Solar panels in North Las Vegas: what they cost and what they make
A typical North Las Vegas home needs 15 solar panels. They would make about 11,337 kWh a year and cost $16k to $24k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 12.1 yrs.
See panels on your own North Las Vegas roof
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What solar costs in North Las Vegas
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 6.3 kW system costs about $18,900. Quotes in North Las Vegas will usually fall between $15,750 and $23,625. 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 North Las Vegas is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 12.1 yrs. Under net billing it is about 20.0 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 6.3 kW system in North Las Vegas
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 | $18,900 | $0 | +$115 | $26k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $158 | −$43 | $7,200 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $100 | +$15 | $15k |
| Lease $110/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $110 | +$18 | $1,600 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 11.5¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $109 | +$19 | $5,200 |
Under net metering, at 13.5¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $4,725 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine North Las Vegas gets
kWh per kW, 25° southMay is the best month for solar in North Las Vegas, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 61% of a May day. A 6 kW system would make about 653 kWh in Dec and 1,069 kWh in May.
On June 21 the sun rises at 5:23 am and sets at 8:01 pm, 14 hours 38 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 6:48 am to 4:29 pm, just 9 hours 41 minutes.
Peak sun hours in North Las Vegas, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 35° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.1 | 5.3 | 120 |
| Feb | 4.0 | 6.0 | 125 |
| Mar | 5.5 | 6.9 | 162 |
| Apr | 6.9 | 7.3 | 171 |
| May | 7.9 | 7.3 | 178 |
| Jun | 8.6 | 7.4 | 173 |
| Jul | 7.6 | 6.8 | 162 |
| Aug | 7.1 | 7.1 | 164 |
| Sep | 6.2 | 7.4 | 159 |
| Oct | 4.7 | 6.8 | 150 |
| Nov | 3.4 | 5.9 | 125 |
| Dec | 2.7 | 4.9 | 109 |
| Year | 5.7 | 6.6 | 1,799 |
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 North Las Vegas
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,799 |
| Southeast | 95% | 1,709 |
| Southwest | 95% | 1,709 |
| East | 83% | 1,493 |
| West | 82% | 1,475 |
| North | 58% | 1,043 |
Face panels south and tilt them 35° for the most energy over a year. East and west roofs keep about 83% of that. A north-facing roof keeps 58%, which is rarely worth the money. Try other angles.
Where the sun goes over North Las Vegas
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (61°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (7°).
North Las Vegas's homes
North Las Vegas has 88,909 households. 63.6% own their home, and 55,177 of those owners live in single-family houses, the kind of home that usually gets rooftop solar.
The median home here was built in 2003. Most roofs this young have years of life left, which makes them good candidates for solar.
27.5% of homes heat with electricity and 68.6% 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 North Las Vegas
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 North Las Vegas
How much do solar panels cost in North Las Vegas?
A 6.3 kW system — enough for the average Nevada home — costs about $15,750 to $23,625 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 North Las Vegas need?
About 15 panels of 420 watts for a home using 930 kWh a month, the Nevada average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,799 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in North Las Vegas?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 8.6¢ per kWh, against 13.5¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 12.1 yrs if your utility credits exported power at the full retail rate, and 20.0 yrs if it pays about 30% of retail.
How many peak sun hours does North Las Vegas get?
6.6 a day on panels tilted to 35°, and 5.7 on flat ground. The best month is Jun; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in North Las Vegas?
35° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 61° is best in winter and 7° in summer. On a normal pitched roof, anything within 15° of 35° gives you about 95% of the maximum.
How long would a home battery last in a North Las Vegas 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 North Las Vegas
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas, NV | 10 | 1,827 | 6.6 |
| Henderson, NV | 20 | 1,829 | 6.6 |
| St. George, UT | 100 | 1,779 | 6.4 |
| Lake Havasu City, AZ | 131 | 1,820 | 6.7 |
| Apple Valley, CA | 170 | 1,837 | 6.7 |
North Las Vegas shares a weather-data neighbourhood with Las Vegas; their sunshine numbers differ by less than our data can resolve. Housing, prices and outage figures are specific to North Las Vegas.
Cities with the same sunshine as North Las Vegas
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Las Cruces, NM 1,831 kWh per kW
- El Paso, TX 1,838 kWh per kW
- Santa Fe, NM 1,803 kWh per kW
Snow: NASA records about 3 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 44 km from North Las Vegas'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.