What is the solar score for Alabama?

Alabama has a solar score of 24/100 (Marginal), ranking #32 of 51. The composite blends solar irradiance (4.9 kWh/m²/day, 40%), incentive density (30%), and modeled payback (30%).

How long does it take for solar panels to pay for themselves in Alabama?

The estimated payback for a 6 kW system in Alabama is 14.4 years, ranking #25 of 51 for speed to break-even. At a $17,100 system cost and $1,185/year modeled savings, that implies +$12,525 net over 25 years before rate escalation.

How much does a solar system cost in Alabama?

A 6 kW residential system in Alabama averages $17,100 before incentives, or $2.85 per watt. Alabama has 1 tracked state and utility incentive programs that can lower net cost.

How much electricity do solar panels produce in Alabama?

A 6 kW system in Alabama produces an estimated 8,585 kWh/year, based on average irradiance of 4.9 kWh/m²/day. Actual output varies with roof orientation, shading, and panel efficiency.

What solar incentives are available in Alabama?

Alabama offers 1 solar incentive programs including performance incentive. Net metering here is classified as partial.

Does Alabama have net metering for solar?

Alabama's net-metering policy is classified as "partial." Homeowners receive partial (often avoided-cost) credit for excess exports.

State solar profile · #32 of 51

Solar in Alabama: mid payback · strong sun

Name: Alabama Solar Data, Cost, Incentives & ROI
Creator: PlainSolarData
Published: 2024-10-01
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Alabama sits in the middle of the payback pack at 14.4 yr (#25), so irradiance (4.9 kWh/m²/day) and the 1 tracked programs matter more than ranking alone.

4.9
kWh/m²/day irradiance: 13.8¢
avg electricity rate: 14.4 yr
payback (#25): 1
incentive programs

24 Marginal

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EIA Form 860 nameplate strip

Nameplate AL · Alabama score #32/51

Alabama | 24/100 | 14.4 yr payback | 666 MW

RATE 24/100
PAY #32/51
CAP 4.9 kWh
PROG 13.8c/kWh
NEM 14.4 yr
PHOTO 666 MW
BOOK 1 programs
VS-AVG near Arkansas

Stamps derive from this state's NREL irradiance, EIA Form 860 / Electric Power Monthly nameplate, and DSIRE incentive row (score, rank, sun, rate, payback, capacity, programs, peer), not a quote or site assessment. Modeled figures use a typical 6 kW system; your roof, shading, and utility tariff decide the real return. See our disclaimer. Verify with EIA Form 860 → · Read with methodology → · ROI calculator guide → · Personalized estimate → · All state rows → · States ranked → · Payback vs U.S. avg (14.2 yr): 0.2 yr slower

MD

14
AL

14
MI

14
NC

14
GA

15
UT

15

What this shows Alabama sits at 14.4 years among nearest payback peers (0.2 yr slower vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).

Mid-pack 25-year ROI · Alabama

$17,100

system cost

$1,185/yr

modeled savings

14.4 yr

break-even

+$12,525

25-year net

Mid-band math for Alabama: $17,100 system cost vs $1,185/yr savings. Incentive stacking usually decides the edge case. Run a personalized estimate →

Installed solar capacity in Alabama, 2016–2024

Total solar nameplate capacity in Alabama reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 11x (1 to 11) between 2016 and 2024, and the average site size held near 61 MW per site, a steady installation profile.

Alabama now has about 666 MW of installed solar capacity across 11 reported facilities.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, installed solar nameplate capacity As of 2024

Alabama's national sun-vs-payback seat

Irradiance 4.9 kWh/m²/day (at/above the 4.8 national mean) vs 14.4-yr payback (mid band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.

Alabama (highlighted): 4.9 kWh/m²/day, 14.4-yr modeled payback - slower than the national average.

Source: PlainSolarData model, NREL irradiance + EIA rates As of 2024

Solar & grid details

Net-metering policy: partial
Renewable portfolio standard: Voluntary (4% by 2025)
Installed cost / watt: $2.85/W
Annual production (6 kW): 8,585 kWh
Installed capacity (EIA 2024): 666 MW

Top incentive programs

1 programs available for Alabama residents

Performance incentive TVA Green Power Providers · Premium payment per kWh

All Alabama solar incentives (1)

Performance incentive

TVA Green Power Providers

Premium payment per kWh

TVA purchases excess solar generation at a premium rate for residential systems.

Score and payback neighbors for Alabama

Two non-geographic peer sets for Alabama: composite score neighbors and payback-year neighbors (deduped so each row links a distinct comparison).

Similar composite solar score

Nearest nationwide matches on the NREL/EIA/DSIRE blend (24/100 here).

Arkansas · score 24/100
Delaware · score 24/100
Missouri · score 24/100
North Dakota · score 24/100

Similar modeled payback

Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (14.4 yr modeled here).

Michigan · 14.4 yr payback
North Carolina · 14.4 yr payback
Georgia · 14.5 yr payback
Maryland · 14.3 yr payback

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published composite scores and modeled 6 kW payback years; rankings above use the same fields but sort the full corpus.

Solar resource from NREL; electricity rates and installed capacity from the U.S. EIA; incentive programs from DSIRE. See our methodology.

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher. · Updated July 2026