Solar panels in Sheridan, WY

Roofs in Sheridan get about 1,591 hours of usable sunlight a year — more than 56% 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 Sheridan → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.

What a typical Sheridan solar system costs

A 20-panel system (8 kW) is about right for an average Sheridan home using 10,800 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 10,819 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.

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 Sheridan gets 1,591 sun hours

That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across Sheridan — 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 Sheridan reaches about 1,620 hours, roughly 2% better than typical.

The numbers behind this page

When Sheridan actually produces

Annual totals hide the thing that catches people out: 38% of Sheridan's yearly sunlight arrives in May–July, and just 12% across November–January.

Sheridan produces about 3.9× 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 Sheridan's latitude, not separately measured, so treat the monthly figures as the shape of a typical year rather than a forecast.

How Sheridan compares to the other 673 cities

What actually stands out about Sheridan:

• Unusually open roofs. Only 2% of available sunlight is lost to obstruction in Sheridan — better than all but 47 of the 673 cities measured. Most roofs here get close to their theoretical maximum.
• Roof space is the binding constraint. A typical Sheridan roof fits about 19 panels and a typical home needs 20 — 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 Sheridan roof is 63 m², smaller than 98% of cities measured — worth checking your own footprint before assuming a standard system fits.
• Dimmer than the rest of Wyoming. Sheridan roofs get 6% less usable sunlight than the typical Wyoming city we've measured — statewide averages will overstate what you can expect here.
• Cheap electricity is the headwind. Wyoming power costs about 12.1¢/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 Sheridan dates from 2017. Tree growth and new construction since then are not reflected.

Cities with almost the same sunlight

These are the closest matches to Sheridan's 1,591 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 Wyoming → statewide sunlight, rates, incentives and every city we've measured.

Sheridan solar questions

Worth reading before you buy

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