Home › Solar by city › Texas › San Angelo

Solar panels in San Angelo, TX

Roofs in San Angelo get about 1,884 hours of usable sunlight a year — more than 88% 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.

1,884Sun hours / yr
17Panels typical
$13,566Cost after credit
8.3 yrPayback
Solar is reasonable in San Angelo, not spectacular. A 8.3-year payback still beats most savings accounts over the panel's 25-year life, but it is not the slam dunk you'll see advertised.

Check your specific roof in San Angelo → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.

What a typical San Angelo solar system costs

A 17-panel system (6.8 kW) is about right for an average San Angelo home using 10,800 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 10,890 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.

Estimated economics by system size in San Angelo, at 15.1¢/kWh after the 30% federal tax credit
SystemSizekWh/yr Net costSaves/yrPayback
8 panels3.2 kW 5,124$6,384 $774 8.3 yrs
12 panels4.8 kW 7,687$9,576 $1,161 8.3 yrs
16 panels6.4 kW 10,249$12,768 $1,548 8.3 yrs
20 panels8 kW 12,811$15,960 $1,707 9.4 yrs
26 panels10.4 kW 16,655$20,748 $1,852 11.2 yrs

How we worked this out for San Angelo

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

#StepResult
1What one panel makes here
400W ÷ 1000 × 1,884 sun hrs × 0.85 system losses
641 kWh/yr
2Panels needed to cover typical usage
10,800 kWh ÷ 641 kWh per panel
17 panels
3System size
17 panels × 400W
6.80 kW
4Annual production
6.80 kW × 1,884 hrs × 0.85
10,890 kWh/yr
5Installed cost
6,800 W × $2.85 per watt, then −30% federal credit
$13,566
6Annual saving
3,780 kWh used as generated × 15.1¢  +  7,110 kWh exported × 15.1¢
$1,634/yr
7Payback
$13,566 ÷ $1,634 per year
8.3 years

Step 6 matters more than it looks. Only 35% of what a system this size produces in San Angelo is used the moment it is generated; the other 7,110 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 — 8.2 years against the 8.3 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, 15.1¢/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 San Angelo gets 1,884 sun hours

That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across San Angelo — 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 San Angelo reaches about 1,932 hours, roughly 3% better than typical.

The numbers behind this page

Typical usable sunlight1,884 hrs/yr
Unshaded roof1,932 hrs/yr
Electricity rate (Texas avg)15.1¢/kWh
Installed cost assumed$2.85/W
Panel size assumed400 W
Federal tax credit30%
Typical household usage10,800 kWh/yr
Power used as generated35%
Paid for exported powerfull retail (net metering)
Rooftops sampled here12
Google imagery from2014

When San Angelo actually produces

Annual totals hide the thing that catches people out: 33% of San Angelo's yearly sunlight arrives in May–July, and just 16% across November–January.

Estimated usable sun hours by month in San Angelo (latitude 31.5°)
MonthSun hrsShare of year
Jan 103
Feb 127
Mar 157
Apr 185
May 202
Jun 208
Jul 205
Aug 191
Sep 166
Oct 136
Nov 109
Dec 96

Output is unusually steady — only about 2.2× between Jun and Dec. San Angelo is close enough to the equator that seasonal variation is mild, which makes sizing a system considerably more predictable.

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

How San Angelo compares to the other 788 cities

MeasureSan Angelo Rank of 788
Usable sunlight1,884 hrs93rd
Sunlight lost to shade2%682nd most
Median roof size148 m²565th largest
Electricity rate15.1¢500th highest
Payback8.3 yrs144th fastest
Grid carbon639 kg/MWh407th dirtiest

What actually stands out about San Angelo:

  • Sunnier than the rest of Texas. San Angelo roofs get 7% more usable sunlight than the typical Texas city we've measured — statewide averages will understate what you can expect here.
  • Older imagery. Google's aerial capture of San Angelo dates from 2014. Tree growth and new construction since then are not reflected.

Cities with almost the same sunlight

These are the closest matches to San Angelo's 1,884 usable sun hours from other states and provinces. Same sunlight, different electricity prices — which is usually what decides whether solar is worth it.

CitySun hrs RatePayback
Oceanside, CA 1,88631.2¢ 8.4 yrs
Stockton, CA 1,87931.2¢ 8.4 yrs
Los Angeles, CA 1,87531.2¢ 8.4 yrs
San Diego, CA 1,89431.2¢ 8.3 yrs

Nearby cities

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

San Angelo solar questions

How many solar panels do I need in San Angelo?

About 17 panels for an average home using 10,800 kWh a year. San Angelo roofs get 1,884 usable sun hours, so each 400W panel produces roughly 641 kWh annually. A typical San Angelo roof fits about 33 panels, so check your usable roof area before assuming that many will fit.

Is solar worth it in San Angelo?

At 15.1¢/kWh and 1,884 sun hours, a typical system pays for itself in about 8.3 years and returns roughly $27,288 over a 25-year panel life. That is a solid return, and it improves further if electricity prices rise. Exported power earns full retail credit here.

How much do solar panels cost in San Angelo?

A 6.8 kW system costs about $19,380 before incentives and $13,566 after the 30% federal tax credit. That works out near $2.85 per watt installed. Roof pitch, shading, electrical panel upgrades and equipment choice move the price most, which is why quotes for the same house can differ by thousands.

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.