Solar panels in St. George: what they cost and what they make
A typical St. George home needs 13 solar panels. They would make about 9,587 kWh a year and cost $14k to $21k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 12.8 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 5.5 kW system costs about $16,500. Quotes in St. George 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 St. George is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 12.8 yrs. Under net billing it is about 20.8 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 5.5 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 | $16,500 | $0 | +$94 | $20k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $138 | −$44 | $3,800 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $87 | +$6 | $11k |
| Lease $90/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $90 | +$15 | $1,500 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 11.2¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $89 | +$16 | $4,200 |
Under net metering, at 13.2¢/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 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 58% of a May day. A 6 kW system would make about 610 kWh in Dec and 1,057 kWh in May.
On June 21 the sun rises at 6:14 am and sets at 8:57 pm, 14 hours 43 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 7:44 am to 5:20 pm, just 9 hours 37 minutes.
Peak sun hours in St. George, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 35° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.9 | 5.0 | 114 |
| Feb | 3.8 | 5.6 | 118 |
| Mar | 5.3 | 6.6 | 157 |
| Apr | 6.7 | 7.1 | 167 |
| May | 7.7 | 7.2 | 176 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 7.4 | 174 |
| Jul | 7.4 | 6.7 | 160 |
| Aug | 6.9 | 7.0 | 162 |
| Sep | 6.0 | 7.2 | 157 |
| Oct | 4.6 | 6.6 | 147 |
| Nov | 3.3 | 5.6 | 121 |
| Dec | 2.5 | 4.5 | 102 |
| Year | 5.5 | 6.4 | 1,756 |
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% | 1,756 |
| Southeast | 95% | 1,668 |
| Southwest | 95% | 1,668 |
| East | 83% | 1,457 |
| West | 82% | 1,440 |
| North | 58% | 1,018 |
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 St. George
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (62°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (7°).
St. George's homes
St. George has 36,490 households. 66.7% own their home, and 22,931 of those owners live in single-family houses, the kind of home that usually gets rooftop solar.
The median home here was built in 2001. Most roofs this young have years of life left, which makes them good candidates for solar.
43.8% of homes heat with electricity and 54% 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 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 5.5 kW system — enough for the average Utah 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 St. George need?
About 13 panels of 420 watts for a home using 774 kWh a month, the Utah average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,756 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in St. George?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 8.8¢ per kWh, against 13.2¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 12.8 yrs if your utility credits exported power at the full retail rate, and 20.8 yrs if it pays about 30% of retail.
How many peak sun hours does St. George get?
6.4 a day on panels tilted to 35°, and 5.5 on flat ground. The best month is Jun; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in St. George?
35° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 62° 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Las Vegas, NV | 100 | 1,823 | 6.6 |
| Henderson, NV | 109 | 1,829 | 6.6 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 110 | 1,827 | 6.6 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 170 | 1,801 | 6.5 |
| Lake Havasu City, AZ | 183 | 1,820 | 6.7 |
Cities with the same sunshine as St. George
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Midland, TX 1,736 kWh per kW
- Lubbock, TX 1,731 kWh per kW
- Las Cruces, NM 1,831 kWh per kW
Snow: NASA records about 9 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 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.