Is solar worth it in Connecticut?
Short answer for a typical Connecticut home: a strong payback — roughly 6.4 years to break even after the 30% credit. Run your own bill through the calculator below.
Connecticut gets moderate sunshine — about 4 peak sun hours a day — and residential electricity runs around $0.28/kWh. For a typical $150-a-month power bill, that points to roughly a 5.5-kW system costing about $11,558 after the 30% federal tax credit, paying for itself in about 6.4 years and netting on the order of $49,806 over 25 years. Your own numbers will differ — the calculator above uses your real bill.
Connecticut doesn't get the most sun, but its very high electricity rates mean every kWh you offset is worth a lot — so payback can still be quick. State incentives and a tariff program further help.
What changes the math in Connecticut
- Your electricity rate — the more you pay per kWh, the more each solar kWh saves you. Connecticut sits at about $0.28.
- Sun hours — more sun means a smaller, cheaper system covers the same usage. Connecticut averages ~4 hours.
- Net metering / buyback — how your utility credits power you export swings the payback; check your specific utility's current terms.
- Install cost — quotes vary by installer and roof; the calculator defaults to a typical $/watt you can override.