Solar panels in Laredo: what they cost and what they make
A typical Laredo home needs 21 solar panels. They would make about 13,268 kWh a year and cost $22k to $33k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 12.2 yrs.
See panels on your own Laredo 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 Laredo
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 8.8 kW system costs about $26,400. Quotes in Laredo will usually fall between $22,000 and $33,000. 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 Laredo is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 12.2 yrs. Under net billing it is about 19.7 yrs, because only the ~44% 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 8.8 kW system in Laredo
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 | $26,400 | $0 | +$159 | $36k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $221 | −$62 | $9,600 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $140 | +$20 | $21k |
| Lease $150/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $150 | +$28 | $3,400 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 13.7¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $151 | +$26 | $7,000 |
Under net metering, at 16.1¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $6,600 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine Laredo gets
kWh per kW, 25° southAug is the best month for solar in Laredo, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 70% of a Aug day. A 6 kW system would make about 617 kWh in Dec and 885 kWh in Aug.
On June 21 the sun rises at 6:43 am and sets at 8:36 pm, 13 hours 53 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 7:24 am to 5:48 pm, just 10 hours 24 minutes.
Peak sun hours in Laredo, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 25° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.2 | 4.4 | 107 |
| Feb | 4.0 | 4.9 | 107 |
| Mar | 4.9 | 5.5 | 130 |
| Apr | 5.7 | 5.7 | 129 |
| May | 6.2 | 5.7 | 132 |
| Jun | 7.0 | 6.2 | 137 |
| Jul | 6.8 | 6.2 | 141 |
| Aug | 6.7 | 6.5 | 148 |
| Sep | 5.4 | 5.8 | 128 |
| Oct | 4.7 | 5.7 | 133 |
| Nov | 3.6 | 4.8 | 111 |
| Dec | 3.0 | 4.2 | 103 |
| Year | 5.1 | 5.5 | 1,504 |
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 Laredo
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,504 |
| Southeast | 97% | 1,459 |
| Southwest | 97% | 1,459 |
| East | 88% | 1,324 |
| West | 88% | 1,324 |
| North | 71% | 1,068 |
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 Laredo
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (52°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (0°).
Laredo's homes
Laredo has 78,082 households. 64.1% own their home, and 44,782 of those owners live in single-family houses, the kind of home that usually gets rooftop solar.
The median home here was built in 1997. 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.
84.7% of homes heat with electricity and 12.7% 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 Laredo
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 Laredo
How much do solar panels cost in Laredo?
A 8.8 kW system — enough for the average Texas home — costs about $22,000 to $33,000 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 Laredo need?
About 21 panels of 420 watts for a home using 1,096 kWh a month, the Texas average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,504 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in Laredo?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 10.2¢ per kWh, against 16.1¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 12.2 yrs if your utility credits exported power at the full retail rate, and 19.7 yrs if it pays about 30% of retail.
How many peak sun hours does Laredo get?
5.5 a day on panels tilted to 25°, and 5.1 on flat ground. The best month is Aug; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in Laredo?
25° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 52° 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 Laredo 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 Laredo
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission, TX | 118 | 1,483 | 5.4 |
| Edinburg, TX | 119 | 1,470 | 5.3 |
| McAllen, TX | 120 | 1,478 | 5.4 |
| Pharr, TX | 125 | 1,477 | 5.4 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 142 | 1,455 | 5.2 |
Cities with the same sunshine as Laredo
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Grand Island, NE 1,506 kWh per kW
- Rapid City, SD 1,507 kWh per kW
- Miami, FL 1,499 kWh per kW
Sources: NASA POWER 2001–2020 monthly climatology (grid cell 7 km from Laredo'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.