Solar by State

Is solar worth it in Spokane in 2026?

A roof in Spokane produces about 1,223 kWh a year per kW of panels. For a home with a $150 monthly bill, a 10.2 kW system costs about $30,662 at Washington's median price and pays for itself in roughly 17.0 years, with no federal tax credit. That is 9% more sun than Seattle, the city on our Washington page.

Data checked 2026-10-21 · Estimates, not a quote

Solar output in Spokane

1,223kWh per kW a year

Source: PVGIS, NSRDB data

Washington residential electricity price

14.4¢per kWh

Source: EIA, 2026 year to date

Median installed cost in Washington, 2025

$3.00per watt

Source: Berkeley Lab

Calculator · 2026 data, no federal tax credit

How long would solar take to pay for itself?

Simple payback

17.0 years

System size
10.2 kW
Installed cost
$30,662
Savings, year one
$1,800
Net over 25 years
$11,738

Sized to cover your yearly use at today's price. Panels lose 0.5% a year; prices held flat. Method

How Spokane homes get paid for solar

Export rules are set at the state and utility level, not by the city. Spokane is under Washington's full net metering: Washington law (RCW 80.60) credits exports kWh-for-kWh against later use; as of Jan. 2026 neither Puget Sound Energy nor Seattle City Light has adopted a replacement rate. The full rules, incentives and sources are on theWashington page.

Spokane: your utility, incentives and permits

Main utility: Avista Utilities. Checked 2026-10-21 against the sources below.

Spokane’s electricity comes from Avista Utilities, whose system is centered on Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Avista’s Washington net metering rules are in its Schedule 63.

What Avista gives you for exported power

Avista net meters systems of up to 100 kW AC. Exported kWh are banked as credits on your following bills, so a sunny June can cover part of a dark December. Washington’s retail-rate net metering means those credits are worth the same as the power you buy. The bank resets every March 31: Avista sets any credit left at zero with no payment, so a system sized for your yearly use gets the most from it. There is no separate solar fee; you keep paying the normal residential basic charge, $10 a month in 2026.

How long this lasts depends on a cap. Washington law makes utilities offer retail-rate net metering until June 30, 2029, or until net-metered systems reach 4% of the utility’s 1996 peak demand, whichever comes first. Avista offers it first come, first served, and the WSU Energy Program put Avista at 77.84% of that cap with data to January 31, 2026.

Incentives in 2026

  • No sales tax on the system. Washington exempts 100% of state and local sales tax on solar systems of 1 kW to 100 kW AC, if installation is completed by December 31, 2029.
  • State production payments are closed. The Renewable Energy System Incentive Program is fully subscribed and is on track to end in winter 2027.
  • Solar for All is paused. The state has paused its no-cost solar program for income-qualified homes until further notice.
  • There is no federal credit for systems installed after 2025; see what ended with the federal credit.

Connecting to Avista

Your installer usually files the interconnection application with Avista, unless you install the system yourself. Every application carries a $100 processing fee, normally charged to the installer, and Avista says it will approve or reject it within 20 business days. Any later change to the system needs a new application before work starts. You also need City of Spokane permits for the installation. The Washington state page has the statewide rules, and the Seattle page shows how a city-owned utility handles the same law.

Sources

  1. Avista: 2025-2026 electric system assessment, service territory (PDF)
  2. Avista: Washington Schedule 63, net metering (PDF)
  3. Avista: Washington Schedule 1, residential service (PDF, effective January 1, 2026)
  4. Avista: learn about net metering
  5. Avista: existing net metered customers
  6. Avista: getting connected
  7. Washington Department of Commerce: net metering
  8. WSU Energy Program: net metering threshold by utility (data to January 31, 2026)
  9. RCW 82.08.962, sales tax exemption for solar systems
  10. Washington Department of Revenue: solar energy system sales tax exemption
  11. WSU Energy Program: Renewable Energy System Incentive Program
  12. Washington Department of Commerce: Solar for All

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. Spokane gets 1,223 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 14.4¢ takes about 10.2 kW, roughly 26 panels of 400 W. Electricity prices in the calculator are the Washington residential average; your utility's rate can be higher or lower, so put your own bill in.

Other Washington cities: Seattle.

Method: how we calculate payback. Compare all states in theranking or size a system with the panel calculator.