Solar panels in New York
Roofs across New York get about 1,373 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 24.3¢/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 7.2 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 17 New York cities.
Check your own roof in New York → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.
How New York compares
New York gets more sunlight than 27% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 71% 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 New York
| City | Sun hrs/yr | Panels | Net cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hempstead | 1,504 | 22 | $17,556 | 6.6 yrs |
| New York | 1,488 | 22 | $17,556 | 6.6 yrs |
| New Rochelle | 1,478 | 22 | $17,556 | 6.7 yrs |
| Mount Vernon | 1,457 | 22 | $17,556 | 6.7 yrs |
| Watertown | 1,435 | 23 | $18,354 | 6.9 yrs |
| Yonkers | 1,424 | 23 | $18,354 | 6.9 yrs |
| Schenectady | 1,414 | 23 | $18,354 | 7 yrs |
| Jamestown | 1,413 | 23 | $18,354 | 7 yrs |
| Elmira | 1,373 | 24 | $19,152 | 7.2 yrs |
| Buffalo | 1,372 | 24 | $19,152 | 7.2 yrs |
| Utica | 1,371 | 24 | $19,152 | 7.2 yrs |
| Rochester | 1,365 | 24 | $19,152 | 7.2 yrs |
| Binghamton | 1,352 | 24 | $19,152 | 7.3 yrs |
| Ithaca | 1,346 | 24 | $19,152 | 7.3 yrs |
| Albany | 1,339 | 24 | $19,152 | 7.3 yrs |
| Syracuse | 1,296 | 25 | $19,950 | 7.6 yrs |
| White Plains | 1,266 | 26 | $20,748 | 7.8 yrs |
What a system costs in New York
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 3,735 | $6,384 | $907 | 7 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 5,602 | $9,576 | $1,361 | 7 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 7,469 | $12,768 | $1,815 | 7 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 9,336 | $15,960 | $2,269 | 7 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 12,137 | $20,748 | $2,706 | 7.7 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.
New York 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 $27,360 system that is $8,208 back. How the credit works →
State, utility and municipal incentives stack on top and change often — New York 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.
New York solar questions
Is solar worth it in New York?
At 24.3¢/kWh and 1,373 usable sun hours, a typical New York system pays back in about 7.2 years and returns roughly $47,071 across a 25-year panel life. That is a solid return, and rising electricity prices only improve it. Individual cities in New York vary widely around this average.
How many solar panels do I need in New York?
About 24 panels for a home using 10,800 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 467 kWh annually at New York 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 New York?
A 9.6 kW system runs about $27,360 before incentives and $19,152 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 17 New York cities, and average New York electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.