Solar panels in Cedar City, UT

Roofs in Cedar City get about 1,934 hours of usable sunlight a year — more than 91% 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 Cedar City → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.

What a typical Cedar City solar system costs

A 17-panel system (6.8 kW) is about right for an average Cedar City home using 10,800 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 11,179 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.

How we worked this out for Cedar City

Every number on this page comes from these seven steps. Nothing is a national average — the sunlight figure is measured from Cedar City rooftops.

Step 6 matters more than it looks. Only 34% of what a system this size produces in Cedar City is used the moment it is generated; the other 7,399 kWh is exported and credited one-for-one under net metering. Because exports here are credited at or near retail, that split changes the payback very little — 10.8 years against the 11.1 we show. In places where exports pay a fraction of retail the same split moves payback by years, which is why we model it explicitly rather than assuming.

Assumptions: 400W panels, 15% system losses (inverter, wiring, heat, soiling), $2.85/W installed, 10,800 kWh typical annual household use, 11.2¢/kWh electricity. Change any of those and every figure above moves — which is exactly why a single national "solar costs X" number is misleading.

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 Cedar City gets 1,934 sun hours

That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across Cedar City — 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 Cedar City reaches about 1,967 hours, roughly 2% better than typical.

The numbers behind this page

When Cedar City actually produces

Annual totals hide the thing that catches people out: 35% of Cedar City's yearly sunlight arrives in May–July, and just 14% across November–January.

Cedar City produces about 2.7× as much in Jun as in Dec — a normal mid-latitude swing. Expect real winter shortfall and summer surplus rather than steady year-round output.

The annual total is measured from Google's rooftop imagery. Its split across months is calculated from solar geometry at Cedar City's latitude, not separately measured, so treat the monthly figures as the shape of a typical year rather than a forecast.

How Cedar City compares to the other 788 cities

What actually stands out about Cedar City:

• Unusually open roofs. Only 2% of available sunlight is lost to obstruction in Cedar City — better than all but 50 of the 788 cities measured. Most roofs here get close to their theoretical maximum.
• Roof space is the binding constraint. A typical Cedar City roof fits about 15 panels and a typical home needs 17 — so there is little room to oversize. If you add an EV or heat pump later, plan the array for it now.
• Small roofs. The median Cedar City roof is 45 m², smaller than 99% of cities measured — worth checking your own footprint before assuming a standard system fits.
• Sunnier than the rest of Utah. Cedar City roofs get 13% more usable sunlight than the typical Utah city we've measured — statewide averages will understate what you can expect here.
• Cheap electricity is the headwind. Utah power costs about 11.2¢/kWh. Low rates are good news generally, but they lengthen solar payback — there is simply less bill to displace.
• Older imagery. Google's aerial capture of Cedar City dates from 2019. Tree growth and new construction since then are not reflected.

Cities with almost the same sunlight

These are the closest matches to Cedar City's 1,934 usable sun hours from other states and provinces. Same sunlight, different electricity prices — which is usually what decides whether solar is worth it.

Nearby cities

See all of Utah → statewide sunlight, rates, incentives and every city we've measured.

Cedar City solar questions

Worth reading before you buy

Estimates only, generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples and average Utah 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.