Top 10 Places to Go Solar in the United States

Reader Contribution by Simone Garneau and Sunmetrix
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Getting the most out of your solar investment is not just about finding the sunniest places in the United States. Other equally important factors when deciding to go solar are the cost of electricity where you live, as well as the available financial incentives. As you can see from our map of residential electricity rates in the U.S., the cost of electricity varies across the country, making solar energy more attractive in locations with higher rates. And some states and municipalities are much more generous than others when it comes to helping homeowners put solar panels on their roof. All of these factors are important when trying to determine the return on your investment.

We take into consideration the level of solar radiation, the cost of electricity and the federal investment tax credit of 30% (which was recently extended) in our interactive grid parity map for the United States. You can use it to see where solar energy makes financial sense.

First, a Quick Look Across the Pond

Did you know that the country with the most solar panels on Earth is also one of the countries with the lowest levels of solar radiation? Despite receiving only about two-thirds the solar radiation of the United States, Germany has double the installed solar capacity (38 GW, compared to 19 GW according to the Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2015-2019). So what makes Germany such a hot spot for solar? For one, the price of electricity in Germany is over 40 cents per KWh, compared to an average of 12 cents per kWh in the United States. Secondly, the cost per watt of installed solar panels in Germany is about half the price that it is in the U.S. (the average cost for a residential solar system in the U.S. is about $4/W, although it varies considerably from state to state, with California reporting a cost of about $5/W).

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