Solar panels in El Paso, TX: payback and output

A kW of south-facing panels in El Paso produces about 1,831 kWh a year, 29% more than Houston, the Texas reference city. Summer months produce 1.2× what winter does. To cover a typical 10,500 kWh/yr home on paper you'd need roughly 5.7 kW.

Output by month in El Paso (kWh per kW)

Best: May · weakest: Dec.

Example 7 kW system in El Paso

Installed cost (example): $21,000
Production, year 1: 12,814 kWh
Savings, year 1: $1,667
Payback: 11.6 years
25-year net gain: $33,455

Uses the Texas average price (15.88¢/kWh, EIA July 2026), full net metering and no incentives. Your utility's rate and export credit may differ — change them below.

Calculate your home in El Paso

1 · Your roofLocation

Roof faces

Pitch

20°30°

System sizekW

2 · Your usageAnnual electricity usekWh/yrAdd up 12 months of bills. U.S. homes average roughly 10,000–11,000 kWh.Use while the sun is up%30–40% if nobody is home by day; 50–60% if you work from home.

3 · PricesElectricity price$/kWhBlank = El Paso, TX average, $0.159/kWh (EIA). Your bill's all-in rate is better.Credit for exported powerInstalled cost$/kWYour quote divided by system size. The preset is an example value.Rebates and incentives$The 30% federal credit ended for systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025.

Advanced assumptions

Maintenance & insurance$/yrElectricity price change%/yrAssumption. Try 0% for a conservative case.

Estimated payback

11.6 years

A solid case if you plan to stay in the home.

Year-1 savings: $1,667
25-yr net gain: $33,455
Return (IRR): 8.0%
Net cost: $21,000

Cumulative savings minus cost

Production vs. use by month

12,814 kWh/yr

Production Your use

Covers 40% of your use directly; 33% of the output is used on the spot.

2,314 kWh/yr earn no credit. Your credits exceed a year of grid purchases and most utilities don't pay out the excess. A smaller system pays back faster.

Which size pays off best?

Same usage and prices, only size changes. Best 25-year gain: 6 kW.

Size	Cost	Year-1 savings	Payback	25-yr gain
3 kW	$9,000	$872	10.5 years	$16,389
4 kW	$12,000	$1,163	10.2 years	$22,685
5 kW	$15,000	$1,453	10.1 years	$28,982
6 kW	$18,000	$1,667	10.2 years	$34,871
7 kW	$21,000	$1,667	11.6 years	$33,455
8 kW	$24,000	$1,667	13.0 years	$30,455
10 kW	$30,000	$1,667	15.7 years	$24,455
12 kW	$36,000	$1,667	18.2 years	$18,455

Estimate based on NLR PVWatts and EIA data. How we calculate.

Read the full Texas solar guide for net metering, orientation and price trends.

Other cities in Texas

Data: NLR PVWatts v8 (U.S. DOE National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly NREL), TMY weather near El Paso (31.76, -106.49), 14% losses, retrieved 2026-10-11. Published 2026-10-12.