Solar in Hilo, HI
With Hawaii Electric Light Co's electricity at about 49.3¢ per kWh and 1,266 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Hilo home today: about a 6.9-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 6.9 yrsHawaii: 6.7 yrs
- 25-year net
- $32,827after paying $9,100
- Sun
- 1,266kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 49.3¢174% above U.S. average
A typical Hilo home, by the numbers
| Utility | Hawaii Electric Light Co |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 450 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 3,797 kWh a year (70% of use) |
| Cost | $14,000, or $9,100 after state incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,300 |
| Payback | 6.9 years |
| Exported power | Net billing (reduced export credit) (Hawaii rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.2% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Hilo
- Owner-occupied homes
- 66%
- Single-family detached
- 77%
- Median home value
- $483k
- Median year built
- 1978
- Population
- 50,404
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 90%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 4,423 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Hilo
Public installation records for Hawaii don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Hawaii.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Hilo
Is solar worth it in Hilo, HI?
For a typical home in Hilo, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $9,100 after state incentives, saves about $1,300 in year one and pays back in about 6.9 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Hilo?
About 1,266 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 18% less than the Hawaii average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Hilo?
Most homes in Hilo are served by Hawaii Electric Light Co, at about 49.3¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Hilo?
A fair cash price is around $4.00 per watt before incentives, so about $14,000 for a 3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Kahului 6.4 yrs
- East Honolulu 7.1 yrs
- Kailua CDP (Honolulu County) 6.9 yrs
- Honolulu 6.9 yrs
- Kaneohe 6.9 yrs
- Pearl City 6.9 yrs
- Ewa Gentry 6.7 yrs
- Waipahu 6.6 yrs
- All of Hawaii
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.