Louisiana solar calculator
Size a Louisiana 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 $0.127/kWh and 4.7 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about 14.35 kW — 35 × 410 W panels covering ~70 m². Gross cost is ~$33,292 with no federal credit for systems installed after 2025, offsetting $2,400 a year for a ~13.9 year payback.
Your details
Ballpark, not gospel. Sized at 78% real-world output with the Louisiana sun-hour average — confirm shading, roof angle and your utility’s two-channel billing terms with a local installer before buying. Louisiana replaced retail net metering for systems installed after December 31, 2019 with two-channel billing that credits exports at avoided cost — Entergy Louisiana paid ~3.86¢/kWh in 2026. The calculator values all generation at your retail rate; exports earn far less, so real savings track self-consumption and batteries.
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 Louisiana system sizes by monthly bill
| Monthly bill | System size | Panels (410 W) | Net cost (no 2026 federal credit) | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 7.38 kW | 18 | $17,122 | 14.3 years |
| $200 | 14.35 kW | 35 | $33,292 | 13.9 years |
| $300 | 21.73 kW | 53 | $50,414 | 14.0 years |
Computed at $0.127/kWh, 4.7 peak sun hours and $2.32/W installed, with no federal credit for 2026 installs. Run your exact bill above.
Solar in Louisiana: the details
Solar cost in Louisiana
Solar is the cheapest to install in this group in Louisiana. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.32 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $1.97–$2.67/W — below the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW Louisiana system grosses around $30,160, 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
Louisiana replaced retail net metering for systems installed after December 31, 2019 with two-channel billing that credits exports at avoided cost — Entergy Louisiana paid ~3.86¢/kWh in 2026. Older systems are grandfathered at retail for 15 years. One jurisdictional wrinkle: Entergy New Orleans is regulated by the City Council, not the LPSC, with different terms.
Practical takeaway: with the cheapest installs in this group ($2.32/W) and the weakest export credits, the economics run entirely on daytime AC self-consumption.
Louisiana solar incentives
Louisiana exempts 50% of a residential solar system’s added assessed value from property tax for 10 years (RS 47:1706). No statewide rebate or tax credit beyond that.
Is solar worth it in Louisiana?
Verdict: marginal. ~13.9-year payback with no federal credit and 3.86¢ avoided-cost export credits. The counterweight is real: the cheapest installs in this group plus heavy daytime AC load make self-consumption economics plausible for high-use homes.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers, no fluff. Then run your own numbers above.
How many solar panels do I need in Louisiana?
It follows your bill. At the Louisiana average of $0.127/kWh and 4.7 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about a 14.35 kW system — roughly 35 × 410 W panels covering ~70 m² of roof.
What is the average cost of solar panels in Louisiana in 2026?
The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.32 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically $1.97–$2.67/W — below the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW system grosses around $30,160, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
Does Louisiana have net metering?
Louisiana replaced retail net metering for systems installed after December 31, 2019 with two-channel billing that credits exports at avoided cost (Entergy Louisiana ~3.86¢/kWh in 2026). Older systems are grandfathered for 15 years.
Does Louisiana offer any solar tax credit or rebate?
Louisiana exempts 50% of a residential solar system’s added assessed value from property tax for 10 years (RS 47:1706). No statewide rebate or tax credit beyond that.
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 Louisiana?
Marginal on a ~13.9-year payback with no federal credit and 3.86¢ avoided-cost export credits. The economics run on daytime AC self-consumption — Louisiana’s heat, sun, and the cheapest installs in this group make that plausible for high-use homes.
Figures last checked October 2026. Sources: priceofelectricity.com (12.72¢/kWh), NREL PVWatts/NSRDB (~4.7 peak sun hours), DSIRE, Louisiana Public Service Commission; IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
More US solar calculators
Compare other states: Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, 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.