Typical home: Worth it

Solar in Tumwater, WA

With Puget Sound Energy's electricity at about 18.2¢ per kWh and 1,064 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Tumwater home today: about a 13.4-year payback.

Payback, typical home
13.4 yrsWashington: 16.2 yrs
25-year net
$28,612after paying $21,830
Sun
1,064kWh per kW per year
Electricity
18.2¢1% above U.S. average

A typical Tumwater home, by the numbers

UtilityPuget Sound Energy
Electricity use863 kWh a month
Best-value system7.8 kW, about 18 panels, 8,296 kWh a year (80% of use)
Cost$21,830
First-year savings$1,513
Payback13.4 years
Exported power13¢/kWh (Puget Sound Energy)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Tumwater

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan32
Feb49
Mar78
Apr111
May129
Jun129
Jul146
Aug137
Sep105
Oct71
Nov42
Dec35

Homes in Tumwater

Owner-occupied homes
63%
Single-family detached
63%
Median home value
$472k
Median year built
1995
Population
26,956
Roofs suitable for solar†
89%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 5,613 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Tumwater

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 Tumwater

Is solar worth it in Tumwater, WA?

For a typical home in Tumwater, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 7.8 kW system costs about $21,830 after state incentives, saves about $1,513 in year one and pays back in about 13.4 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Tumwater?

About 1,064 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% less than the Washington average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Tumwater?

Most homes in Tumwater are served by Puget Sound Energy, at about 18.2¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Tumwater?

A fair cash price is around $2.85 per watt before incentives, so about $21,830 for a 7.8 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.