Solar panel payback in North Carolina

13.8 years for a typical home solar system in North Carolina to pay for itself, with no federal tax credit.

A 9.0 kW system sized for the average home here, which uses 1,034 kWh a month, costs about $25,200 at $2.80 per watt. It saves about $1,668 in its first year, and after 25 years it is $29,773 ahead. That is slow. The system still ends up ahead, but a higher quote or a shaded roof could erase most of the gain.

Prices updated October 2026 from EIA, AAA and BLS data.

Your state

Electricity price

¢/kWh

Monthly electricity use

kWh

System size

Installed cost

$/W

2026 quotes average $2.60 to $3.00.

State and local incentives

Rebates or state tax credits.

Export credit

% of retail

Output, rate increases and upkeep

Yearly output per kW

kWh/kW

Output used as it is made

The rest goes to the grid. Higher if you are home by day.

Yearly electricity price rise

U.S. prices rose 5% in the past year.

Panel output loss per year

Inverter replacement in year 12

Set to 0 if your inverter warranty runs 25 years.

How North Carolina compares

North Carolina ranks 34th of 51 for solar payback, fastest first. The fastest is Hawaii at 5.9 years. At U.S. average figures, payback is 12.3 years.

Two things set payback: what each kWh is worth and how many the panels make. North Carolina ranks 36th for electricity price, most expensive first, at 15.16¢/kWh, and 18th for sunshine, at an estimated 1,400 kWh a year per kW of panels. Strong sun helps, but with power below the U.S. average price, each kWh the panels make saves less.

The calculator assumes power sent to the grid earns 75% of the retail price, typical of net metering. Your utility's tariff sets the real rate, and a lower credit slows payback.

Three of its four neighbors pay back faster: Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, led by Virginia at 12.6 years.

State	Electricity	Sun, kWh/kW	Payback
Virginia	17.55¢	1,350	12.6 yrs
Georgia	16.27¢	1,400	13.0 yrs
South Carolina	15.47¢	1,400	13.6 yrs
North Carolina	15.16¢	1,400	13.8 yrs
Tennessee	13.71¢	1,350	15.4 yrs

More for North Carolina

EV charging cost in North Carolina vs gas: an EV saves $1,192 a year on fuel.
Heat pump vs gas in North Carolina: a heat pump saves $159 a year.

What these numbers assume

A 9.0 kW system, sized to cover about 100% of a typical home's yearly use.
$2.80 per watt installed, paid in cash, with no state or local incentives entered.
No federal tax credit: Section 25D ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025.
Half the output used in the home as it is made; the rest credited at 75% of the retail price.
Electricity prices rising 3% a year, panels losing 0.5% of output a year, and a $2,000 inverter replacement in year 12.

Change any of them in the calculator above to match your own bills. The formulas are on the main solar payback calculator.

Sources

Electricity price: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data).
Household use: EIA 2025 retail sales divided by customers.
Installed cost: 2026 residential marketplace averages.
Output per kW: MeterMath estimate for a south-facing fixed roof system, rounded.
Export credit: MeterMath assumption for typical net metering.
Tax credit status: Public Law 119-21.