Solar panels in West Palm Beach: what they cost and what they make
A typical West Palm Beach home needs 22 solar panels. They would make about 13,617 kWh a year and cost $23k to $35k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 13.1 yrs.
See panels on your own West Palm Beach 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 West Palm Beach
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 9.2 kW system costs about $27,600. Quotes in West Palm Beach will usually fall between $23,000 and $34,500. 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 West Palm Beach is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 13.1 yrs. Under net billing it is about 21.2 yrs, because only the ~43% 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 9.2 kW system in West Palm Beach
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 | $27,600 | $0 | +$154 | $33k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $231 | −$76 | $5,500 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $146 | +$8 | $17k |
| Lease $150/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $150 | +$24 | $1,900 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 13.0¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $148 | +$26 | $7,000 |
Under net metering, at 15.3¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $6,900 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine West Palm Beach gets
kWh per kW, 25° southMar is the best month for solar in West Palm Beach, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 75% of a Mar day. A 6 kW system would make about 636 kWh in Dec and 845 kWh in Mar.
On June 21 the sun rises at 6:27 am and sets at 8:17 pm, 13 hours 49 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 7:05 am to 5:32 pm, just 10 hours 28 minutes.
Peak sun hours in West Palm Beach, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 25° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.5 | 4.7 | 114 |
| Feb | 4.3 | 5.3 | 115 |
| Mar | 5.3 | 5.9 | 141 |
| Apr | 6.1 | 6.1 | 139 |
| May | 6.3 | 5.8 | 135 |
| Jun | 5.8 | 5.2 | 117 |
| Jul | 5.9 | 5.4 | 125 |
| Aug | 5.7 | 5.5 | 126 |
| Sep | 5.0 | 5.3 | 119 |
| Oct | 4.5 | 5.3 | 125 |
| Nov | 3.7 | 4.9 | 113 |
| Dec | 3.2 | 4.4 | 106 |
| Year | 5.0 | 5.3 | 1,474 |
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 West Palm Beach
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,474 |
| Southeast | 97% | 1,430 |
| Southwest | 97% | 1,430 |
| East | 88% | 1,297 |
| West | 88% | 1,297 |
| North | 71% | 1,047 |
Face panels south and tilt them 25° for the most energy over a year. East and west roofs keep about 88% of that. A north-facing roof keeps 71%, which is rarely worth the money. Try other angles.
Where the sun goes over West Palm Beach
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (50°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (0°).
West Palm Beach's homes
West Palm Beach has 52,522 households. 50.5% own their home, and 19,903 of those owners live in single-family houses, the kind of home that usually gets rooftop solar.
The median home here was built in 1988. 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.
90.8% of homes heat with electricity and 4.6% with gas. Electric heat raises winter use, so size solar to your own bills rather than the state average.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
If the power goes out in West Palm Beach
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 West Palm Beach
How much do solar panels cost in West Palm Beach?
A 9.2 kW system — enough for the average Florida home — costs about $23,000 to $34,500 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 West Palm Beach need?
About 22 panels of 420 watts for a home using 1,104 kWh a month, the Florida average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,474 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in West Palm Beach?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 10.4¢ per kWh, against 15.3¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 13.1 yrs if your utility credits exported power at the full retail rate, and 21.2 yrs if it pays about 30% of retail.
How many peak sun hours does West Palm Beach get?
5.3 a day on panels tilted to 25°, and 5.0 on flat ground. The best month is Apr; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in West Palm Beach?
25° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 50° is best in winter and 0° in summer. On a normal pitched roof, anything within 15° of 25° gives you about 95% of the maximum.
How long would a home battery last in a West Palm Beach 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 West Palm Beach
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 8 | 1,473 | 5.3 |
| Wellington, FL | 11 | 1,462 | 5.3 |
| Jupiter, FL | 12 | 1,478 | 5.3 |
| Boynton Beach, FL | 15 | 1,473 | 5.3 |
| Delray Beach, FL | 20 | 1,473 | 5.3 |
Cities with the same sunshine as West Palm Beach
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Dallas, TX 1,473 kWh per kW
- Waco, TX 1,473 kWh per kW
- Manhattan, KS 1,473 kWh per kW
Sources: NASA POWER 2001–2020 monthly climatology (grid cell 46 km from West Palm Beach'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.