Utah solar calculator
Size a Utah 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 $0.1312/kWh and 5.5 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about 11.89 kW — 29 × 410 W panels covering ~58 m². Gross cost is ~$27,942 with no federal credit for systems installed after 2025, offsetting $2,400 a year for a ~11.6 year payback.
Your details
Ballpark, not gospel. Ballpark, not gospel. Sized at 78% real-world output with the Utah sun-hour average — confirm shading, roof angle and your utility's export tariff with a local installer before buying. New Rocky Mountain Power customers are on Schedule 137 net billing: exports earn 4.855¢/kWh Jun–Sep and 4.033¢/kWh Oct–May. 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 Utah system sizes by monthly bill
| Monthly bill | System size | Panels (410 W) | Net cost (no 2026 federal credit) | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 6.15 kW | 15 | $14,452 | 12.0 years |
| $200 | 11.89 kW | 29 | $27,942 | 11.6 years |
| $300 | 18.04 kW | 44 | $42,394 | 11.8 years |
Computed at $0.1312/kWh, 5.5 peak sun hours and $2.35/W installed, with no federal credit for 2026 installs. Run your exact bill above.
Solar in Utah: the details
Solar cost in Utah
Solar is cheap to install in Utah. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.35 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.00–$2.70/W — below the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~12 kW Utah system grosses around $27,900 before any incentives, 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
Most new Utah customers land on Rocky Mountain Power's Schedule 137 net billing. Exported kWh earn 4.855¢/kWh Jun–Sep and 4.033¢/kWh Oct–May — about a third of the ~13.1¢ retail rate — with rates resetting each March 1 (the current schedule is in effect from March 1, 2026). The legacy Schedule 135/136 net-metering-style plans are closed to new customers.
Practical takeaway: an exported kWh is worth roughly a third of a self-consumed one, so the savings math must model exports at the Schedule 137 credit, not the retail rate. For retrofits, battery-first is often the better recommendation — store the midday surplus and use it yourself.
Utah solar incentives
There is no state tax credit (it expired after 2024) and no panel rebate in Utah — the notable incentive is battery-only. Rocky Mountain Power's Wattsmart Battery Program pays roughly $2,000 per system, plus a $500 Tesla rebate for Powerwall 3 installs.
That fits the policy logic: under Schedule 137, the valuable move is storing surplus and using it yourself, and the state is subsidizing exactly that.
Is solar worth it in Utah?
Verdict: solid — for high daytime users. The calculator puts a $200/month bill at a ~11.6-year payback with no federal credit, but read it skeptically: it values every kWh at the ~13.1¢ retail rate, while Schedule 137 pays only 4.855¢/4.033¢ for exports — about a third. The homes that win in Utah have heavy daytime loads or a Wattsmart battery to shift midday surplus into the evening. If someone is home all day, the math is good; if you're exporting half your generation, 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 Utah?
It follows your bill. At the Utah average of $0.1312/kWh and 5.5 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about an 11.89 kW system — roughly 29 × 410 W panels covering ~58 m² of roof.
What is the average cost of solar panels in Utah in 2026?
Solar is cheap to install in Utah. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.35 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.00–$2.70/W — below the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~12 kW Utah system grosses around $27,900 before any incentives, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
Does Utah have net metering?
It depends on your utility — and for most Utahns the answer is Rocky Mountain Power's Schedule 137 net billing: exported kWh earn 4.855¢/kWh Jun–Sep and 4.033¢/kWh Oct–May (rates reset each March 1; the current schedule is in effect from March 1, 2026). Legacy Schedule 135/136 plans are closed to new customers.
Does Utah offer any solar tax credit or rebate?
No state tax credit (it expired after 2024) and no panel rebate — the notable incentive is battery-only: Rocky Mountain Power's Wattsmart Battery Program (~$2,000/system, plus a $500 Tesla rebate for Powerwall 3).
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 Utah?
Verdict: solid — for high daytime users. The calculator puts a $200/month bill at a ~11.6-year payback with no federal credit, but read it skeptically: it values every kWh at the ~13.1¢ retail rate, while Schedule 137 pays only 4.855¢/4.033¢ for exports — about a third. The homes that win in Utah have heavy daytime loads or a Wattsmart battery to shift midday surplus into the evening. If someone is home all day, the math is good; if you're exporting half your generation, it isn't.
Figures last checked October 2026. Sources: EIA Electric Power Monthly, NREL PVWatts/NSRDB, DSIRE, Utah Public Service Commission; IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
More US solar calculators
Compare other states: Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. 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.