Solar in Fort Smith, AR
With OG&E's electricity at about 12.9¢ per kWh and 1,452 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Fort Smith home today: about a 14.7-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 14.7 yrsArkansas: 14.5 yrs
- 25-year net
- $19,368after paying $20,825
- Sun
- 1,452kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 12.9¢28% below U.S. average
A typical Fort Smith home, by the numbers
| Utility | OG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,037 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 7.7 kW, about 18 panels, 11,181 kWh a year (90% of use) |
| Cost | $20,825 |
| First-year savings | $1,404 |
| Payback | 14.7 years |
| Exported power | Avoided-cost export credit (OG&E) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.7% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Fort Smith
- Owner-occupied homes
- 53%
- Single-family detached
- 66%
- Median home value
- $178k
- Median year built
- 1977
- Population
- 89,805
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 83%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 28,634 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Fort Smith
Public installation records for Arkansas don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Arkansas.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Fort Smith
Is solar worth it in Fort Smith, AR?
For a typical home in Fort Smith, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 7.7 kW system costs about $20,825 after state incentives, saves about $1,404 in year one and pays back in about 14.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Fort Smith?
About 1,452 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% more than the Arkansas average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Fort Smith?
Most homes in Fort Smith are served by OG&E, at about 12.9¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative.
How much do solar panels cost in Fort Smith?
A fair cash price is around $2.75 per watt before incentives, so about $20,825 for a 7.7 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Fayetteville 14.8 yrs
- Springdale 14.6 yrs
- Rogers 14.5 yrs
- Russellville 14.3 yrs
- Bentonville 14.6 yrs
- Bella Vista 14.7 yrs
- Hot Springs 14.6 yrs
- Conway 13.8 yrs
- All of Arkansas
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.