Solar in Wenatchee, WA
With PUD No 1 of Chelan County's electricity at about 4.0¢ per kWh and 1,312 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Wenatchee home today: it does not pay back within 25 years.
- Payback, typical home
- NeverWashington: 16.2 yrs
- 25-year net
- −$13,095after paying $22,300
- Sun
- 1,312kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 4.0¢77% below U.S. average
A typical Wenatchee home, by the numbers
| Utility | PUD No 1 of Chelan County |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,754 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 8 kW, about 19 panels, 10,494 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $22,300 |
| First-year savings | $425 |
| Payback | never within 25 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 Wenatchee
- Owner-occupied homes
- 54%
- Single-family detached
- 58%
- Median home value
- $434k
- Median year built
- 1977
- Population
- 35,484
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 83%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 9,069 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Wenatchee
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 Wenatchee
Is solar worth it in Wenatchee, WA?
For a typical home in Wenatchee, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 8 kW system costs about $22,300 after state incentives, saves about $425 in year one and does not pay back within 25 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Wenatchee?
About 1,312 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 18% more than the Washington average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Wenatchee?
Most homes in Wenatchee are served by PUD No 1 of Chelan County, at about 4.0¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by PUD No 1 of Douglas County.
How much do solar panels cost in Wenatchee?
A fair cash price is around $2.85 per watt before incentives, so about $22,300 for a 8 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Moses Lake no payback
- Yakima 13 yrs
- Maple Valley 14.2 yrs
- Sammamish 14.1 yrs
- Issaquah 13.8 yrs
- Redmond 14 yrs
- Bellevue 13.6 yrs
- Renton 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.