Solar in Cedar Falls, IA
With Cedar Falls Utilities's electricity at about 12.0¢ per kWh and 1,365 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Cedar Falls home today: it does not pay back within 25 years.
- Payback, typical home
- NeverIowa: 22.7 yrs
- 25-year net
- −$1,401after paying $15,525
- Sun
- 1,365kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 12.0¢33% below U.S. average
A typical Cedar Falls home, by the numbers
| Utility | Cedar Falls Utilities |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 836 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3.7 kW, about 9 panels, 5,052 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $15,525 |
| First-year savings | $606 |
| 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 Cedar Falls
- Owner-occupied homes
- 64%
- Single-family detached
- 59%
- Median home value
- $264k
- Median year built
- 1975
- Population
- 40,888
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 66%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 9,124 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Cedar Falls
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 Cedar Falls
Is solar worth it in Cedar Falls, IA?
For a typical home in Cedar Falls, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 3.7 kW system costs about $15,525 after state incentives, saves about $606 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 Cedar Falls?
About 1,365 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% less than the Iowa average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Cedar Falls?
Most homes in Cedar Falls are served by Cedar Falls Utilities, at about 12.0¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Alliant Energy (Interstate Power & Light), MidAmerican Energy.
How much do solar panels cost in Cedar Falls?
A fair cash price is around $3.75 per watt before incentives, so about $15,525 for a 3.7 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Waterloo no payback
- Marshalltown 15.9 yrs
- Marion 16 yrs
- Cedar Rapids 15.9 yrs
- Mason City 15.8 yrs
- Ames no payback
- Iowa City no payback
- Ankeny 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.