Top 5 Solar Companies in kansas

Below you’ll find the top solar companies in Kansas as ranked by us and reviewed by verified solar customers. To learn more about what goes into our “Best Rank” score for each company, visit our How We Rank page. For our full Kansas Solar Overview, keep reading:

Kansas Solar Overview

Despite being a Midwestern state, Kansas receives on average at least six peak-sun hours per day, which puts it on the same level, solar-wise, as states like California that are known for their long sunshine hours. That said, the Sunflower State repealed its state-mandated renewable portfolio standard in 2015, switching to a voluntary system. This leaves utility companies free to raise rates on residential solar PV systems.

Solar power in Kansas can still be a profitable venture; but homeowners may have additional hoops to jump through in order to enjoy the long-term savings of investing in renewable energy.

Read on to learn more about the ins and outs of going solar in Kansas.

Pros and Cons of Going Solar in Kansas

Here's an at-a-glance description of the current benefits and drawbacks of switching to solar in Kansas:

Benefits of Going Solar in Kansas:

  • Lots of Sunshine
  • 30% Federal Solar Tax Credit
  • Voluntary RPS
  • High Electricity Prices
  • Property Tax Exemption

Drawbacks of Going Solar in Kansas:

  • No Lease or PPA
  • No Solar Carve-Out
  • No Net Metering
  • No Rebates or State Tax Credit

Cost of Solar in Kansas

Five cents per kilowatt-hour. That’s the levelized cost (i.e., the total cost of a solar energy system divided by the total kWh the system produces over the course of a 25-year lifespan) of going solar in Kansas. Compare that number to the 28 cents per kWh for not going solar, and the difference in clear.

For a typical 5 kW system, Kansas residents could expect to pay upwards of $21,000, but depending on system capacity and solar panel type, that number could be as low as half that amount.

Kansas Solar Financing Options

Kansas homeowners only have two financing options available to them: cash purchase and financing through a solar loan:

Cash Purchase

As mentioned above, interested homeowners could pay as much as $21,000 or more for a solar energy system in Kansas. But thanks to the 30 percent federal solar tax credit, that figure could be reduced down to around $14,700 — a much more affordable price. Year-over-year savings will result in a profitable solar panel system after approximately 13 years, a little more than half the system’s expected lifetime. At more than $1,000 in savings each year, customers could see a net profit as high as $14,000 after 25 years.

In addition to these savings, the average home value could increase by upwards of $21,000 — the original price of the system — after 25 years!

Solar Loan

Kansas homeowners can also finance through either a solar loan or home-equity line of credit (HELOC). These options are often accompanied by a zero-money down option, meaning customers could start saving on their utility bill from day one. And with the federal tax credit in town, customers could come out by as much as $4,000–$5,000 ahead in their first year!

Unfortunately, those savings will diminish over the 15-year loan period as loan payments continue to hang above utility payments. But once the loan is paid off, borrowers could see as much as $1,200 in savings each year for the next five to ten years, resulting in an average of about $7,000 in total net savings over the 25-year system lifespan.

Kansas Solar Incentives

With no state tax credit or solar power rebates to speak of, solar incentives in Kansas are few in number, making the state considerably less competitive in the solar market than some neighboring states.

That said, Kansas does have one bright spot in the form of a property tax exemption applied to every solar PV system installed in the state. Considering that home values could increase by upwards of $21,000 over the course of 25 years, the freedom to not pay any taxes on that increase represents hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of savings. That may not seem like much, but it’s a good start.

Kansas Solar Policy Information

As to solar policy, Kansas doesn’t offer much more good news. At 13 cents per kWh, the state’s utility rates are about on par with the national average, making solar a potentially viable option; however, the state’s voluntary net metering policy, a policy originally designed to credit solar users for the surplus energy their systems produce, assigns zero penalties for utility companies that don’t comply.

Kansas Solar Statistics

To date, the State of Kansas has had more than 78 megawatts of solar energy installed across the state — with utility-funded solar farm projects accounting for the vast majority of that number. Solar energy current accounts for 0.12 percent of the state’s total energy output, and at more than 800 total solar installation projects, the state has enough solar energy to power approximately 11,600 homes. Forty solar companies operate in Kansas, accounting for nearly 900 jobs.

Interested in a solar quote? Check out the top-ranked solar companies in Kansas and read reviews from verified solar customers.

Sources

  • solarpowerrocks.com/kansas/
  • solarreviews.com/solar-panels/kansas
  • seia.org/state-solar-policy/kansas-solar
  • solar-nation.org/kansas
  • solaractionalliance.org/solar-panel-installation/kansas/

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