Solar in Bellingham, WA
With Puget Sound Energy's electricity at about 18.2¢ per kWh and 1,051 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Bellingham home today: about a 13.5-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 13.5 yrsWashington: 16.2 yrs
- 25-year net
- $28,325after paying $22,065
- Sun
- 1,051kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 18.2¢1% above U.S. average
A typical Bellingham home, by the numbers
| Utility | Puget Sound Energy |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 863 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 7.9 kW, about 18 panels, 8,301 kWh a year (80% of use) |
| Cost | $22,065 |
| First-year savings | $1,514 |
| Payback | 13.5 years |
| Exported power | 13¢/kWh (Puget Sound Energy) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Bellingham
- Owner-occupied homes
- 45%
- Single-family detached
- 43%
- Median home value
- $628k
- Median year built
- 1986
- Population
- 93,438
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 85%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 21,762 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Bellingham
Public installation records for Washington don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Washington.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Bellingham
Is solar worth it in Bellingham, WA?
For a typical home in Bellingham, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 7.9 kW system costs about $22,065 after state incentives, saves about $1,514 in year one and pays back in about 13.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Bellingham?
About 1,051 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 5% less than the Washington average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Bellingham?
Most homes in Bellingham are served by Puget Sound Energy, at about 18.2¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Bellingham?
A fair cash price is around $2.85 per watt before incentives, so about $22,065 for a 7.9 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Mount Vernon 14.1 yrs
- Marysville 20.5 yrs
- Lake Stevens 20.4 yrs
- Everett 20.1 yrs
- Lynnwood 19.8 yrs
- Mill Creek East 13.8 yrs
- Edmonds 15.9 yrs
- Bothell 14 yrs
- All of Washington
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.