Is solar still worth it in 2026?
The federal residential solar tax credit is gone for new post-2025 installations. Estimate your payback period using your state's electricity prices and local solar production — no phone number, no email, no sales calls.
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Try it in 10 seconds
Estimate your solar payback
Pick your state and enter your monthly electric bill. We use your state's electricity price, local production, and net-metering status to estimate payback and lifetime savings.
Your state's real electricity price
Higher rates mean each kilowatt-hour your panels offset is worth more.
Local solar production
Sun and roof angle determine how much energy a system actually makes.
Transparent 25-year projection
See the break-even year and a sensitivity range — with every assumption shown.
Quick estimate
Payback
19.9 years
25-yr savings
$12,779
Verdict
Weak
Estimate only, assumes a good unshaded roof. Not tax or financial advice.
Top states
Start with a state guide
Data-driven guides for all 50 states. These are the ones people ask about most.
- Electricity
- 35.3¢/kWh
- Est. payback
- 6.8 years
- Electricity
- 15.4¢/kWh
- Est. payback
- 13.0 years
- Electricity
- 17.0¢/kWh
- Est. payback
- 15.1 years
- Electricity
- 15.5¢/kWh
- Est. payback
- 14.1 years
- Electricity
- 29.4¢/kWh
- Est. payback
- 10.5 years
- Electricity
- 23.5¢/kWh
- Est. payback
- 9.8 years
Why 2026 is different
The federal solar tax credit ended — here's what that means
No 30% federal credit
For systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, the federal residential clean energy credit is no longer available. That removes a large chunk of the savings homeowners relied on.
Local factors matter more
Without the federal subsidy, your electricity rate, local sun, install price, and utility export credit decide whether solar pays off. Those vary enormously by state.
It's not automatically 'no'
In high-rate, high-sun states with good export credit, solar can still pay back in a reasonable time. In low-rate states it's a tougher call. The math is local.
Ready to run your own numbers?
The full calculator lets you adjust system size, roof quality, battery, financing, and export credit — and shows the assumptions and sources behind every result.
Open the full calculator