Solar panels in Little Rock: what they cost and what they make
A typical Little Rock home needs 23 solar panels. They would make about 13,061 kWh a year and cost $24k to $36k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 15.9 yrs.
See panels on your own Little Rock roof
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What solar costs in Little Rock
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 9.7 kW system costs about $29,100. Quotes in Little Rock will usually fall between $24,250 and $36,375. Complex roofs, main-panel upgrades and financing push prices up.
The 30% federal tax credit no longer applies to systems homeowners buy. This estimate includes no state or utility incentives; check with your utility before you buy.
The number that decides whether solar pays in Little Rock is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 15.9 yrs. Under net billing it is about 25+ 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 9.7 kW system in Little Rock
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 | $29,100 | $0 | +$128 | $22k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $243 | −$115 | −$7,600 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $154 | −$26 | $4,600 |
| Lease $125/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $125 | +$23 | $2,900 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 11.6¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $126 | +$22 | $5,900 |
Under net metering, at 13.6¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $7,275 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine Little Rock gets
kWh per kW, 25° southJul is the best month for solar in Little Rock, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 64% of a Jul day. A 6 kW system would make about 508 kWh in Dec and 790 kWh in Jul.
On June 21 the sun rises at 5:56 am and sets at 8:25 pm, 14 hours 29 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 7:13 am to 5:02 pm, just 9 hours 49 minutes.
Peak sun hours in Little Rock, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 32° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.5 | 3.9 | 92 |
| Feb | 3.0 | 4.1 | 88 |
| Mar | 4.2 | 4.9 | 116 |
| Apr | 5.3 | 5.4 | 124 |
| May | 5.8 | 5.4 | 128 |
| Jun | 6.5 | 5.8 | 131 |
| Jul | 6.3 | 5.7 | 132 |
| Aug | 5.8 | 5.7 | 129 |
| Sep | 5.0 | 5.6 | 121 |
| Oct | 3.8 | 5.1 | 114 |
| Nov | 2.8 | 4.3 | 95 |
| Dec | 2.3 | 3.7 | 85 |
| Year | 4.4 | 5.0 | 1,352 |
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 Little Rock
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,352 |
| Southeast | 96% | 1,298 |
| Southwest | 95% | 1,284 |
| East | 85% | 1,149 |
| West | 84% | 1,136 |
| North | 64% | 865 |
Face panels south and tilt them 32° for the most energy over a year. East and west roofs keep about 85% of that. A north-facing roof keeps 64%, which is rarely worth the money. Try other angles.
Where the sun goes over Little Rock
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (58°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (6°).
Little Rock's homes
Little Rock has 87,858 households. 53.5% own their home, and 44,891 of those owners live in single-family houses, the kind of home that usually gets rooftop solar.
The median home here was built in 1978. 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.
47.8% of homes heat with electricity and 50.4% 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 Little Rock
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 Little Rock
How much do solar panels cost in Little Rock?
A 9.7 kW system — enough for the average Arkansas home — costs about $24,250 to $36,375 before incentives, based on $2.50–$3.75 per watt. The 30% federal credit no longer applies to systems homeowners buy.
How many solar panels does a house in Little Rock need?
About 23 panels of 420 watts for a home using 1,048 kWh a month, the Arkansas average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,352 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in Little Rock?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 11.4¢ per kWh, against 13.6¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 15.9 yrs if your utility credits exported power at the full retail rate, and 25+ yrs if it pays about 30% of retail.
How many peak sun hours does Little Rock get?
5.0 a day on panels tilted to 32°, and 4.4 on flat ground. The best month is Jun; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in Little Rock?
32° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 58° is best in winter and 6° 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 Little Rock 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 Little Rock
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Little Rock, AR | 8 | 1,369 | 5.0 |
| Conway, AR | 25 | 1,363 | 5.0 |
| Jonesboro, AR | 121 | 1,402 | 5.0 |
| Fort Smith, AR | 122 | 1,387 | 5.0 |
| Southaven, MS | 136 | 1,401 | 5.0 |
Cities with the same sunshine as Little Rock
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Rochester, MN 1,359 kWh per kW
- Cedar Rapids, IA 1,364 kWh per kW
- Yakima, WA 1,364 kWh per kW
Snow: NASA records about 5 cm of snow on the ground here in an average January. Covered panels make little until it slides off, and these figures (like PVWatts') don't subtract that.
Sources: NASA POWER 2001–2020 monthly climatology (grid cell 28 km from Little Rock'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.