Solar in Shoreline, WA
With City of Seattle's electricity at about 15.8¢ per kWh and 1,072 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Shoreline home today: about a 16-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 16 yrsWashington: 16.2 yrs
- 25-year net
- $13,406after paying $15,955
- Sun
- 1,072kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 15.8¢12% below U.S. average
A typical Shoreline home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Seattle |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 594 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5.3 kW, about 12 panels, 5,684 kWh a year (80% of use) |
| Cost | $15,955 |
| First-year savings | $898 |
| Payback | 16.0 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (City of Seattle) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Shoreline
- Owner-occupied homes
- 66%
- Single-family detached
- 63%
- Median home value
- $811k
- Median year built
- 1969
- Population
- 61,431
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 76%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 13,630 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 Shoreline
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 Shoreline
Is solar worth it in Shoreline, WA?
For a typical home in Shoreline, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 5.3 kW system costs about $15,955 after state incentives, saves about $898 in year one and pays back in about 16 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Shoreline?
About 1,072 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 3% less than the Washington average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Shoreline?
Most homes in Shoreline are served by City of Seattle, at about 15.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by PUD No 1 of Snohomish County, Puget Sound Energy.
How much do solar panels cost in Shoreline?
A fair cash price is around $2.85 per watt before incentives, so about $15,955 for a 5.3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Edmonds 15.9 yrs
- Lynnwood 19.8 yrs
- Bothell 14 yrs
- Kirkland 13.3 yrs
- Mill Creek East 13.8 yrs
- Seattle 15.9 yrs
- Redmond 14 yrs
- Bellevue 13.6 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.