What is the solar score for Arkansas?

Arkansas has a solar score of 24/100 (Marginal), ranking #33 of 51. The composite blends solar irradiance (4.8 kWh/m²/day, 40%), incentive density (30%), and modeled payback (30%).

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

The estimated payback for a 6 kW system in Arkansas is 17.2 years, ranking #45 of 51 for speed to break-even. At a $16,500 system cost and $959/year modeled savings, that implies +$7,475 net over 25 years before rate escalation.

How much does a solar system cost in Arkansas?

A 6 kW residential system in Arkansas averages $16,500 before incentives, or $2.75 per watt. Arkansas has 2 tracked state and utility incentive programs that can lower net cost.

How much electricity do solar panels produce in Arkansas?

A 6 kW system in Arkansas produces an estimated 8,410 kWh/year, based on average irradiance of 4.8 kWh/m²/day. Actual output varies with roof orientation, shading, and panel efficiency.

What solar incentives are available in Arkansas?

Arkansas offers 2 solar incentive programs including tax exemption, net metering. Net metering here is classified as full.

Does Arkansas have net metering for solar?

Arkansas's net-metering policy is classified as "full." Homeowners receive full retail credit for excess solar exported to the grid.

State solar profile · #33 of 51

Solar in Arkansas: slow payback · modest sun

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

Arkansas's 17.2-yr modeled payback (#45 of 51) is on the slow side of the corpus; rates (11.4¢/kWh) and 2 programs decide whether sun (4.8 kWh/m²/day) still pays.

4.8
kWh/m²/day irradiance: 11.4¢
avg electricity rate: 17.2 yr
payback (#45): 2
incentive programs

24 Marginal

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EIA Form 860 nameplate strip

Nameplate AR · Arkansas score #33/51

Arkansas | 24/100 | 17.2 yr payback | 1.8 GW

PHOTO 24/100
BOOK #33/51
VS-AVG 4.8 kWh
GW 11.4c/kWh
IRR 17.2 yr
STRIP 1.8 GW
FORM860 2 programs
MW near Alabama

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 → · Net-metering guide → · Personalized estimate → · All state rows → · States ranked → · Payback vs U.S. avg (14.2 yr): 3 yr slower

IA

17
OR

17
AK

17
SD

17
AR

17
KY

18

What this shows Arkansas sits at 17.2 years among nearest payback peers (3 yr slower vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).

Slow-band 25-year ROI · Arkansas

$16,500

system cost

$959/yr

modeled savings

17.2 yr

break-even

+$7,475

25-year net

Slow-band math: $16,500 in vs $959/yr out. Check net-metering (full) and program stack before treating the 25-year net as settled. Run a personalized estimate →

Installed solar capacity in Arkansas, 2015–2024

Total solar nameplate capacity in Arkansas reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 62x (1 to 62) between 2015 and 2024, and the average site size grew from 12 MW to 29 MW per site, a shift toward larger utility-scale installations.

Arkansas now has about 1.8 GW of installed solar capacity across 62 reported facilities.

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

Arkansas's national sun-vs-payback seat

Irradiance 4.8 kWh/m²/day (below the 4.8 national mean) vs 17.2-yr payback (slow band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.

Arkansas (highlighted): 4.8 kWh/m²/day, 17.2-yr modeled payback - slower than the national average.

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

Solar & grid details

Net-metering policy: full
Renewable portfolio standard: Mandatory (15% by 2040)
Installed cost / watt: $2.75/W
Annual production (6 kW): 8,410 kWh
Installed capacity (EIA 2024): 1.8 GW

Top incentive programs

2 programs available for Arkansas residents

Tax exemption AR Solar Property Tax Exemption · Property tax exemption Net metering AR Net Metering · Avoided cost rate

All Arkansas solar incentives (2)

Tax exemption

AR Solar Property Tax Exemption

Property tax exemption

Arkansas exempts the added value of solar systems from property tax.

Net metering

AR Net Metering

Avoided cost rate

Arkansas net metering provides monthly credits for excess generation at utility avoided cost.

Slower-payback neighbors for Arkansas

Two non-geographic peer sets for Arkansas: 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).

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

Similar modeled payback

Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (17.2 yr modeled here).

South Dakota · 17.1 yr payback
Alaska · 17 yr payback
Oregon · 16.9 yr payback
Iowa · 16.7 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