What is the solar score for Kansas?

Kansas has a solar score of 32/100 (Limited), ranking #19 of 51. The composite blends solar irradiance (5.2 kWh/m²/day, 40%), incentive density (30%), and modeled payback (30%).

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

The estimated payback for a 6 kW system in Kansas is 13.7 years, ranking #18 of 51 for speed to break-even. At a $16,500 system cost and $1,203/year modeled savings, that implies +$13,575 net over 25 years before rate escalation.

How much does a solar system cost in Kansas?

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

How much electricity do solar panels produce in Kansas?

A 6 kW system in Kansas produces an estimated 9,110 kWh/year, based on average irradiance of 5.2 kWh/m²/day. Actual output varies with roof orientation, shading, and panel efficiency.

What solar incentives are available in Kansas?

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

Does Kansas have net metering for solar?

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

State solar profile · #19 of 51

Solar in Kansas: fast modeled payback

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

Kansas clears a modeled 13.7-yr break-even (#18 of 51) at 13.2¢/kWh and 5.2 kWh/m²/day, with 2 DSIRE programs in the stack.

5.2
kWh/m²/day irradiance: 13.2¢
avg electricity rate: 13.7 yr
payback (#18): 2
incentive programs

32 Limited

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Form 860 capacity strip

Nameplate KS · Kansas score #19/51

Kansas | 32/100 | 13.7 yr payback | 66 MW

NEM 32/100
PHOTO #19/51
BOOK 5.2 kWh
VS-AVG 13.2c/kWh
GW 13.7 yr
IRR 66 MW
STRIP 2 programs
FORM860 near District of Columbia

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): 0.5 yr faster

KS

14
IL

14
SC

14
PA

14
WI

14
MD

14

What this shows Kansas sits at 13.7 years among nearest payback peers (0.5 yr faster vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).

Fast-band 25-year ROI · Kansas

$16,500

system cost

$1,203/yr

modeled savings

13.7 yr

break-even

+$13,575

25-year net

At $16,500 and $1,203/yr, Kansas is already in the faster third of modeled paybacks. Roof, shading, and tariff still move the real number. Run a personalized estimate →

Installed solar capacity in Kansas, 2015–2024

Total solar nameplate capacity in Kansas reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 33x (1 to 33) between 2015 and 2024, and the average site size grew from 1 MW to 2 MW per site, a shift toward larger utility-scale installations.

Kansas now has about 66 MW of installed solar capacity across 33 reported facilities.

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

Kansas on the sun-and-speed corner

Irradiance 5.2 kWh/m²/day (at/above the 4.8 national mean) vs 13.7-yr payback (fast band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.

Kansas (highlighted): 5.2 kWh/m²/day, 13.7-yr modeled payback - faster 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 2020)
Installed cost / watt: $2.75/W
Annual production (6 kW): 9,110 kWh
Installed capacity (EIA 2024): 66 MW

Top incentive programs

2 programs available for Kansas residents

Tax exemption KS Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption · Full property tax exemption Net metering KS Net Metering · Retail rate credit

All Kansas solar incentives (2)

Tax exemption

KS Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption

Full property tax exemption

Kansas exempts solar and wind energy systems from property tax for 10 years.

Authorized through 2030-12-31

Net metering

KS Net Metering

Retail rate credit

Kansas utilities offer net metering for systems up to 25 kW.

Other fast-payback peers for Kansas

Two non-geographic peer sets for Kansas: 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 (32/100 here).

District of Columbia · score 32/100
Georgia · score 31/100
North Carolina · score 33/100
Vermont · score 31/100

Similar modeled payback

Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (13.7 yr modeled here).

Illinois · 14 yr payback
South Carolina · 14 yr payback
Pennsylvania · 14.2 yr payback
Wisconsin · 14.2 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