Solar in Vancouver, WA
With PUD No 1 of Clark County's electricity at about 11.4¢ per kWh and 1,119 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Vancouver home today: about a 20.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 20.6 yrsWashington: 16.2 yrs
- 25-year net
- $5,034after paying $15,955
- Sun
- 1,119kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 11.4¢37% below U.S. average
A typical Vancouver home, by the numbers
| Utility | PUD No 1 of Clark County |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 983 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5.3 kW, about 12 panels, 5,931 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $15,955 |
| First-year savings | $676 |
| Payback | 20.6 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (Washington rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Vancouver
- Owner-occupied homes
- 51%
- Single-family detached
- 51%
- Median home value
- $462k
- Median year built
- 1988
- Population
- 195,300
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 90%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 48,599 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Vancouver
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 Vancouver
Is solar worth it in Vancouver, WA?
For a typical home in Vancouver, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 5.3 kW system costs about $15,955 after state incentives, saves about $676 in year one and pays back in about 20.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Vancouver?
About 1,119 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the Washington average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Vancouver?
Most homes in Vancouver are served by PUD No 1 of Clark County, at about 11.4¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Vancouver?
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
- Orchards 21.4 yrs
- Camas 21.3 yrs
- Longview 23.3 yrs
- Tumwater 13.4 yrs
- Graham 13.5 yrs
- Lacey 13.5 yrs
- Olympia 13.6 yrs
- Frederickson 13.9 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.