Solar panels in Tucson: what they cost and what they make
A typical Tucson home needs 17 solar panels. They would make about 12,926 kWh a year and cost $18k to $27k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 16.8 yrs.
See panels on your own Tucson roof
Type your address. You get your roof from above, the panels that fit, a month-by-month forecast and a battery test. No phone number.
What solar costs in Tucson
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 7.1 kW system costs about $21,300. Quotes in Tucson will usually fall between $17,750 and $26,625. Complex roofs, main-panel upgrades and financing push prices up.
The 30% federal tax credit no longer applies to systems homeowners buy. Arizona residential solar credit: 25% up to $1,000. On this system that is worth about $1,000, and it is included below.
The number that decides whether solar pays in Tucson is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Arizona utilities credit exports at a Resource Comparison Proxy rate (APS ≈ 5.6¢/kWh for Sep 2026–Aug 2027). Under full payback is about 10.2 yrs. Under net billing it is about 16.8 yrs, because only the ~42% of solar a typical home uses as it is made saves the full retail price.
Cash purchase, prices rising 2.5% a year, panels losing 0.5% a year, $25/kW a year for upkeep. No federal credit for homeowner-owned systems.
Every way to pay for a 7.1 kW system in Tucson
Change any number →| Way to pay | Day one | Monthly payment | Monthly net, year 1 | Ahead after 25 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay cash Full price on install day | $20,300 | $0 | +$84 | $13k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $178 | −$94 | −$8,300 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $113 | −$29 | $700 |
| Lease $85/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $85 | +$14 | $1,200 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 7.8¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $84 | +$15 | $4,000 |
Under net billing, the usual rule for new customers here, at 15.4¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $5,325 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine Tucson gets
kWh per kW, 25° southMay is the best month for solar in Tucson, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 71% of a May day. A 6 kW system would make about 756 kWh in Dec and 1,068 kWh in May.
On June 21 the sun rises at 5:17 am and sets at 7:33 pm, 14 hours 16 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 7:20 am to 5:22 pm, just 10 hours 2 minutes.
Peak sun hours in Tucson, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 32° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.6 | 5.8 | 134 |
| Feb | 4.6 | 6.4 | 134 |
| Mar | 6.1 | 7.3 | 170 |
| Apr | 7.4 | 7.7 | 176 |
| May | 8.2 | 7.5 | 178 |
| Jun | 8.3 | 7.1 | 163 |
| Jul | 6.9 | 6.1 | 144 |
| Aug | 6.5 | 6.4 | 147 |
| Sep | 5.9 | 6.7 | 147 |
| Oct | 5.2 | 7.0 | 156 |
| Nov | 4.0 | 6.2 | 136 |
| Dec | 3.3 | 5.5 | 126 |
| Year | 5.8 | 6.6 | 1,810 |
A peak sun hour is one hour of sunlight at 1,000 W per m². Why sites disagree.
The best angle and direction for panels in Tucson
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,810 |
| Southeast | 96% | 1,738 |
| Southwest | 95% | 1,720 |
| East | 84% | 1,520 |
| West | 83% | 1,502 |
| North | 61% | 1,104 |
Face panels south and tilt them 32° for the most energy over a year. East and west roofs keep about 84% of that. A north-facing roof keeps 61%, which is rarely worth the money. Try other angles.
Where the sun goes over Tucson
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (58°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (2°).
Tucson's homes
Tucson has 228,020 households. 51.8% own their home, and 103,191 of those owners live in single-family houses, the kind of home that usually gets rooftop solar.
The median home here was built in 1979. Many roofs that age are due for replacement. Replace the roof first, then add solar: taking panels off and putting them back later costs thousands.
48.6% of homes heat with electricity and 47.8% with gas. If you switch to a heat pump or an electric car, plan for more panels or leave room on the roof.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
If the power goes out in Tucson
Solar panels alone shut off in a blackout. Add a battery and they keep going. One Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh) running a fridge, freezer, furnace fan, lights, Wi-Fi, TV and microwave (6.9 kWh a day):
Change the appliances, the battery and the weather in the battery calculator.
Questions people ask about solar in Tucson
How much do solar panels cost in Tucson?
A 7.1 kW system — enough for the average Arizona home — costs about $17,750 to $26,625 before incentives, based on $2.50–$3.75 per watt. Arizona's state tax credit takes off about $1,000. The 30% federal credit no longer applies to systems homeowners buy.
How many solar panels does a house in Tucson need?
About 17 panels of 420 watts for a home using 1,075 kWh a month, the Arizona average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,810 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in Tucson?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 8.2¢ per kWh, against 15.4¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 10.2 yrs if your utility credits exported power at the full retail rate, and 16.8 yrs if it pays about 30% of retail. Most new customers in Arizona are on the lower rate.
How many peak sun hours does Tucson get?
6.6 a day on panels tilted to 32°, and 5.8 on flat ground. The best month is Apr; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in Tucson?
32° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 58° is best in winter and 2° in summer. On a normal pitched roof, anything within 15° of 32° gives you about 95% of the maximum.
How long would a home battery last in a Tucson power outage?
A Tesla Powerwall 3 running a fridge, freezer, furnace fan, lights, Wi-Fi, TV and microwave (6.9 kWh a day) lasts about 43 hours with no sun. With 7 kW of solar to recharge it, it gets through a three-day outage even in overcast January.
Solar near Tucson
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marana, AZ | 27 | 1,818 | 6.7 |
| Casa Grande, AZ | 74 | 1,810 | 6.7 |
| Queen Creek, AZ | 87 | 1,796 | 6.6 |
| Maricopa, AZ | 90 | 1,808 | 6.7 |
| Gilbert, AZ | 95 | 1,796 | 6.6 |
Cities with the same sunshine as Tucson
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Bakersfield, CA 1,755 kWh per kW
- Santa Barbara, CA 1,744 kWh per kW
- Oxnard, CA 1,737 kWh per kW
Sources: NASA POWER 2001–2020 monthly climatology (grid cell 52 km from Tucson's Census point), our PV model (within 1.6% of NLR PVWatts® on average), U.S. EIA prices and use, U.S. Census 2025 population estimates and ACS 2020–2024. Estimates for an average home, not a site survey. How we calculate.