Solar in Salt Lake City, UT
With PacifiCorp (Rocky Mountain Power / Pacific Power)'s electricity at about 14.7¢ per kWh and 1,485 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Salt Lake City home today: about a 21-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 21 yrsUtah: 22.7 yrs
- 25-year net
- $2,410after paying $11,000
- Sun
- 1,485kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 14.7¢18% below U.S. average
A typical Salt Lake City home, by the numbers
| Utility | PacifiCorp (Rocky Mountain Power / Pacific Power) |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 746 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,456 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $11,000 |
| First-year savings | $538 |
| Payback | 21.0 years |
| Exported power | 4.3¢/kWh (PacifiCorp (Rocky Mountain Power / Pacific Power)) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 1.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Salt Lake City
- Owner-occupied homes
- 46%
- Single-family detached
- 43%
- Median home value
- $540k
- Median year built
- 1965
- Population
- 208,007
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 80%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 46,036 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Salt Lake City
Public installation records for Utah don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Utah.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Salt Lake City
Is solar worth it in Salt Lake City, UT?
For a typical home in Salt Lake City, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $11,000 after state incentives, saves about $538 in year one and pays back in about 21 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Salt Lake City?
About 1,485 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the Utah average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Salt Lake City?
Most homes in Salt Lake City are served by PacifiCorp (Rocky Mountain Power / Pacific Power), at about 14.7¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Murray.
How much do solar panels cost in Salt Lake City?
A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $11,000 for a 3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- South Salt Lake 21 yrs
- West Valley City 20.8 yrs
- Bountiful 21.9 yrs
- Millcreek 21 yrs
- Taylorsville 20.9 yrs
- Murray 20.9 yrs
- Kearns metro 20.8 yrs
- Holladay 21.4 yrs
- All of Utah
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.