Is solar worth it in Washington DC?
Short answer for a typical Washington DC home: a long payback — roughly 15.3 years to break even, with no federal credit left to claim. Run your own bill through the calculator below.
Data sources and assumptions
- Electricity ratesU.S. EIA · 2026 state averages
- Solar resourceNREL · 2026 state averages
- Federal tax treatmentIRS · Credit ended for installations completed after 31 Dec 2025 (P.L. 119-21)
- Installed costInstalled cost per watt · 2026 estimate, user-editable
State assumptions last reviewed: . Rules can change; verify your utility and state program before signing a contract. Full methodology.
Washington DC gets moderate sunshine — about 4.2 peak sun hours a day — and residential electricity runs around $0.16/kWh. For a typical $150-a-month power bill, that points to roughly a 9.2-kW system costing about $27,520 — with no federal tax credit, which ended for installations completed after December 31, 2025 — paying for itself in about 15.3 years and netting on the order of $33,845 over 25 years. Your own numbers will differ — the calculator above uses your real bill.
DC's standout is its SREC market — solar renewable energy credits here have been among the most valuable in the country, often dramatically shortening payback on top of the energy savings. Worth checking current SREC prices.
What changes the math in Washington DC
- Your electricity rate — the more you pay per kWh, the more each solar kWh saves you. Washington DC sits at about $0.16.
- Sun hours — more sun means a smaller, cheaper system covers the same usage. Washington DC averages ~4.2 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.
Common questions
Is solar worth it in Washington DC?
For a typical $150-a-month Washington DC power bill, this calculator points to roughly a 15.3-year payback on a 9.2-kW system, using 4.2 peak sun hours a day and an electricity rate near $0.16/kWh. That is a directional estimate, not a quote — your roof, your utility's export rules and the spread between installer quotes all move it.
Does Washington DC still have the 30% federal solar tax credit?
No. The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (IRC §25D) ended for systems whose installation was completed after December 31, 2025, so a Washington DC system finished today gets no federal credit and this calculator subtracts none. State, utility and local incentives are unaffected and can be entered by hand.
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