All states · Hawaii
Updated October 2026 · ranks 1 of 50
Yes, and faster than in almost any other state
6 kW system · $19,012 after incentives · $4,194 returned in year one
0 yrs25 yrs
A break-even point of 4.5 years is short enough that the decision turns mainly on how long the owner intends to remain in the property. The system is then owned outright for roughly 21 further years of its warranted life.
Yes. At 4.5 years, a purchased system in Hawaii repays its cost faster than in almost any other state. The high retail electricity rate accounts for most of that advantage.
The case modeled here approximates an average Hawaii household on the state average rate of 48.0¢, with an unshaded roof and no financing: $19,012 of capital, $4,194 returned in the first year, and break-even near year 4.5. Above-average consumption, a south-facing roof or a competitive installed price shorten that period; shading, a loan carrying a dealer fee, or a sale within six years lengthen it. Because exports earn only 15.4¢, daytime occupancy carries measurable value: a household absent between nine and five performs appreciably worse than this figure.
At 48.0¢ per kilowatt-hour, Hawaii pays 191% more for electricity than the United States average of 16.5¢. A high retail rate is the principal driver of a short payback, since each kilowatt-hour generated displaces an expensive one.
A 6 kW array in Hawaii generates approximately 9,730 kWh a year, above the national median. Irradiance is the one input that no change in policy can remove.
Hawaii provides little or no net metering. Exported power earns approximately 15.4¢ against a retail rate of 48.0¢, roughly a quarter of its purchase price. The practical consequence is that a smaller system, consumed almost entirely on site, repays faster than a large one - the reverse of the position in full-net-metering states.
State support reduces the installed price of $25,500 by $6,488, to $19,012 before financing. This comprises $6,488 of state rebate and tax credit.
A 6 kW system, the size typical of Hawaii households, costs approximately $25,500 installed at $4.25 a watt before deductions. State support reduces this by $6,488, to $19,012. That is well above the $2.85 national median, which is why a high retail rate alone does not shorten the payback here as much as it first appears. Smaller systems cost more per watt and larger ones less, although a larger array is worth less here, since exports earn only 15.4¢.
| System size | 6 kW |
|---|---|
| Annual production | 9,730 kWh |
| Installed cost | $25,500 |
| Incentives | -$6,488 |
| Net cost | $19,012 |
| Electricity rate | 48.0¢ / kWh |
| Export credit | 15.4¢ / kWh |
| Year-one saving | $4,194 |
| Break-even | 4.5 years |
| 25-year gain | $118,418 |
Of the 50 states published here, Hawaii ranks first for how quickly a bought system repays itself. Fastest right now: New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine. Slowest: South Dakota, Louisiana, North Dakota, Tennessee. Compare them all on the map.
Hawaii shares no land border with another state. These are the states whose break-even period is closest to it, which makes them the useful comparison even though the conditions behind the figure differ.
About $25,500 installed for a 6 kW system at $4.25 a watt. State support reduces this by $6,488, to $19,012. A system sized to daytime consumption costs less and repays faster here, because exports earn only 15.4¢.
Yes, and faster than in almost any other state. A 6 kW system breaks even in 4.5 years on the assumptions used here, following the expiry of the 30% federal tax credit on 31 December 2025.
Approximately $4,194 in the first year on a 9,730 kWh system, rising thereafter as Hawaii electricity rates increase. Almost all of that derives from power consumed as it is generated; at 15.4¢, export earns little.
A 6 kW array is about 14 modules at 430 W and generates 9,730 kWh a year here, which covers a household using roughly that much. Sizing beyond on-site use is poor value in Hawaii, since the surplus earns 15.4¢ against a 48.0¢ retail rate. The sizing calculator works it out from a bill.
Yes, and faster than in almost any other state. The retail rate here is 48.0¢ against a national average of 16.5¢, exports earn 15.4¢, and a 6 kW system breaks even in 4.5 years. What separates Hawaii from states with similar sunshine is the rate and the export tariff, not the weather.
Hawaii provides little or no net metering.
Generation is taken from NREL PVWatts v8 for the largest metropolitan area in Hawaii, south-facing at 20°. The retail rate is from the EIA and the export credit from the state's net metering rule. The break-even figure incorporates 0.5% annual panel degradation, 3% annual electricity price growth, $150 a year in maintenance and an inverter replacement in year 12. The federal credit is set to $0 — Section 25D expired 31 December 2025. Imports and exports are netted over the monthly billing period, so approximately 85% of generation offsets consumption at the full retail rate before any surplus is compensated at the export rate. This has a larger effect on the result than the export rate itself. Full method and sources. Privacy. Export terms checked against the state source in August 2026.
These are estimates for comparison between states, not quotations. Roof orientation, shading, consumption pattern and installer pricing all affect the result. At least three written quotations are advisable before purchase.