All states · Hawaii
Updated August 2026 · rank 1 of 50
Yes — and faster than almost anywhere else
6 kW system · $20,500 after incentives · $4,544 saved in year one
0 yrs25 yrs
A 4.5-year break-even is short enough that the decision is mostly about whether you plan to stay in the house. You will own the system outright for roughly 21 years of free electricity after that.
At 52.0¢ per kilowatt-hour, Hawaii pays 215% more for electricity than the US average of 16.5¢. High rates are the main engine of a short payback: every kilowatt-hour the roof makes displaces an expensive one.
A 6 kW array in Hawaii produces about 9,730 kWh a year, well above the national middle. Sunshine is the one input here that no policy change can take away.
Hawaii offers little or no net metering. Exported power earns about 16.6¢ against a 52.0¢ retail rate, so power you send to the grid is worth a quarter of what you buy. The practical consequence: a smaller system that you consume almost entirely at home pays back faster than a large one, which is the opposite of the advice given in full-net-metering states.
State support cuts $5,000 off the $25,500 installed price, bringing it to $20,500 before financing. You get $5,000 of state rebate and tax credit.
A 6 kW system — the size that suits most Hawaii households — runs about $25,500 installed, at $4.25 a watt before anything comes off. State support takes $5,000 off, bringing it to $20,500. That is well above the $2.85 national median, which is why a high electricity rate alone does not make the payback here as short as it first looks. Smaller systems cost more per watt; larger ones less, though a bigger array is worth less here because exports earn only 16.6¢.
| System size | 6 kW |
|---|---|
| Annual production | 9,730 kWh |
| Installed cost | $25,500 |
| Incentives | -$5,000 |
| Net cost | $20,500 |
| Electricity rate | 52.0¢ / kWh |
| Export credit | 16.6¢ / kWh |
| Year-one saving | $4,544 |
| Break-even | 4.5 years |
| 25-year gain | $128,845 |
Out of 50 states, Hawaii ranks 1 for how quickly a bought system repays itself. Fastest right now: Alaska, Nevada, Kansas, Iowa. Slowest: Nevada, Kansas, Iowa, Oregon. Compare all 50 on the map.
Yes — and faster than almost anywhere else. A 6 kW system breaks even in 4.5 years on our assumptions, after the 30% federal tax credit expired on 31 December 2025.
About $25,500 installed for a 6 kW system at $4.25 a watt. State support takes $5,000 off that, leaving $20,500. A system sized to your own daytime use will cost less and still pay back faster here, because exports only earn 16.6¢.
About $4,544 in year one on a 9,730 kWh system, and more each year after that as Hawaii electricity rates climb. Almost all of that comes from power you use as it is made — at 16.6¢, exporting is worth little.
Hawaii offers little or no net metering.
Production from NREL PVWatts v8 for the largest metro in Hawaii, south-facing at 20°. Electricity rate from the EIA. Export credit from the state's net metering rule. The break-even figure adds 0.5% panel degradation a year, 3% annual electricity rate rises, $150 a year of upkeep and an inverter replacement in year 12. Federal credit set to $0 — Section 25D expired 31 December 2025. Exports and imports are netted over the monthly bill, so about 85% of production cancels out at the full retail rate before any surplus is paid at the export rate - which matters more here than the export rate itself. Full method and sources. Export terms checked against the state source, 2026-08-11.
Estimates for comparison, not a quote. Your roof, shading, usage pattern and installer pricing will move these numbers. Get at least three quotes.