Solar calculator for Kentucky

The average Kentucky home uses 1,046 kWh a month and pays 12.8 cents per kWh, which puts Kentucky at mid-range electricity prices, so payback depends mostly on how much sun your roof gets. Kentucky has both a heating and a cooling season, so the bill swings both ways and a full year of bills gives a better answer than one month. A south-facing fixed array there makes about 1,343 kWh per installed kW a year, and the worst winter month still gets 2.82 peak sun hours a day. Drop in your own bill below and the numbers on this page are replaced by yours.

A worked example for Kentucky

Take the average home: 1,046 kWh a month, which is 12,552 kWh a year, at 12.8 cents per kWh (EIA, 2024 residential averages, as of 2026-11). Sized to cover all of that use, the tool returns 9.3 kWdc and 23 panels, needing about 483 square feet of roof. The installed estimate is $23,272 (national median, EnergySage H2 2025), yearly savings are about $1,607, and simple payback is 14.5 years, with no incentive applied.

Sun and yield in Kentucky

We use 1,343 kWh per installed kW per year for Kentucky, from NREL PVWatts v8 for the state's largest city at a 20 degree south-facing tilt (via TheGreenWatt, as of 2026-11). The darkest month averages 2.82 peak sun hours a day, which matters if you plan to go off-grid or size a battery. A different roof angle or heavy shade changes this, so treat it as a starting point.

Incentives

The 30% federal tax credit ended for homeowner purchases after December 31, 2025, so none is applied here. See the tax credit guide. Look up Kentucky and your own utility for net metering terms and any local programs before relying on a payback number.

Planning estimate. Permits, interconnection approval and a licensed electrician are required for grid-tied systems.

Questions