Solar Payback by State
States ranked by median payback for a typical home system. Electricity price does most of the sorting: sunshine varies far less between states than power bills do.
| State | Price | Exports earn | Cost/W | Median payback | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 30.1¢ | retail | $3.40 | 8.1 yrs | 183 |
| Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | retail | $3.50 | 8.5 yrs | 29 |
| Connecticut | 28.0¢ | retail | $3.30 | 8.5 yrs | 86 |
| Maine | 30.0¢ | retail | $3.60 | 8.6 yrs | 21 |
| New York | 29.4¢ | retail | $3.90 | 9.2 yrs | 267 |
| District of Columbia | 24.7¢ | retail | $3.60 | 9.6 yrs | 35 |
| New Hampshire | 26.8¢ | retail | $3.70 | 9.9 yrs | 24 |
| California | 33.3¢ | 7.0¢ | $3.30 | 10.3 yrs | 530 |
| Hawaii | 46.3¢ | 2.0¢ | $3.60 | 10.6 yrs | 62 |
| New Jersey | 24.0¢ | retail | $3.70 | 10.6 yrs | 223 |
| Vermont | 24.0¢ | retail | $3.60 | 11.3 yrs | 20 |
| Florida | 15.3¢ | retail | $3.10 | 11.7 yrs | 351 |
| Maryland | 21.3¢ | retail | $4.00 | 12.1 yrs | 151 |
| Colorado | 16.7¢ | retail | $3.60 | 12.2 yrs | 65 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.0¢ | retail | $3.60 | 12.3 yrs | 121 |
| Alaska | 27.1¢ | retail | $3.60 | 12.8 yrs | 20 |
| Delaware | 17.9¢ | retail | $3.60 | 13.0 yrs | 20 |
| Ohio | 18.7¢ | retail | $3.60 | 13.3 yrs | 203 |
| Nevada | 13.5¢ | retail | $3.60 | 13.5 yrs | 22 |
| New Mexico | 15.1¢ | retail | $4.10 | 13.5 yrs | 27 |
| Wisconsin | 19.0¢ | retail | $3.90 | 13.6 yrs | 96 |
| South Carolina | 15.9¢ | retail | $3.60 | 13.8 yrs | 58 |
| Virginia | 16.8¢ | retail | $3.60 | 13.9 yrs | 118 |
| Kansas | 15.2¢ | retail | $3.60 | 14.1 yrs | 40 |
| Minnesota | 16.3¢ | retail | $3.60 | 14.5 yrs | 104 |
| Wyoming | 14.0¢ | retail | $3.60 | 14.6 yrs | 20 |
| Oklahoma | 13.6¢ | retail | $3.60 | 15.0 yrs | 48 |
| Iowa | 14.2¢ | retail | $3.60 | 15.9 yrs | 45 |
| Missouri | 14.0¢ | retail | $3.60 | 15.9 yrs | 90 |
| Arizona | 15.4¢ | 5.5¢ | $3.10 | 15.9 yrs | 72 |
| Michigan | 21.5¢ | 10.8¢ | $3.60 | 15.9 yrs | 120 |
| West Virginia | 15.5¢ | retail | $3.60 | 16.2 yrs | 20 |
| Oregon | 15.4¢ | retail | $3.40 | 16.3 yrs | 68 |
| North Carolina | 14.9¢ | retail | $4.10 | 16.4 yrs | 95 |
| Nebraska | 12.9¢ | retail | $3.60 | 16.5 yrs | 20 |
| Montana | 14.0¢ | retail | $3.60 | 16.8 yrs | 20 |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | retail | $3.00 | 16.8 yrs | 133 |
| Illinois | 19.2¢ | 8.3¢ | $3.60 | 17.9 yrs | 242 |
| Georgia | 15.4¢ | 7.2¢ | $3.60 | 19.9 yrs | 113 |
| Mississippi | 15.2¢ | 6.1¢ | $3.60 | 21.1 yrs | 45 |
| Texas | 16.1¢ | 6.0¢ | $4.00 | 21.4 yrs | 258 |
| Kentucky | 14.3¢ | 7.3¢ | $3.60 | 21.6 yrs | 52 |
| Indiana | 17.0¢ | 4.0¢ | $3.60 | 23.3 yrs | 88 |
| Idaho | 13.0¢ | 5.0¢ | $3.60 | 23.9 yrs | 24 |
| Utah | 13.2¢ | 4.5¢ | $3.60 | 24.0 yrs | 67 |
| Arkansas | 13.6¢ | 5.0¢ | $3.60 | 24.0 yrs | 43 |
| Tennessee | 13.9¢ | 2.6¢ | $3.60 | 25+ yrs | 70 |
| Louisiana | 13.4¢ | 2.7¢ | $3.60 | 25+ yrs | 66 |
| Alabama | 16.5¢ | 3.0¢ | $3.60 | 25+ yrs | 72 |
| South Dakota | 14.5¢ | 3.0¢ | $3.60 | 25+ yrs | 20 |
| North Dakota | 12.4¢ | 3.0¢ | $3.60 | 25+ yrs | 20 |