Federal solar credit ended Dec 31, 2025
Sorted & Saved

Solar costs · Idaho

Solar Panel Cost in Idaho

Fact-checked by Sorted & Saved data desk
Updated Data verified Nov 5, 2026

A typical Idaho home uses 944 kWh a month[1] of electricity. Covering that with solar takes a system of about 7.7 kW est.[1,2], which costs roughly $23,500 to $32,000 est.[1,2,3] before incentives at the state's median installed price. With Idaho's average residential price of 13.02¢ per kWh[4], our model puts payback at about 24 years est.[1,2,3,4,5]. Your quote, roof and utility plan will move these numbers, so treat them as a starting point.

On this page [ 7 ]

Idaho solar at a glance

Average electricity price13.02¢/kWh[4]Jan–Aug 2026 average (preliminary)
Average home use944 kWh/mo[1]2024 average
Solar output per kW1,468 kWh/yr[2]PVWatts estimate for Boise
Median installed price$3.60/W[3]Estimate, before incentives
Typical system7.7 kWSized to cover 100% of use
Typical price$27,700Estimate, before incentives
Year-1 savings$980Estimate
Payback24 yearsEstimate, cash purchase

Estimates use the inputs above and the assumptions in our methodology: Idaho Power credits exports from new solar customers at about 4.24¢ per kWh; we use it for Idaho. Other utilities differ. Prices rise 2.5% a year; panels lose 0.5% a year.

Solar cost in Idaho by system size

Same assumptions as the typical home above; only the system size changes. Prices are the state median before incentives and include the incentives our calculator applies by default in Idaho.

SystemPrice before incentives[3]After incentiveskWh in year 1[2]Year-1 savings[4][5]Payback (years)
4 kW$14,400$14,4005,870$51024
6 kW$21,600$21,6008,810$76024
8 kW$28,800$28,80011,740$1,01024
10 kW$36,000$36,00014,680$1,27024
12 kW$43,200$43,20017,620$1,52024

Incentives that lower the price in Idaho

Federal · tax creditEnding soon

Business credit for leased and PPA systems (48E)

Claimed by the system owner, not the homeowner; solar must begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be in service by December 31, 2027[6]

If a company owns the panels on your roof (a lease or power purchase agreement), that company may claim the business clean electricity investment credit and can reflect it in your price. You cannot claim it yourself.

Who
Third-party-owned systems (leases and PPAs). Ask the provider whether the price assumes this credit.
Deadline
December 31, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026

All Idaho incentives, including utility and local programs →

How Idaho utilities credit your solar

Idaho has no statewide net metering law; utilities set terms with IPUC approval. Idaho Power (the largest utility) moved new (non-legacy) rooftop solar customers to real-time net billing in IPUC Order No. 36048 (Dec 2023): exports earn a time-varying, avoided-cost-based Export Credit Rate well below retail, which IPUC Order No. 36785 froze until an April 1, 2028 update filing.[7]

We have not added every Idaho utility yet, so the estimates on this page use the state-level rule: Idaho Power credits exports from new solar customers at about 4.24¢ per kWh; we use it for Idaho. Other utilities differ.[5]

Full Idaho net metering and export-credit rules →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much do solar panels cost in Idaho?

At the state median installed price of $3.60 per watt est.[3], a 7.7 kW est.[1,2] system that covers a typical home's use costs about $27,700 est.[1,2,3] before incentives. Quotes vary with roof, equipment and installer.

How long does solar take to pay for itself in Idaho?

For a cash purchase at the state's average electricity price of 13.02¢ per kWh[4], our model estimates about 24 years est.[1,2,3,4,5]. Your utility's export credit and rate plan matter a lot; see the export-credit table above.

Is there still a federal solar tax credit?

Not for homeowners who buy. The Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D)[8] does not apply to systems whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025. Leased and PPA systems are different: the company that owns the system may still claim a business credit.

sources

[ 8 ]

Every number on this page links to one of these sources. Dates show when we last checked each one.

  1. EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price 2024, Table 5A: Residential average monthly bill by stateeia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  2. NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)pvwatts.nlr.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  3. U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update (Barbose, Darghouth, O'Shaughnessy, Forrester), Berkeley Labeta-publications.lbl.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  4. EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B: Average price of electricity by state, year-to-date (August 2026, preliminary)eia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  5. Idaho PUC news release, Case No. IPC-E-25-15 Order No. 36785 (Oct 2, 2025)puc.idaho.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  6. Public Law 119-21 - Sec. 70513(a) and (g)(5) (48E); Sec. 70512(a) and (l)(4) (45Y)govinfo.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  7. Idaho PUC Final Order No. 36785, Case IPC-E-25-15 (Sept 30, 2025)puc.idaho.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  8. IRS FS-2025-05: FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, and 179D under Public Law 119-21 (OBBB)irs.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026

State data last re-checked November 5, 2026.

Change log

  1. Monthly output per kW in Boise updated to [56.9, 81.0, 108.9, 152.0, 162.5, 171.2, 179.3, 169.6, 144.5, 117.5, 70.0, 54.9] kWh/kW/month (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).
  2. Average solar radiation on the panels in Boise updated to 5.22 kWh/m2/day (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).
  3. Solar output per kW in Idaho (PVWatts, Boise) updated to 1468.3 kWh/kW/yr (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).