What is the solar score for Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has a solar score of 24/100 (Marginal), ranking #39 of 51. The composite blends solar irradiance (4.3 kWh/m²/day, 40%), incentive density (30%), and modeled payback (30%).

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

The estimated payback for a 6 kW system in Wisconsin is 14.2 years, ranking #22 of 51 for speed to break-even. At a $17,700 system cost and $1,243/year modeled savings, that implies +$13,375 net over 25 years before rate escalation.

How much does a solar system cost in Wisconsin?

A 6 kW residential system in Wisconsin averages $17,700 before incentives, or $2.95 per watt. Wisconsin has 3 tracked state and utility incentive programs that can lower net cost.

How much electricity do solar panels produce in Wisconsin?

A 6 kW system in Wisconsin produces an estimated 7,534 kWh/year, based on average irradiance of 4.3 kWh/m²/day. Actual output varies with roof orientation, shading, and panel efficiency.

What solar incentives are available in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin offers 3 solar incentive programs including tax exemption, net metering, rebate. Net metering here is classified as full.

Does Wisconsin have net metering for solar?

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

Is solar payback in Wisconsin fast or slow compared to other states?

Wisconsin's 14.2-yr modeled payback is faster than 57% of the 51 tracked states, though 20 states model an even shorter break-even. This reflects the same electricity rates, irradiance, and incentive stack already factored into the 14.2-year figure.

State solar profile · #39 of 51

Solar in Wisconsin: mid payback · average sun

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

Wisconsin sits in the middle of the payback pack at 14.2 yr (#22), so irradiance (4.3 kWh/m²/day) and the 3 tracked programs matter more than ranking alone.

4.3
kWh/m²/day irradiance: 16.5¢
avg electricity rate: 14.2 yr
payback (#22): 3
incentive programs

24 Marginal

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Form 860 capacity strip

Nameplate WI · Wisconsin score #39/51

Wisconsin | 24/100 | 14.2 yr payback | 2.1 GW

MW 24/100
SCORE #39/51
RANK 4.3 kWh
SUN 16.5c/kWh
RATE 14.2 yr
PAY 2.1 GW
CAP 3 programs
PROG 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): at U.S. avg

IL

14
SC

14
WI

14
PA

14
MD

14
AL

14

What this shows Wisconsin sits at 14.2 years among nearest payback peers (at U.S. avg vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).

Mid-pack 25-year ROI · Wisconsin

$17,700

system cost

$1,243/yr

modeled savings

14.2 yr

break-even

+$13,375

25-year net

Mid-band math for Wisconsin: $17,700 system cost vs $1,243/yr savings. Incentive stacking usually decides the edge case. Run a personalized estimate →

Installed solar capacity in Wisconsin, 2014–2024

Total solar nameplate capacity in Wisconsin reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 91x (1 to 91) between 2014 and 2024, and the average site size grew from 1 MW to 23 MW per site, a shift toward larger utility-scale installations.

Wisconsin now has about 2.1 GW of installed solar capacity across 91 reported facilities.

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

Where Wisconsin sits on sun vs. payback nationally

Irradiance 4.3 kWh/m²/day (below the 4.8 national mean) vs 14.2-yr payback (mid band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.

Wisconsin (highlighted): 4.3 kWh/m²/day, 14.2-yr modeled payback - faster than the national average.

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

How Wisconsin compares on payback speed

Wisconsin's 14.2-yr modeled break-even sits near the 14.2-yr national average, banded here in 2-year steps.

Payback distribution: Wisconsin among all 51 states

2-year payback bands across the full 50-state-plus-DC model.

14 Lower than most faster than 57% of 51 states

all tracked states, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainSolarData model, NREL irradiance + EIA rates · 2024

Solar & grid details

Net-metering policy: full
Renewable portfolio standard: Mandatory (10% by 2015)
Installed cost / watt: $2.95/W
Annual production (6 kW): 7,534 kWh
Installed capacity (EIA 2024): 2.1 GW
Notable programs: Focus on Energy Renewable Incentive

Top incentive programs

3 programs available for Wisconsin residents

Tax exemption WI Solar Property Tax Exemption · Full property tax exemption Net metering WI Net Metering · Retail rate credit Rebate Wisconsin Focus on Energy Renewable Incentive · $100-$400 for typical system

All Wisconsin solar incentives (3)

Tax exemption

WI Solar Property Tax Exemption

Full property tax exemption

Wisconsin exempts solar energy systems from local property taxes.

Net metering

WI Net Metering

Retail rate credit

Wisconsin utilities provide net metering at retail rates for systems up to 20 kW.

Rebate

Wisconsin Focus on Energy Renewable Incentive

$100-$400 for typical system

Focus on Energy rebates for residential solar installations in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin's nearest score and payback peers

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

Peer states by composite solar score

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

Alabama · score 24/100
Arkansas · score 24/100
Delaware · score 24/100
Missouri · score 24/100

Closest match: modeled payback

Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (14.2 yr modeled here).

Pennsylvania · 14.2 yr payback
Maryland · 14.3 yr payback
Illinois · 14 yr payback
South Carolina · 14 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