Is solar worth it in Kansas?
For a typical Kansas home in 2026, solar is a close call: about a 15.2-year payback and $12,998 saved over 25 years after paying for the system. Check your own home, because roofs, usage and utilities vary a lot.
- Payback, typical home
- 15.2 yrs5.7 kW, paying cash
- Electricity price
- 15.1¢per kWh, U.S. 18.0¢
- Solar production
- 1,471kWh per kW per year
- Exports credited at
- ~20%Reduced export credit
The numbers for a typical Kansas home
| Electricity use | 870 kWh a month (Kansas average) |
|---|---|
| Best-value system | 5.7 kW, producing 8,385 kWh a year (80% of use) |
| Price | $18,035 at about $3.05/W |
| First-year savings | $1,250 |
| Payback | 15.2 years |
| 25-year net | $12,998 (4.5% a year return) |
| Rate increase assumed | 1.6% a year, from Kansas's 2015–2025 history |
Paying cash, no federal credit, 5% discount rate, microinverters, $25 per kW a year for maintenance and repairs. Methodology.
Why it comes out this way
- Electricity is cheap: 15.1¢ per kWh, 16% below the U.S. average (18.0¢), so each solar kWh saves less.
- Exported solar is typically credited at about 20% of retail, so systems pay best when sized for what you use yourself.
- A typical system here produces about 1,471 kWh per kW per year (ranked #12 of 51).
- There is no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026, which adds several years to payback compared with 2025.
Net metering and export rules in Kansas
Reduced export credit. Kansas requires Evergy and Liberty (Empire) to offer net metering. Solar you use offsets retail, and monthly excess offsets usage, but net excess at the end of a billing period is credited at the utility's average cost of energy (only a few cents/kWh) rather than retail. Co-ops and city utilities aren't required to offer it.
Agreements since July 1, 2014: net excess generation each billing period credited at >=100% of the utility's monthly system average cost of energy and carried to the next bill. July 2024+ TOU customers net exports against supply within each TOU period. Non-TOU customers move to 100% system average cost by 2030.
- Netting: monthly
- Unused credits: Excess credited as a dollar credit at system average energy cost to the next bill; pre-2014 agreements roll kWh credits with Mar 31 expiration.
- System size limit: 150 kW
- Fixed charges: Standard customer charges; bi-directional meter at no cost. For agreements on or after July 1, 2026, generating capacity may exceed export capacity by no more than 50% and export-limiting devices are customer responsibility.
- Last major change: HB 2527 (2024) amended net metering (size to 150 kW AC, aggregate cap increases, TOU netting); further parallel-generation changes (Sub. HB 2149, 2025) - enactment details not verified.
Read net metering explained to see why export rules can swing payback by years.
| Utility | Export credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central | 3¢/kWh | Excess credited at system average energy cost (approximate value). Residential up to 150 kW AC. |
| Evergy Kansas Metro | Reduced export credit | Same state rules. |
| Liberty (Empire District Electric) - Kansas | Reduced export credit | Same state rules. |
Solar incentives in Kansas
The federal 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. What that means.
| Program | Type | What you get | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewable energy property tax exemption | property tax exemption | Renewable energy systems are exempt from Kansas property tax (K.S.A. 79-201 Eleventh). Eligibility: Residential and commercial systems. | active |
What solar costs in Kansas
A fair cash price is around $3.05 per watt before incentives. For the 5.7 kW system that fits a typical home, expect roughly $14,800 to $20,900; smaller systems cost more per watt.
How many homes have solar
- Homes with net-metered solar (2025)
- 9,805
- Share of homes
- 0.7%
- Residential solar capacity
- 87 MW
- Growth over the past year
- +12.1%
Sources: EIA-861 (2025), EIA small-scale solar estimates, LBNL Tracking the Sun and state interconnection data.
Electric utilities in Kansas
| Utility | Homes served | Price (2026 est.) | Typical use | Typical-home verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central | 343,712 | 15.2¢ | 850 kWh/mo | Close call |
| Evergy Kansas South | 305,665 | 15.2¢ | 858 kWh/mo | Close call |
| Evergy Metro | 247,426 | 14.1¢ | 893 kWh/mo | Close call |
| City of Kansas City | 62,103 | 15.6¢ | 803 kWh/mo | Close call |
| Midwest Energy | 29,779 | 12.6¢ | 894 kWh/mo | Not worth it |
| Wheatland Electric Cooperative | 20,109 | 15.7¢ | 869 kWh/mo | Close call |
| FreeState Electric Cooperative | 17,654 | 18.6¢ | 1,088 kWh/mo | Worth it |
| Victory Electric Cooperative Association | 14,374 | 12.9¢ | 838 kWh/mo | Not worth it |
| Prairie Land Electric Cooperative | 13,245 | 15.5¢ | 839 kWh/mo | Close call |
| Southern Pioneer Electric | 12,608 | 17.2¢ | 757 kWh/mo | Close call |
| City of Garden City | 10,458 | 17.3¢ | 680 kWh/mo | Close call |
| Empire District Electric | 8,465 | 15.4¢ | 1,043 kWh/mo | Close call |
| City of McPherson | 7,462 | 9.9¢ | 1,018 kWh/mo | Not worth it |
| City of Winfield | 6,299 | 14.1¢ | 815 kWh/mo | Not worth it |
| Western Cooperative Electric Association | 5,800 | 15.2¢ | 873 kWh/mo | Close call |
| Pioneer Electric Cooperative | 5,038 | 12.4¢ | 1,021 kWh/mo | Not worth it |
| Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc (OK) | 1,110 | 16.6¢ | 700 kWh/mo | Worth it |
Solar by city in Kansas
- Wichita14.7-yr payback · Close call
- Overland Park16.3-yr payback · Not worth it
- Kansas City15.2-yr payback · Close call
- Olathe15.5-yr payback · Close call
- Topeka15.1-yr payback · Close call
- Lawrence15.6-yr payback · Close call
- Shawnee17.1-yr payback · Not worth it
- Lenexa17.3-yr payback · Not worth it
- Manhattan15.2-yr payback · Close call
- Salina14.8-yr payback · Close call
- Hutchinson14.7-yr payback · Close call
- Leavenworth16.4-yr payback · Not worth it
- Leawood16.4-yr payback · Not worth it
- Garden City12.8-yr payback · Close call
- Dodge City16.7-yr payback · Not worth it
- Derby14.8-yr payback · Close call
Protect yourself when buying
- Check the license. No statewide electrical/solar contractor license; licensing by local jurisdictions. Look up an installer
- Cancellation rights. Federal law gives you 3 business days to cancel most door-to-door sales over $25. How to cancel
- HOA and solar access. No statewide HOA protection law; solar easements authorized.
- Community solar. No statewide program; some co-ops offer community solar.
Questions about solar in Kansas
Is solar worth it in Kansas in 2026?
For a typical Kansas home, solar is a close call. A 5.7 kW system costing about $18,035 after state incentives saves about $1,250 in the first year and pays back in about 15.2 years. Your result depends on your roof, usage, utility and price, so run the calculator for your address.
How much do solar panels cost in Kansas?
A reasonable cash price is around $3.05 per watt before incentives, or roughly $14,800 to $20,900 for a 5.7 kW system.
Does Kansas have net metering?
Kansas requires Evergy and Liberty (Empire) to offer net metering. Solar you use offsets retail, and monthly excess offsets usage, but net excess at the end of a billing period is credited at the utility's average cost of energy (only a few cents/kWh) rather than retail. Co-ops and city utilities aren't required to offer it.
Is there a solar tax credit in Kansas?
The 30% federal credit for homeowners ended for systems installed after 2025. Kansas does not offer a state income tax credit for solar that we're aware of. Solar may be exempt from property tax.
How do I check a solar installer's license in Kansas?
No statewide electrical/solar contractor license; licensing by local jurisdictions.. Look up any installer with the state's license search at https://kcc.ks.gov/electric/net-metering-in-kansas.
Policy research current as of October 2026; sources include kcc.ks.gov, kslegislature.gov. Electricity data: EIA, through July 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.