According to , the average price to install a home solar system in the U.S. is about $16,700. That鈥檚 after using the , which comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and covers 30% of the cost, including panels, permits and installation.
Four states in the Mountain West rank below the national rate. New Mexico鈥檚 average cost is the eighth-cheapest in the nation and lowest in the region at $13,132, followed by Colorado ($14,123), Utah ($15,008) and Wyoming ($16,191).
In Nevada and Idaho, the average installation cost is around $18,000.
ConsumerAffairs鈥� Justin Martino says switching to solar could reduce a homeowner鈥檚 energy bill by 75%. But the savings depend on many factors, like: 鈥淗ow big is your roof? What do you need? How big is your house in general? What are your power needs?鈥�
He added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost more like buying a car in some ways. You should know, basically, what you should pay. And then if it comes up high or low, find out why.鈥�
Martino said it typically takes homeowners from 7 to 15 years to break even on installation costs.
In 2022, a record 700,000 homeowners installed solar systems nationwide, according to from the Solar Energy Industries Association. That鈥檚 more than double the installations in .
This story was produced by the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau is provided in part by the .
The photo included in this story is licensed under .