Solar panels in Arizona
Roofs across Arizona get about 2,015 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 15.2¢/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 7.7 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 19 Arizona cities.
Check your own roof in Arizona → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.
How Arizona compares
Arizona gets more sunlight than 97% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 44% of states and provinces. Both matter, but not equally: the electricity rate usually matters more, because solar saves money by replacing power you would otherwise buy. A sunny state with cheap power often pays back slower than a cloudy state with expensive power. Why that happens →
Solar by city in Arizona
| City | Sun hrs/yr | Panels | Net cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Vista | 2,108 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Surprise | 2,077 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Kingman | 2,068 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Avondale | 2,063 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Tucson | 2,043 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Peoria | 2,035 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Goodyear | 2,034 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Glendale | 2,030 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Chandler | 2,022 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Yuma | 2,015 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.7 yrs |
| Lake Havasu City | 1,997 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.8 yrs |
| Prescott | 1,996 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.8 yrs |
| Scottsdale | 1,994 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.8 yrs |
| Buckeye | 1,984 | 17 | $13,566 | 8.1 yrs |
| Mesa | 1,941 | 17 | $13,566 | 8.2 yrs |
| Show Low | 1,937 | 17 | $13,566 | 8.2 yrs |
| Tempe | 1,934 | 17 | $13,566 | 8.2 yrs |
| Phoenix | 1,932 | 17 | $13,566 | 8.2 yrs |
| Flagstaff | 1,788 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
What a system costs in Arizona
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 5,481 | $6,384 | $833 | 7.7 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 8,221 | $9,576 | $1,250 | 7.7 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 10,962 | $12,768 | $1,648 | 7.7 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 13,702 | $15,960 | $1,752 | 9.1 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 17,813 | $20,748 | $1,908 | 10.9 yrs |
Payback stops improving as systems grow, then gets worse. You can only save on electricity you were going to buy, so once a system covers your usage the extra panels mostly export at a lower rate.
Arizona solar incentives
Every US household can claim the 30% federal residential clean energy credit, which is what the "after credit" figures above assume. On a $18,240 system that is $5,472 back. How the credit works →
State, utility and municipal incentives stack on top and change often — Arizona may offer rebates, property or sales tax exemptions, or performance payments. We deliberately don't list specific state programmes here because they change several times a year and stale numbers are worse than none. The DSIRE database is the standard reference and is kept current.
Arizona solar questions
Is solar worth it in Arizona?
At 15.2¢/kWh and 2,015 usable sun hours, a typical Arizona system pays back in about 7.7 years and returns roughly $28,426 across a 25-year panel life. That is a solid return, and rising electricity prices only improve it. Individual cities in Arizona vary widely around this average.
How many solar panels do I need in Arizona?
About 16 panels for a home using 10,800 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 685 kWh annually at Arizona sunlight levels. Your own figure depends on actual usage — pull a year of bills rather than assuming average consumption, since heating and EV charging change it a lot.
How much do solar panels cost in Arizona?
A 6.4 kW system runs about $18,240 before incentives and $12,768 after the 30% federal credit, or roughly $2.85 per watt installed. Quotes vary widely by installer, roof complexity and whether your electrical panel needs upgrading — get three before deciding.
Worth reading before you buy
Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 19 Arizona cities, and average Arizona electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.