Solar panels in St. George: what they cost and what they make
A typical St. George home needs 25 solar panels. They would make about 14,912 kWh a year and cost $26k to $39k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 15.4 yrs.
See panels on your own St. George roof
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What solar costs in St. George
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 10.5 kW system costs about $31,500. Quotes in St. George will usually fall between $26,250 and $39,375. 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 St. George is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 15.4 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 10.5 kW system in St. George
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 | $31,500 | $0 | +$144 | $26k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $263 | −$119 | −$6,100 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $167 | −$23 | $7,100 |
| Lease $140/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $140 | +$26 | $3,200 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 11.3¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $140 | +$25 | $7,000 |
Under net metering, at 13.4¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $7,875 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine St. George gets
kWh per kW, 25° southMay is the best month for solar in St. George, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 67% of a May day. A 6 kW system would make about 550 kWh in Dec and 821 kWh in May.
On June 21 the sun rises at 6:02 am and sets at 8:09 pm, 14 hours 7 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 6:56 am to 5:07 pm, just 10 hours 11 minutes.
Peak sun hours in St. George, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 29° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.9 | 4.2 | 100 |
| Feb | 3.5 | 4.4 | 95 |
| Mar | 4.6 | 5.3 | 126 |
| Apr | 5.7 | 5.8 | 133 |
| May | 6.3 | 5.8 | 137 |
| Jun | 6.1 | 5.4 | 124 |
| Jul | 5.8 | 5.3 | 124 |
| Aug | 5.6 | 5.4 | 125 |
| Sep | 5.1 | 5.6 | 125 |
| Oct | 4.4 | 5.6 | 130 |
| Nov | 3.4 | 4.9 | 110 |
| Dec | 2.6 | 3.8 | 92 |
| Year | 4.7 | 5.1 | 1,420 |
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 St. George
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,420 |
| Southeast | 96% | 1,363 |
| Southwest | 96% | 1,363 |
| East | 86% | 1,221 |
| West | 86% | 1,221 |
| North | 68% | 966 |
Face panels south and tilt them 29° for the most energy over a year. East and west roofs keep about 86% of that. A north-facing roof keeps 68%, which is rarely worth the money. Try other angles.
Where the sun goes over St. George
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (53°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (2°).
St. George's homes
Census housing data isn't available for this place.
If the power goes out in St. George
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 St. George
How much do solar panels cost in St. George?
A 10.5 kW system — enough for the average Louisiana home — costs about $26,250 to $39,375 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 St. George need?
About 25 panels of 420 watts for a home using 1,202 kWh a month, the Louisiana average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,420 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in St. George?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 10.8¢ per kWh, against 13.4¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 15.4 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 St. George get?
5.1 a day on panels tilted to 29°, and 4.7 on flat ground. The best month is May; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in St. George?
29° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 53° is best in winter and 2° in summer. On a normal pitched roof, anything within 15° of 29° gives you about 95% of the maximum.
How long would a home battery last in a St. George 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 St. George
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 8 | 1,420 | 5.1 |
| Kenner, LA | 52 | 1,432 | 5.1 |
| Lafayette, LA | 61 | 1,433 | 5.1 |
| New Orleans, LA | 69 | 1,434 | 5.1 |
| Gulfport, MS | 117 | 1,463 | 5.2 |
St. George shares a weather-data neighbourhood with Baton Rouge; their sunshine numbers differ by less than our data can resolve. Housing, prices and outage figures are specific to St. George.
Cities with the same sunshine as St. George
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Greenville, NC 1,423 kWh per kW
- St. Joseph, MO 1,421 kWh per kW
- Joplin, MO 1,425 kWh per kW
Sources: NASA POWER 2001–2020 monthly climatology (grid cell 48 km from St. George'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.