Solar panels in Providence: what they cost and what they make
A typical Providence home needs 13 solar panels. They would make about 7,114 kWh a year and cost $14k to $21k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 7.8 yrs.
See panels on your own Providence roof
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What solar costs in Providence
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 5.5 kW system costs about $16,500. Quotes in Providence will usually fall between $13,750 and $20,625. 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 Providence is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 7.8 yrs. Under net billing it is about 13.2 yrs, because only the ~41% 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 5.5 kW system in Providence
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 | $16,500 | $0 | +$162 | $47k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $138 | +$24 | $30k |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $87 | +$74 | $37k |
| Lease $145/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $145 | +$28 | $3,900 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 24.8¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $147 | +$26 | $7,100 |
Under net metering, at 29.2¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $4,125 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine Providence gets
kWh per kW, 25° southJul is the best month for solar in Providence, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 45% of a Jul day. A 6 kW system would make about 377 kWh in Dec and 835 kWh in Jul.
On June 21 the sun rises at 5:10 am and sets at 8:24 pm, 15 hours 13 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 7:10 am to 4:17 pm, just 9 hours 8 minutes.
Peak sun hours in Providence, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 37° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.9 | 3.2 | 75 |
| Feb | 2.7 | 4.1 | 88 |
| Mar | 3.8 | 4.8 | 119 |
| Apr | 4.9 | 5.3 | 129 |
| May | 5.5 | 5.2 | 134 |
| Jun | 6.0 | 5.4 | 132 |
| Jul | 6.1 | 5.6 | 139 |
| Aug | 5.5 | 5.6 | 134 |
| Sep | 4.4 | 5.3 | 120 |
| Oct | 2.9 | 4.2 | 97 |
| Nov | 2.0 | 3.5 | 76 |
| Dec | 1.5 | 2.8 | 63 |
| Year | 3.9 | 4.6 | 1,303 |
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 Providence
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,303 |
| Southeast | 95% | 1,238 |
| Southwest | 95% | 1,238 |
| East | 82% | 1,068 |
| West | 82% | 1,068 |
| North | 59% | 769 |
Face panels south and tilt them 37° for the most energy over a year. East and west roofs keep about 82% of that. A north-facing roof keeps 59%, which is rarely worth the money. Try other angles.
Where the sun goes over Providence
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (63°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (12°).
Providence's homes
Providence has 71,497 households. 41.4% own their home, and 18,143 of those owners live in single-family houses, the kind of home that usually gets rooftop solar.
The median home here was built in 1938. 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.
16.6% of homes heat with electricity and 70.3% 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 Providence
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 Providence
How much do solar panels cost in Providence?
A 5.5 kW system — enough for the average Rhode Island home — costs about $13,750 to $20,625 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 Providence need?
About 13 panels of 420 watts for a home using 567 kWh a month, the Rhode Island average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,303 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in Providence?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 11.8¢ per kWh, against 29.2¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 7.8 yrs if your utility credits exported power at the full retail rate, and 13.2 yrs if it pays about 30% of retail.
How many peak sun hours does Providence get?
4.6 a day on panels tilted to 37°, and 3.9 on flat ground. The best month is Jul; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in Providence?
37° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 63° is best in winter and 12° in summer. On a normal pitched roof, anything within 15° of 37° gives you about 95% of the maximum.
How long would a home battery last in a Providence 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 Providence
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawtucket, RI | 4 | 1,322 | 4.6 |
| Cranston, RI | 5 | 1,328 | 4.6 |
| Warwick, RI | 8 | 1,332 | 4.6 |
| Taunton, MA | 18 | 1,321 | 4.5 |
| Fall River, MA | 18 | 1,331 | 4.6 |
Cities with the same sunshine as Providence
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Clarksville, TN 1,326 kWh per kW
- Rockford, IL 1,326 kWh per kW
- Janesville, WI 1,326 kWh per kW
Snow: NASA records about 14 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 37 km from Providence'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.