Best States for Solar Panels
#1: Hawaii at $78,185 in net 20-year savings (2.8 year payback). For each state we model a 6.0 kW rooftop system using the state's climatological peak sun hours and the EIA residential rate. Includes the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit and a national-average installed cost of $3.00/W. States are ranked by net 20-year savings (savings minus net install cost). State electricity prices come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (April 2026). See our methodology for the full formula.Rank State Rate (¢/kWh) 20-year net savings 1 Hawaii 46.62 $78,185 (20-yr net) · 2.8 yr payback 2 California 35.25 $54,840 (20-yr net) · 3.7 yr payback 3 Connecticut 32.24 $31,458 (20-yr net) · 5.7 yr payback 4 Massachusetts 29.45 $26,639 (20-yr net) · 6.4 yr payback 5 Rhode Island 28.30 $26,074 (20-yr net) · 6.5 yr payback 6 New York 29.45 $25,633 (20-yr net) · 6.6 yr payback 7 Maine 28.42 $25,267 (20-yr net) · 6.7 yr payback 8 District of Columbia 25.41 $24,729 (20-yr net) · 6.8 yr payback 9 New Hampshire 27.24 $23,694 (20-yr net) · 6.9 yr payback 10 Arizona 15.48 $21,776 (20-yr net) · 7.3 yr payback 11 New Jersey 23.53 $21,163 (20-yr net) · 7.5 yr payback 12 New Mexico 15.15 $20,008 (20-yr net) · 7.7 yr payback 13 Maryland 22.07 $19,822 (20-yr net) · 7.8 yr payback 14 Vermont 24.56 $19,285 (20-yr net) · 7.9 yr payback 15 Nevada 14.29 $18,645 (20-yr net) · 8.1 yr payback 16 Colorado 16.54 $18,479 (20-yr net) · 8.1 yr payback 17 Texas 16.99 $17,583 (20-yr net) · 8.3 yr payback 18 Pennsylvania 21.47 $16,007 (20-yr net) · 8.8 yr payback 19 Alaska 27.35 $15,432 (20-yr net) · 9.0 yr payback 20 Illinois 20.47 $15,373 (20-yr net) · 9.0 yr payback 21 Florida 15.38 $15,248 (20-yr net) · 9.0 yr payback 22 Michigan 21.39 $15,169 (20-yr net) · 9.1 yr payback 23 Delaware 18.79 $15,003 (20-yr net) · 9.1 yr payback 24 South Carolina 17.06 $14,793 (20-yr net) · 9.2 yr payback 25 Kansas 15.78 $13,816 (20-yr net) · 9.5 yr payback 26 Mississippi 16.76 $13,739 (20-yr net) · 9.6 yr payback 27 Wisconsin 19.21 $13,652 (20-yr net) · 9.6 yr payback 28 Alabama 17.41 $13,571 (20-yr net) · 9.6 yr payback 29 Virginia 17.38 $13,526 (20-yr net) · 9.6 yr payback 30 Wyoming 14.68 $13,479 (20-yr net) · 9.7 yr payback 31 North Carolina 16.25 $12,938 (20-yr net) · 9.9 yr payback 32 Ohio 19.49 $12,703 (20-yr net) · 10.0 yr payback 33 Indiana 17.90 $12,473 (20-yr net) · 10.1 yr payback 34 Utah 13.29 $12,372 (20-yr net) · 10.1 yr payback 35 Georgia 15.37 $12,080 (20-yr net) · 10.2 yr payback 36 Minnesota 16.39 $10,918 (20-yr net) · 10.7 yr payback 37 Oklahoma 13.31 $10,591 (20-yr net) · 10.9 yr payback 38 Louisiana 14.44 $10,586 (20-yr net) · 10.9 yr payback 39 South Dakota 14.52 $10,219 (20-yr net) · 11.0 yr payback 40 Tennessee 14.94 $9,348 (20-yr net) · 11.5 yr payback 41 Montana 13.90 $9,244 (20-yr net) · 11.5 yr payback 42 Arkansas 14.16 $9,169 (20-yr net) · 11.6 yr payback 43 Oregon 15.78 $8,964 (20-yr net) · 11.7 yr payback 44 Kentucky 15.02 $8,952 (20-yr net) · 11.7 yr payback 45 West Virginia 16.06 $8,798 (20-yr net) · 11.8 yr payback 46 Nebraska 13.28 $8,724 (20-yr net) · 11.8 yr payback 47 Missouri 14.01 $8,460 (20-yr net) · 12.0 yr payback 48 Idaho 12.70 $7,792 (20-yr net) · 12.4 yr payback 49 Iowa 13.86 $7,761 (20-yr net) · 12.4 yr payback 50 North Dakota 12.35 $5,965 (20-yr net) · 13.6 yr payback 51 Washington 14.36 $5,061 (20-yr net) · 14.3 yr payback How we calculated this