All states · Rhode Island
Updated October 2026 · ranks 9 of 50
Yes, for most households
6 kW system · $17,520 after incentives · $2,130 returned in year one
0 yrs25 yrs
At 8.0 years the system repays itself well within the warranty period of its major components, though the capital is committed for over a decade. For a household likely to move within six years, the effect on resale value matters more than the payback figure.
For most households, yes. 8.0 years falls inside the warranty period of every major component, although the capital is committed for more than a decade.
The case modeled here approximates an average Rhode Island household on the state average rate of 28.3¢, with an unshaded roof and no financing: $17,520 of capital, $2,130 returned in the first year, and break-even near year 8.0. 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. Exports earn 22.6¢, close to the retail rate, so daytime occupancy makes little difference to the result.
At 28.3¢ per kilowatt-hour, Rhode Island pays 71% 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 Rhode Island generates approximately 7,762 kWh a year, below the national median. This is not disqualifying - Germany installs solar at lower irradiance than any US state - but it means the retail electricity rate matters more here than the weather does.
Rhode Island credits exported power below the retail rate, at approximately 22.6¢ against a retail rate of 28.3¢. Electricity consumed as it is generated is therefore worth several times more than electricity exported, and sizing a system to daytime consumption rather than to annual total consumption is what protects the return.
Rhode Island offers no state rebate or tax credit at present, so the installed price of $17,520 stands. With Section 25D expired there is no federal credit to deduct either, the first year in over a decade in which that has been the case.
A 6 kW system, the size typical of Rhode Island households, costs approximately $17,520 installed at $2.92 a watt before deductions. No deduction applies in Rhode Island: there is no state rebate, no state tax credit, and no federal credit following the expiry of Section 25D on 31 December 2025. Prices vary with roof complexity, equipment selection and local installer demand; quotes $0.40 a watt either side of this figure are common. Smaller systems cost more per watt and larger ones less, although sizing beyond on-site consumption is not penalized, since exports earn 28.3¢.
| System size | 6 kW |
|---|---|
| Annual production | 7,762 kWh |
| Installed cost | $17,520 |
| Incentives | none |
| Net cost | $17,520 |
| Electricity rate | 28.3¢ / kWh |
| Export credit | 22.6¢ / kWh |
| Year-one saving | $2,130 |
| Break-even | 8.0 years |
| 25-year gain | $49,545 |
Of the 50 states published here, Rhode Island ranks ninth for how quickly a bought system repays itself. Fastest right now: Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts. Slowest: South Dakota, Louisiana, North Dakota, Tennessee. Compare them all on the map.
Solar economics change at state lines rather than at county lines, because the export tariff and the netting period do. These states share a border with Rhode Island, and the figure each produces on the same assumptions.
About $17,520 installed for a 6 kW system at $2.92 a watt. No deduction applies in Rhode Island: no state rebate, no state credit, and no federal credit following the expiry of Section 25D. A system sized to daytime consumption costs less and repays faster here, because exports earn only 22.6¢.
Yes, for most households. A 6 kW system breaks even in 8.0 years on the assumptions used here, following the expiry of the 30% federal tax credit on 31 December 2025.
Approximately $2,130 in the first year on a 7,762 kWh system, rising thereafter as Rhode Island electricity rates increase. Almost all of that derives from power consumed as it is generated; at 22.6¢, export earns little.
A 6 kW array is about 14 modules at 430 W and generates 7,762 kWh a year here, which covers a household using roughly that much. Sizing beyond on-site use is poor value in Rhode Island, since the surplus earns 22.6¢ against a 28.3¢ retail rate. The sizing calculator works it out from a bill.
Yes, for most households. The retail rate here is 28.3¢ against a national average of 16.5¢, exports earn 22.6¢, and a 6 kW system breaks even in 8.0 years. What separates Rhode Island from states with similar sunshine is the rate and the export tariff, not the weather.
Rhode Island credits exported power below the retail rate, at approximately 22.6¢ against a retail rate of 28.3¢.
Generation is taken from NREL PVWatts v8 for the largest metropolitan area in Rhode Island, 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.