Is Solar Worth It in Kansas in 2026?
Kansas gets more sun than people expect — the Wichita area sees around 230 clear or partly clear days a year, and a well-placed south-facing roof produces roughly 1,493 kWh per installed kilowatt annually (NREL-based estimate). That's respectable production. But Kansas also has some of the cheaper electricity in the country, averaging 14.6¢ per kWh in 2025. Cheap power is good for your wallet and tougher on solar math, because every kilowatt-hour your panels make is worth only what you'd otherwise pay for it — and in Kansas that's less than most states where solar gets marketed hard.
2026 makes the calculation tighter still. The 30 percent federal tax credit that anchored most solar pitches ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. What's left in Kansas is a time-limited property tax exemption, a net-metering law that just got a real overhaul, and new state rules requiring solar sellers to be registered and accountable. None of that adds up to a fast payback at 14.6 cents a kWh. Solar can still work here — for a high electricity user, a well-shaded budget, or someone who values energy independence over pure return — but if a salesperson promises a seven-year payback, ask them to show the math.
Kansas Electricity Prices Are Rising, Just From a Lower Floor
Solar is a bet that grid electricity keeps getting more expensive. In Kansas that bet still pays off directionally, but the starting price is lower than almost anywhere solar gets pitched hard. Here's the EIA history.
Full Kansas electricity price data (1990–2025)
| Year | Kansas (¢/kWh) | US avg (¢/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| 1991 | 7.8 | 8.0 |
| 1992 | 7.9 | 8.2 |
| 1993 | 7.9 | 8.3 |
| 1994 | 7.9 | 8.4 |
| 1995 | 7.9 | 8.4 |
| 1996 | 7.9 | 8.4 |
| 1997 | 7.7 | 8.4 |
| 1998 | 7.7 | 8.3 |
| 1999 | 7.6 | 8.2 |
| 2000 | 7.7 | 8.2 |
| 2001 | 7.7 | 8.6 |
| 2002 | 7.7 | 8.4 |
| 2003 | 7.7 | 8.7 |
| 2004 | 7.7 | 9.0 |
| 2005 | 7.9 | 9.5 |
| 2006 | 8.3 | 10.4 |
| 2007 | 8.2 | 10.7 |
| 2008 | 8.9 | 11.3 |
| 2009 | 9.5 | 11.5 |
| 2010 | 10.0 | 11.5 |
| 2011 | 10.7 | 11.7 |
| 2012 | 11.2 | 11.9 |
| 2013 | 11.6 | 12.1 |
| 2014 | 12.2 | 12.5 |
| 2015 | 12.3 | 12.7 |
| 2016 | 13.1 | 12.6 |
| 2017 | 13.3 | 12.9 |
| 2018 | 13.4 | 12.9 |
| 2019 | 12.7 | 13.0 |
| 2020 | 12.9 | 13.2 |
| 2021 | 13.0 | 13.7 |
| 2022 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| 2023 | 13.4 | 16.0 |
| 2024 | 14.2 | 16.5 |
| 2025 * | 14.6 | 17.3 |
Source: US EIA, average residential retail electricity price. Values in cents per kWh. * 2025 is preliminary.
Kansas rates have climbed about 84 percent since 2005, and the pace over just the last decade has slowed to roughly 1.7 percent a year — gentler than the early-2020s national trend. That means a Kansas kilowatt-hour today is still worth only about 14.6¢, well under the national average. A 6 kW system offsetting a big bill in a 20¢/kWh state offsets a much smaller dollar amount here. That doesn't make solar worthless in Kansas; it makes your actual bill, not a national-average slide, the number that decides whether this pencils out.
The Kansas Sun, Month by Month
Kansas sits at about 38.5°N — solidly mid-latitude, which means a real seasonal swing between long, high-sun summer days and short, low-angle winter ones. That swing matters for system design here more than near the equator: a fixed-tilt array should be angled for your actual roof pitch, and shading from bare winter-tree branches or a neighbor's roofline can cost you production disproportionately in the months you'd want it most.
Kansas monthly solar production data
| Month | kWh per installed kW |
|---|---|
| Jan | 115 |
| Feb | 112 |
| Mar | 128 |
| Apr | 132 |
| May | 131 |
| Jun | 136 |
| Jul | 136 |
| Aug | 139 |
| Sep | 126 |
| Oct | 129 |
| Nov | 116 |
| Dec | 94 |
| Year | 1493 |
Source: NREL PVWatts typical-year estimate (Wichita), per installed kW at latitude tilt.
Expect production to peak in late spring and early summer, taper through a sometimes hazier midsummer, and drop to its lowest in December and January. Kansas also sits in Tornado Alley, so summer hail is a real durability factor, not just an output one — ask any installer about hail-rated panels and glass, not just production numbers.
What Solar Costs in Kansas in 2026
Kansas installs average around $2.65 to $2.70 per watt installed, before incentives, per EnergySage's Kansas marketplace data — a typical system runs about 11.5 kW for roughly $30,500 (range about $25,900–$35,100). That figure reflects competitive marketplace pricing and runs below the national median cash price — LBNL's October 2025 report put 2024's median at about $3.50/W — so a single installer's quote may land higher.
| System Size | Typical 2026 Cost | Roughly Offsets | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | $13,250 to $13,500 | ~7,465 kWh/yr (~$91/mo at 14.6¢) | Smaller home, modest usage |
| 8 kW | $21,200 to $21,600 | ~11,944 kWh/yr (~$145/mo) | Average Kansas home |
| 12 kW | $31,800 to $32,400 | ~17,916 kWh/yr (~$218/mo) | Large home, electric heat or a heavy AC load |
Kansas charges its standard state-plus-local sales tax (6.5 percent state rate, more with local add-ons) on solar equipment — there is no sales tax exemption here. Build that into your total when comparing a Kansas quote against numbers you've seen for other states.
Estimate Your Kansas Payback
The calculator below is set to Kansas's average electricity rate and Wichita-area production. Enter your own monthly bill to see an estimated system size, payback period, and 25-year savings. Kansas rates have grown about 1.7 percent a year over the last decade — a reasonable starting inflation assumption, though you can drag it to test optimistic or pessimistic futures.
Solar Incentives Kansas Still Has in 2026
Kansas never offered much at the state level, and 2026 narrows it further.
- Gone — the 30 percent federal credit: It ended for installations completed after December 31, 2025. If a Kansas installer's quote still nets out that 30 percent, the quote is wrong.
- Still here — the Kansas property tax exemption: Under K.S.A. 79-201 (Eleventh) and 79-201h, residential solar equipment is exempt from Kansas property tax, applied automatically with no application needed. The catch: for installations completed after December 31, 2016, the exemption lasts only 10 taxable years, then expires — not permanent the way some older installs got it. Battery storage is not covered. See our property taxes and home finances guide for how assessments work.
- Not here — no state tax credit, no state rebate: Kansas has no state income tax credit and no statewide cash rebate program for residential solar. A handful of municipal utilities or co-ops may run small rebates; ask your specific utility.
- Not here — no sales tax exemption: Kansas charges full state and local sales tax on panels, inverters, racking, and batteries at purchase.
- Partially — leases and PPAs: Third-party-owned systems can still capture a separate federal business credit through 2027, but that credit belongs to the leasing company, not you. It may lower your monthly lease payment, or it may not — get it in writing.
Net Metering in Kansas: What Changed in 2025
Kansas net metering is required of investor-owned utilities (Evergy and Liberty Utilities/Empire District) under K.S.A. 66-1265 et seq., administered by the Kansas Corporation Commission. It is netting-with-limited-carryover, not full retail-value banking: within a billing cycle your export offsets usage at the retail rate, but any Net Excess Generation left over at cycle's end rolls forward, and for systems that began operating on or after July 1, 2014, that carryover is compensated at only about 100 percent of the utility's "monthly system average cost of energy" — an avoided-cost-style rate historically around 2–3¢/kWh, far below the 14.6¢ retail rate. Unused annual credits commonly expire around the end of March under Evergy's tariff. Starting January 1, 2030, this lower avoided-cost treatment applies to every net-metering customer regardless of when their system was installed.
The 2025 legislature passed Substitute for HB 2149, effective mostly July 1, 2025: the statewide net-metering cap rose from 1 percent toward 5 percent of each utility's historic peak demand, the old 15 kW residential system-size limit was replaced with a flat 150 kW AC cap regardless of meter type, and — worth knowing before you sign a contract — solar sales and financing companies must now be registered and in good standing with the state, with new warranty and right-to-repair rules for vendors. That's a real consumer protection most national solar-marketing sites don't mention. A separate, narrower rule limits new participants enrolling on or after January 1, 2026 to 50 percent of export capacity in some interconnection contexts — still settling, so confirm current terms with Evergy or Liberty before you sign anything.
Buying Solar in Kansas Now Comes With Real Vendor Accountability
The most locally distinctive fact on this page isn't about sun or rates — it's that the ground under Kansas solar sales changed in mid-2025. Before Substitute for HB 2149, Kansas had no state requirement that a solar seller or financing company be registered or licensed. Now they do, and the law adds warranty and right-to-repair obligations that didn't exist a year earlier. Ask any installer directly for their state registration status before you sign — a company that can't answer plainly is a red flag most Kansas homeowners wouldn't have known to look for as recently as 2024.
How to Go Solar in Kansas
Work through these before signing anything.
- Pull your last 12 power bills and calculate your true annual average — at 14.6¢/kWh, usage volume matters more than rate.
- Confirm your roof faces south, east, or west with minimal shade, and can handle Kansas hail and wind — ask specifically about hail-rated panels.
- Verify your installer is registered with the state under the new HB 2149 vendor rules, and get warranty and right-to-repair terms in writing.
- Get at least three quotes and compare price per watt — Kansas's EnergySage average of about $2.65–$2.70/W is a marketplace figure, not a ceiling.
- Ask Evergy or Liberty directly about current interconnection rules and your net-excess-generation compensation rate — don't rely on last year's numbers.
- Size the system to your own usage rather than maximum roof capacity, since export beyond same-cycle usage is worth a fraction of retail here.
For the mechanics of how panels work, sizing, and buying versus leasing, see our main solar panels guide. Pair it with our roofing guide if your roof needs attention before installation, and our electrical guide if you're weighing a panel upgrade alongside solar.
Sources
Figures on this page are 2026-current. Rates: US EIA, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price (2025 preliminary). Production: NREL PVWatts. Net metering and HB 2149: Kansas Corporation Commission — Net Metering in Kansas, the KCC Net Metering FAQ, and the KLRD Supplemental Note on HB 2149. Property tax exemption: Kansas Statutes 79-201 and 79-201h. Cost data: EnergySage Kansas Solar Panel Cost. Federal repeal: IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit guidance and OBBBA (P.L. 119-21). Reviewed every six months.