Typical home: Close call

Solar in Cape Girardeau, MO

With Ameren Missouri's electricity at about 13.9¢ per kWh and 1,398 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Cape Girardeau home today: about a 15.7-year payback.

Payback, typical home
15.7 yrsMissouri: 15.5 yrs
25-year net
$13,525after paying $20,185
Sun
1,398kWh per kW per year
Electricity
13.9¢23% below U.S. average

A typical Cape Girardeau home, by the numbers

UtilityAmeren Missouri
Electricity use1,032 kWh a month
Best-value system7.1 kW, about 17 panels, 9,926 kWh a year (80% of use)
Cost$20,185
First-year savings$1,362
Payback15.7 years
Exported power4.6¢/kWh (Ameren Missouri)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 1.7% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Cape Girardeau

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan82
Feb93
Mar103
Apr131
May139
Jun145
Jul150
Aug146
Sep126
Oct119
Nov90
Dec74

Homes in Cape Girardeau

Owner-occupied homes
54%
Single-family detached
64%
Median home value
$196k
Median year built
1975
Population
40,344
Roofs suitable for solar†
75%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 10,541 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Cape Girardeau

Public installation records for Missouri don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Missouri.

Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.

Questions about solar in Cape Girardeau

Is solar worth it in Cape Girardeau, MO?

For a typical home in Cape Girardeau, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 7.1 kW system costs about $20,185 after state incentives, saves about $1,362 in year one and pays back in about 15.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Cape Girardeau?

About 1,398 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 Missouri average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Cape Girardeau?

Most homes in Cape Girardeau are served by Ameren Missouri, at about 13.9¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by SEMO Electric Cooperative.

How much do solar panels cost in Cape Girardeau?

A fair cash price is around $2.85 per watt before incentives, so about $20,185 for a 7.1 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.

Nearby

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.