Kansas solar calculator
Size a Kansas home solar system from your electric bill — kW, panel count, roof area, true cost with no federal credit for 2026 installs, and payback.
Quick answer: At $0.153/kWh and 5.0 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about 11.48 kW — 28 × 410 W panels covering ~56 m². Gross cost is ~$30,365 with no federal credit for systems installed after 2025, offsetting $2,400 a year for a ~12.7 year payback.
Your details
Ballpark, not gospel. Sized at 78% real-world output with the Kansas sun-hour average — confirm shading, roof angle and your utility’s export terms with a local installer before buying. Kansas investor-owned utilities credit exported solar at the full retail rate through monthly netting — but co-ops and city utilities set their own, often avoided-cost, terms.
The 30% credit ended — what changed
The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) gave homeowners a 30% credit on solar installed from 2022 through 2025. The July 2025 tax law ended it: no credit is available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. That is why every figure on this page is ~30% higher than pre-2026 guides show. If your system went live by the end of 2025, tick the box above to see the credit applied; leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit. Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
Typical Kansas system sizes by monthly bill
| Monthly bill | System size | Panels (410 W) | Net cost (no 2026 federal credit) | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 5.74 kW | 14 | $15,182 | 12.7 years |
| $200 | 11.48 kW | 28 | $30,365 | 12.7 years |
| $300 | 16.81 kW | 41 | $44,462 | 12.4 years |
Computed at $0.153/kWh, 5.0 peak sun hours and $2.65/W installed, with no federal credit for 2026 installs. Run your exact bill above.
Solar in Kansas: the details
Solar cost in Kansas
Solar is affordable to install in Kansas. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.65 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.25–$3.04/W — at the low end of the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW Kansas system grosses around $34,385, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
What moves the number: roof complexity, panel tier, and how competitive the quote market is in your metro. Get at least three quotes — spreads of $0.50/W between installers are common.
Export rules: getting paid for surplus power
Kansas investor-owned utilities credit exported solar at the full retail rate through monthly netting — exports cancel out power bought in the same month. But that is the IOUs only: electric co-ops and city utilities set their own terms, often avoided-cost. Kansas also has the best sun in this group at 5.0 peak sun hours a day.
Practical takeaway: check whether your utility is an IOU or a co-op — it decides whether your exports are worth 15¢ or a few cents.
Kansas solar incentives
Kansas exempts the added value of a solar system from property tax. No state rebates, and no statewide solar income tax credit was found in 2026 sources.
Is solar worth it in Kansas?
Verdict: marginal, with an asterisk. ~12.7-year payback with no federal credit, yet the best sun in this batch (5.0 h/day) and full-retail monthly netting from investor-owned utilities. On an IOU, exports carry full weight and the math is fair; on a co-op with avoided-cost terms, it isn’t.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers, no fluff. Then run your own numbers above.
How many solar panels do I need in Kansas?
It follows your bill. At the Kansas average of $0.153/kWh and 5.0 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about a 11.48 kW system — roughly 28 × 410 W panels covering ~56 m² of roof.
What is the average cost of solar panels in Kansas in 2026?
The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.65 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically $2.25–$3.04/W — at the low end of the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW system grosses around $34,385, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
Does Kansas have net metering?
Kansas investor-owned utilities credit exported solar at the full retail rate through monthly netting, so exports cancel out power bought in the same month. Co-ops and city utilities set their own (often avoided-cost) terms.
Does Kansas offer any solar tax credit or rebate?
Kansas exempts the added value of a solar system from property tax. No state rebates or income tax credit were found in 2026 sources.
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit still available?
Not for homeowner purchases anymore. The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the July 2025 tax law (Public Law 119-21). Systems installed by the end of 2025 can still claim 30%, and leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit instead. (Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.)
Is solar worth it in Kansas?
Marginal on a ~12.7-year payback with no federal credit — but Kansas has the best sun in this group (5.0 hours/day) and full-retail monthly netting from investor-owned utilities. On an IOU the math is fair; on a co-op with avoided-cost terms, it isn’t.
Figures last checked October 2026. Sources: priceofelectricity.com (15.27¢/kWh), NREL PVWatts/NSRDB (~5.0 peak sun hours), DSIRE, Kansas Corporation Commission; IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
More US solar calculators
Compare other states: Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts. And the national US solar calculator for country averages.
Comparing quotes? The solar cost calculator breaks down cost per watt and the solar ROI calculator maps your payback year by year. Going deeper: installation cost guide, how net metering works, how much you can save with solar and the solar batteries guide.