Ballpark Lab
District of Columbia solar estimate

Solar Panel Cost in District of Columbia (2026)

Installed solar in District of Columbia runs about $3.00 per watt — roughly 16% above the national average of $2.58/W. With the federal residential tax credit (25D) gone as of 2026, payback here rests on a $0.24/kWh power price and 4.4 daily peak sun hours.

Worked example: a typical $150/month home in District of Columbia

A $150/month electric bill in District of Columbia works out to about 7,660 kWh a year. Sizing a cash-purchase system to cover 100% of that:

System size
6.0 kW
Panels
15
Annual offset
101%
Gross cost
$20,500
Federal credit (25D)
$0
Expired 12/31/2025 — $0
State incentive
$0
Net cost
$20,500
Payback
9.9 yr
25-year savings
$45,397

Last updated June 30, 2026

District of Columbia solar numbers

Installed price
$3.00 / watt
Electricity price
$0.24 / kWh
Peak sun hours
4.4 hrs/day
State incentive
0%
Net-metering value
100% of retail

$/W: industry pricing surveys · electricity: U.S. EIA, 12-month average through April 2026 · sun hours: NREL.

Local context: DC's SREC prices are among the highest in the country, dramatically boosting solar returns.

Estimate your own District of Columbia system

Adjust the bill, ownership, and battery options below — it's pre-set to District of Columbia's pricing and sun hours.

Tell us about your home

Average monthly electric bill$210
Estimated system cost
$24,099$31,301
8.4 kW21 panels
Low $24kMost likely ~$27,700High $31k
Federal tax credit
— expired Dec 2025, we won't pretend otherwise
$0
State & utility incentives
$0
Est. annual savings
$2,536
Payback period
~9.6 yr
Net cost
$24k–$31k
25-year net savings
+$64,556
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Monthly shape modeled with NREL PVWatts® v8 (NSRDB 2020 TMY) — updated July 18, 2026.

Electricity 23.5¢/kWh — U.S. EIA, 12-month average through April 2026.

iA ballpark estimate for planning — not a final quote.

Data: U.S. EIA · OpenEI URDB · Google Solar · NREL PVWatts · DSIRE · IRS · ENERGY STAR · industry surveys see all sources

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