Solar panels in Pearland: what they cost and what they make
A typical Pearland home needs 23 solar panels. They would make about 13,594 kWh a year and cost $24k to $36k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 13.0 yrs.
See panels on your own Pearland roof
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What solar costs in Pearland
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 9.7 kW system costs about $29,100. Quotes in Pearland will usually fall between $24,250 and $36,375. 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 Pearland is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 13.0 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 9.7 kW system in Pearland
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 | $29,100 | $0 | +$162 | $35k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $243 | −$82 | $5,300 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $154 | +$8 | $18k |
| Lease $155/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $155 | +$27 | $2,900 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 13.7¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $155 | +$27 | $7,100 |
Under net metering, at 16.1¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $7,275 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine Pearland gets
kWh per kW, 25° southMay is the best month for solar in Pearland, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 68% of a May day. A 6 kW system would make about 542 kWh in Dec and 800 kWh in May.
On June 21 the sun rises at 6:21 am and sets at 8:24 pm, 14 hours 2 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 7:12 am to 5:26 pm, just 10 hours 14 minutes.
Peak sun hours in Pearland, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 27° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.9 | 4.1 | 99 |
| Feb | 3.3 | 4.1 | 91 |
| Mar | 4.5 | 5.1 | 122 |
| Apr | 5.3 | 5.4 | 125 |
| May | 6.1 | 5.6 | 133 |
| Jun | 6.3 | 5.7 | 128 |
| Jul | 6.1 | 5.6 | 130 |
| Aug | 5.9 | 5.7 | 132 |
| Sep | 5.0 | 5.5 | 122 |
| Oct | 4.4 | 5.5 | 129 |
| Nov | 3.3 | 4.6 | 106 |
| Dec | 2.6 | 3.7 | 90 |
| Year | 4.7 | 5.1 | 1,407 |
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 Pearland
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,407 |
| Southeast | 97% | 1,365 |
| Southwest | 96% | 1,351 |
| East | 87% | 1,224 |
| West | 87% | 1,224 |
| North | 69% | 971 |
Face panels south and tilt them 27° for the most energy over a year. East and west roofs keep about 87% of that. A north-facing roof keeps 69%, which is rarely worth the money. Try other angles.
Where the sun goes over Pearland
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (53°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (1°).
Pearland's homes
Pearland has 44,410 households. 76.2% own their home, and 32,847 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.
31.2% of homes heat with electricity and 67.3% 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 Pearland
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 Pearland
How much do solar panels cost in Pearland?
A 9.7 kW system — enough for the average Texas home — costs about $24,250 to $36,375 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 Pearland need?
About 23 panels of 420 watts for a home using 1,096 kWh a month, the Texas average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,407 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in Pearland?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 10.9¢ per kWh, against 16.1¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 13.0 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 Pearland get?
5.1 a day on panels tilted to 27°, and 4.7 on flat ground. The best month is Aug; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in Pearland?
27° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 53° is best in winter and 1° in summer. On a normal pitched roof, anything within 15° of 27° gives you about 95% of the maximum.
How long would a home battery last in a Pearland 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 Pearland
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena, TX | 12 | 1,410 | 5.1 |
| Missouri City, TX | 13 | 1,403 | 5.0 |
| League City, TX | 14 | 1,416 | 5.1 |
| Houston, TX | 16 | 1,402 | 5.1 |
| Sugar Land, TX | 19 | 1,404 | 5.1 |
Pearland shares a weather-data neighbourhood with Houston; their sunshine numbers differ by less than our data can resolve. Housing, prices and outage figures are specific to Pearland.
Cities with the same sunshine as Pearland
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Kennewick, WA 1,409 kWh per kW
- Grand Forks, ND 1,407 kWh per kW
- Greenville, SC 1,405 kWh per kW
Sources: NASA POWER 2001–2020 monthly climatology (grid cell 18 km from Pearland'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.