Is solar worth it in Albuquerque in 2026?
A roof in Albuquerque produces about 1,810 kWh a year per kW of panels. For a home with a $150 monthly bill, a 6.6 kW system costs about $23,741 at New Mexico's median price and pays for itself in roughly 13.2 years, with no federal tax credit.
1,810kWh per kW a year
Source: PVGIS, NSRDB data
15.1¢per kWh
Source: EIA, 2026 year to date
$3.60per watt
Source: Berkeley Lab
Calculator · 2026 data, no federal tax credit
How long would solar take to pay for itself?
Simple payback
13.2 years
- System size
- 6.6 kW
- Installed cost
- $23,741
- Savings, year one
- $1,800
- Net over 25 years
- $18,660
Sized to cover your yearly use at today's price. Panels lose 0.5% a year; prices held flat. Method
How Albuquerque homes get paid for solar
Export rules are set at the state and utility level, not by the city. Albuquerque is under New Mexico's full net metering: PNM credits surplus from rooftop systems of 10 kW-AC or less as kWh that roll over month to month and never expire; New Mexico also offers a 10% state income tax credit (up to $6,000). The full rules, incentives and sources are on theNew Mexico page.
Why the city matters
Two things change from one city to another in the same state: the sun, which sets how many panels you need, and the utility, which sets what exported power is worth. Albuquerque gets 1,810 kWh per kW a year on a south-facing roof at a 20° tilt, so covering a year of use for a $150 bill at 15.1¢ takes about 6.6 kW, roughly 17 panels of 400 W. Electricity prices in the calculator are the New Mexico residential average; your utility's rate can be higher or lower, so put your own bill in.
Method: how we calculate payback. Compare all states in theranking or size a system with the panel calculator.