Solar in West Des Moines, IA
With MidAmerican Energy's electricity at about 11.5¢ per kWh and 1,357 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical West Des Moines home today: it does not pay back within 25 years.
- Payback, typical home
- NeverIowa: 22.7 yrs
- 25-year net
- −$2,242after paying $15,525
- Sun
- 1,357kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 11.5¢36% below U.S. average
A typical West Des Moines home, by the numbers
| Utility | MidAmerican Energy |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 828 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3.7 kW, about 9 panels, 5,020 kWh a year (51% of use) |
| Cost | $15,525 |
| First-year savings | $576 |
| Payback | never within 25 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (MidAmerican Energy) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 1.6% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in West Des Moines
- Owner-occupied homes
- 57%
- Single-family detached
- 46%
- Median home value
- $309k
- Median year built
- 1994
- Population
- 71,083
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 94%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 15,273 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in West Des Moines
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 West Des Moines
Is solar worth it in West Des Moines, IA?
For a typical home in West Des Moines, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 3.7 kW system costs about $15,525 after state incentives, saves about $576 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 West Des Moines?
About 1,357 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% less than the Iowa average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in West Des Moines?
Most homes in West Des Moines are served by MidAmerican Energy, at about 11.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in West Des Moines?
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
- Waukee no payback
- Urbandale no payback
- Des Moines no payback
- Ankeny no payback
- Ames no payback
- Marshalltown 15.9 yrs
- Ottumwa 15.8 yrs
- Cedar Falls 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.