claims are covered by homeowner’s insurance in almost all cases (verify with your carrier).