Balcony solar savings: when do you get your money back?
An 800 W kit on a south-facing railing pays for itself in about 3.4 years in California, 4.9 in New York and 7.6 in Virginia, at a $700 price. In sun hours: the California kit has earned its money back after roughly 6,600 hours of full sunshine. Three things decide your number: your power price, your balcony’s direction and how much power your home uses during the day.
Updated October 2026
How payback works
Your kit has paid for itself once it has made enough power, used in your own home, to cover its price. At 33¢ per kWh, a $700 kit needs about 2,100 kWh. At 17¢, about 4,100 kWh. How fast you get there depends on how much sun your panel catches and how much of its power your home can use as it’s made.
Example. In California a south-facing railing kit makes about 803 kWh a year. Your home uses 77% of it on the spot, worth $207. $700 divided by $207 is 3.4 years.
The three things that matter most
- Your power price. The biggest one by far. It ranges from about 12¢ in North Dakota to over 40¢ in Hawaii.
- Direction and angle. South beats east and west by about 25%; a tilted stand beats a flat railing by about half. See why.
- Your daytime use. Solar power you use is worth your full price. Power sent to the grid is often worth nothing.
Payback in sun hours
Peak sun hours make it easier to picture. The table shows, for every state, how many hours of full sunshine an 800 W south-facing railing kit needs before it’s paid back. More sun per day gets you there sooner; a higher power price means you need fewer hours.
| State | Power price | Sun hours a day | kWh a year | Saves a year | Paid back in | Sun hours to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 42.2¢ | 5 | 597 | $215 | 3.3 yrs | 6,000 |
| California | 33.4¢ | 5.3 | 803 | $207 | 3.4 yrs | 6,600 |
| Connecticut | 30.5¢ | 4.3 | 694 | $157 | 4.5 yrs | 7,100 |
| Massachusetts | 30.2¢ | 4.3 | 700 | $156 | 4.5 yrs | 7,100 |
| Rhode Island | 29.9¢ | 4.3 | 695 | $154 | 4.5 yrs | 7,100 |
| Maine | 28.3¢ | 4.3 | 709 | $146 | 4.8 yrs | 7,500 |
| New York | 28.6¢ | 4.2 | 669 | $143 | 4.9 yrs | 7,500 |
| New Hampshire | 26.9¢ | 4.3 | 706 | $139 | 5 yrs | 7,800 |
| District of Columbia | 25.0¢ | 4.5 | 699 | $133 | 5.3 yrs | 8,700 |
| New Jersey | 23.5¢ | 4.5 | 710 | $125 | 5.6 yrs | 9,200 |
| Vermont | 24.1¢ | 4.2 | 687 | $121 | 5.8 yrs | 8,900 |
| Maryland | 22.2¢ | 4.5 | 702 | $118 | 5.9 yrs | 9,700 |
| Alaska | 27.2¢ | 3 | 555 | $109 | 6.4 yrs | 7,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 20.9¢ | 4.3 | 684 | $108 | 6.5 yrs | 10,200 |
| Michigan | 21.2¢ | 4.2 | 675 | $107 | 6.5 yrs | 10,000 |
| Colorado | 16.7¢ | 5.3 | 838 | $104 | 6.7 yrs | 13,000 |
| Arizona | 15.6¢ | 5.8 | 839 | $101 | 6.9 yrs | 14,600 |
| Illinois | 18.9¢ | 4.3 | 697 | $99 | 7.1 yrs | 11,100 |
| New Mexico | 14.8¢ | 5.8 | 861 | $98 | 7.2 yrs | 15,200 |
| Wisconsin | 18.8¢ | 4.3 | 705 | $98 | 7.2 yrs | 11,300 |
| Ohio | 18.8¢ | 4.2 | 655 | $95 | 7.4 yrs | 11,300 |
| Delaware | 17.6¢ | 4.5 | 702 | $94 | 7.4 yrs | 12,200 |
| Nevada | 14.2¢ | 5.8 | 874 | $94 | 7.4 yrs | 15,700 |
| Indiana | 17.9¢ | 4.3 | 680 | $93 | 7.5 yrs | 11,800 |
| Virginia | 17.1¢ | 4.7 | 713 | $93 | 7.6 yrs | 13,000 |
| Alabama | 17.1¢ | 4.7 | 676 | $92 | 7.6 yrs | 13,000 |
| Texas | 16.4¢ | 5 | 690 | $90 | 7.8 yrs | 14,200 |
| Kansas | 15.3¢ | 5 | 775 | $88 | 7.9 yrs | 14,400 |
| South Carolina | 16.4¢ | 4.7 | 681 | $88 | 7.9 yrs | 13,600 |
| Mississippi | 16.3¢ | 4.7 | 665 | $86 | 8.1 yrs | 13,900 |
| North Carolina | 16.0¢ | 4.7 | 696 | $86 | 8.1 yrs | 13,900 |
| Utah | 13.2¢ | 5.3 | 850 | $83 | 8.4 yrs | 16,200 |
| Wyoming | 13.6¢ | 5.2 | 826 | $83 | 8.4 yrs | 15,900 |
| West Virginia | 16.4¢ | 4.2 | 643 | $82 | 8.5 yrs | 13,000 |
| Minnesota | 15.1¢ | 4.5 | 748 | $81 | 8.6 yrs | 14,100 |
| Georgia | 15.0¢ | 4.7 | 678 | $80 | 8.7 yrs | 14,900 |
| South Dakota | 14.3¢ | 4.7 | 772 | $80 | 8.7 yrs | 14,900 |
| Tennessee | 15.1¢ | 4.5 | 676 | $80 | 8.8 yrs | 14,500 |
| Florida | 14.9¢ | 4.8 | 651 | $78 | 9 yrs | 15,800 |
| Idaho | 13.0¢ | 5 | 822 | $77 | 9 yrs | 16,400 |
| Kentucky | 14.9¢ | 4.3 | 667 | $77 | 9.1 yrs | 14,300 |
| Oklahoma | 13.6¢ | 5 | 744 | $77 | 9 yrs | 16,400 |
| Oregon | 14.9¢ | 4.2 | 691 | $77 | 9.1 yrs | 14,000 |
| Montana | 13.5¢ | 4.7 | 790 | $76 | 9.2 yrs | 15,800 |
| Nebraska | 13.1¢ | 4.8 | 773 | $75 | 9.4 yrs | 16,500 |
| Arkansas | 13.6¢ | 4.7 | 687 | $74 | 9.5 yrs | 16,300 |
| Louisiana | 14.2¢ | 4.7 | 648 | $73 | 9.5 yrs | 16,300 |
| Missouri | 13.4¢ | 4.7 | 722 | $73 | 9.6 yrs | 16,500 |
| Iowa | 13.4¢ | 4.5 | 721 | $72 | 9.7 yrs | 15,900 |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | 4 | 679 | $71 | 9.8 yrs | 14,300 |
| North Dakota | 11.9¢ | 4.5 | 763 | $65 | 10.7 yrs | 17,600 |
How to save more with the same kit
- Run the dishwasher, laundry and charging while the sun is up.
- Tilt the panel if your balcony or yard allows it.
- Clear shade: one shadow across a panel can cut its output sharply.
- Don’t oversize. A bigger kit mostly adds midday power you can’t use.
Common questions
What is a peak sun hour?
One hour of full, strong sunlight on a panel. A cloudy day might add up to one or two; a clear summer day in the Southwest, six or more. It's a handy way to compare places.
Why does sunny Arizona save less than cloudy New York?
Because power in New York costs almost twice as much. Each kWh your panel makes is worth more there.
Does the payback get faster if power prices rise?
Yes. Power prices rose about 25% between 2022 and early 2026. If they keep rising, each year's savings grow and you're paid back sooner. Our calculator lets you set the rise.
Does my always-on use matter?
A lot. Solar power you use yourself is worth your full power price. Power that flows to the grid is often worth nothing. A home with a big always-on load gets more value from the same kit.
Sources
- Electricity prices: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (March 2026 data).
- Production and savings: our calculation method.
- Power price rise 2022–2026: JouleIO, Kilowatt Hour Cost by State, based on EIA data.