Solar panels in Amarillo, TX
Roofs in Amarillo get about 1,935 hours of usable sunlight a year — more than 90% of the cities we've measured. Here's what that means in cost, savings and payback, using real rooftop data rather than a national average.
Check your specific roof in Amarillo → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.
What a typical Amarillo solar system costs
A 17-panel system (6.8 kW) is about right for an average Amarillo home using 10,800 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 11,184 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 5,263 | $6,384 | $795 | 8 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 7,895 | $9,576 | $1,192 | 8 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 10,526 | $12,768 | $1,589 | 8 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 13,158 | $15,960 | $1,720 | 9.3 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 17,105 | $20,748 | $1,869 | 11.1 yrs |
Notice that payback barely improves as systems get bigger, and eventually gets worse. That's because you can only save money on electricity you were going to buy anyway. Once a system covers your usage, extra panels mostly generate exports at a much lower rate.
Why Amarillo gets 1,935 sun hours
That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across Amarillo — it already accounts for shading from trees, chimneys and neighbouring buildings, which is why it's lower than the raw "hours of daylight" figures you'll see elsewhere. An unusually open, unshaded roof in Amarillo reaches about 2,042 hours, roughly 6% better than typical.
The numbers behind this page
| Typical usable sunlight | 1,935 hrs/yr |
|---|---|
| Unshaded roof | 2,042 hrs/yr |
| Electricity rate (Texas avg) | 15.1¢/kWh |
| Installed cost assumed | $2.85/W |
| Panel size assumed | 400 W |
| Federal tax credit | 30% |
| Typical household usage | 10,800 kWh/yr |
| Power used as generated | 34% |
| Paid for exported power | full retail (net metering) |
| Rooftops sampled here | 9 |
| Google imagery from | 2023 |
Nearby cities
See all of Texas → statewide sunlight, rates, incentives and every city we've measured.
Amarillo solar questions
How many solar panels do I need in Amarillo?
About 17 panels for an average home. Amarillo roofs get 1,935 usable sun hours a year, so each 400W panel produces roughly 658 kWh annually.
Is solar worth it in Amarillo?
At 15.1¢/kWh and 1,935 sun hours, a typical system pays for itself in about 8.2 years and returns roughly $27,567 over 25 years. That is a solid return.
How much do solar panels cost in Amarillo?
A 6.8 kW system costs about $19,380 before incentives and $13,566 after the 30% federal tax credit. Prices vary by installer, roof complexity and equipment.
Worth reading before you buy
Estimates only, generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples and average Texas electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial advice. Your roof, usage, utility plan and local incentives will change these numbers — get real quotes before buying.