Solar in Ames, IA
With City of Ames's electricity at about 12.6¢ per kWh and 1,383 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Ames home today: it does not pay back within 25 years.
- Payback, typical home
- NeverIowa: 22.7 yrs
- 25-year net
- −$934after paying $13,250
- Sun
- 1,383kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 12.6¢30% below U.S. average
A typical Ames home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Ames |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 597 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,148 kWh a year (58% of use) |
| Cost | $13,250 |
| First-year savings | $521 |
| Payback | never within 25 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (Iowa rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 1.6% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Ames
- Owner-occupied homes
- 42%
- Single-family detached
- 38%
- Median home value
- $277k
- Median year built
- 1992
- Population
- 67,669
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 69%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 7,795 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Ames
Public installation records for Iowa don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Iowa.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Ames
Is solar worth it in Ames, IA?
For a typical home in Ames, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $13,250 after state incentives, saves about $521 in year one and does not pay back within 25 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Ames?
About 1,383 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the Iowa average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Ames?
Most homes in Ames are served by City of Ames, at about 12.6¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Alliant Energy (Interstate Power & Light), Consumers Energy Cooperative, Midland Power Cooperative.
How much do solar panels cost in Ames?
A fair cash price is around $3.75 per watt before incentives, so about $13,250 for a 3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Ankeny no payback
- Urbandale no payback
- Des Moines no payback
- Waukee no payback
- West Des Moines no payback
- Marshalltown 15.9 yrs
- Cedar Falls no payback
- Waterloo no payback
- All of Iowa
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.