Are Solar Panels Worth It? — By State

Direct-answer decision analysis for every state. Payback under 6 years = clear yes; under 14 = conditional; 14+ = marginal.

Browse by state

Alabama — Yes · 9.1-yr payback
Alaska — Conditional · 13.5-yr payback
Arizona — Yes · 6.4-yr payback
Arkansas — Conditional · 10.8-yr payback
California — Yes · 4.0-yr payback
Colorado — Yes · 8.1-yr payback
Connecticut — Yes · 6.3-yr payback
Delaware — Yes · 8.8-yr payback
District of Columbia — Yes · 7.4-yr payback
Florida — Yes · 7.7-yr payback
Georgia — Yes · 9.4-yr payback
Hawaii — Yes · 3.9-yr payback
Idaho — Conditional · 11.7-yr payback
Illinois — Yes · 9.0-yr payback
Indiana — Yes · 9.5-yr payback
Iowa — Conditional · 12.0-yr payback
Kansas — Yes · 9.1-yr payback
Kentucky — Conditional · 11.1-yr payback
Louisiana — Conditional · 10.1-yr payback
Maine — Yes · 7.3-yr payback
Maryland — Yes · 7.8-yr payback
Massachusetts — Yes · 7.1-yr payback
Michigan — Yes · 9.1-yr payback
Minnesota — Conditional · 11.1-yr payback
Mississippi — Yes · 8.9-yr payback
Missouri — Conditional · 11.6-yr payback
Montana — Conditional · 12.3-yr payback
Nebraska — Conditional · 11.4-yr payback
Nevada — Yes · 7.4-yr payback
New Hampshire — Yes · 7.6-yr payback
New Jersey — Yes · 8.0-yr payback
New Mexico — Yes · 7.3-yr payback
New York — Yes · 7.3-yr payback
North Carolina — Yes · 9.0-yr payback
North Dakota — Marginal · 14.0-yr payback
Ohio — Yes · 9.6-yr payback
Oklahoma — Conditional · 10.1-yr payback
Oregon — Conditional · 12.1-yr payback
Pennsylvania — Yes · 8.8-yr payback
Rhode Island — Yes · 7.2-yr payback
South Carolina — Yes · 8.4-yr payback
South Dakota — Conditional · 11.0-yr payback
Tennessee — Conditional · 10.5-yr payback
Texas — Yes · 7.1-yr payback
Utah — Yes · 9.3-yr payback
Vermont — Yes · 8.7-yr payback
Virginia — Yes · 9.2-yr payback
Washington — Marginal · 14.3-yr payback
West Virginia — Conditional · 11.2-yr payback
Wisconsin — Yes · 9.6-yr payback
Wyoming — Yes · 9.7-yr payback