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Solar payback in Salt Lake City, without the tax credit
Most solar calculators still assume the 30% federal credit. It is gone for purchased systems in 2026, Utah's credit ended in 2024, and Rocky Mountain Power pays only 4–6¢ for exported power. Enter your bill and see the real payback for buying versus leasing.
Enter your average monthly bill to see buy vs lease payback for a Salt Lake City roof.
When solar still pencils in Salt Lake City
Three things make Utah solar work in 2026: using the power when it is made (a daytime-heavy house or a heat pump), storing it (a battery, which Wattsmart subsidizes), or displacing a lot of usage (an EV). Without one of those, cheap grid power and low export credits stretch payback past the point most households care about. That is not a reason to skip solar; it is a reason to run your own numbers before an installer runs theirs.
Hous.io is paid by homeowners, not installers, so this page can tell you when solar does not pencil. If it does, get competing quotes and compare them on dollars per watt.
Questions Utah homeowners ask
- Is the solar tax credit gone in 2026?
- For homeowners who buy a system, yes. The 30% federal residential credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Utah's state credit phased out after 2024. Leased systems and PPAs are owned by the installer, who can still claim the commercial credit (Section 48E), which is why $0-down offers still exist.
- How does Rocky Mountain Power pay for the power I export?
- Under net billing, surplus power you send to the grid is credited at roughly 4 to 6 cents per kWh, far below the 12 cents or so you pay to buy it. Solar in Utah therefore pays best when you use the power as it is made, or store it in a battery. Rocky Mountain Power's Wattsmart battery program pays $400 per kW of capacity, up to $2,000, plus a small annual payment.
- Is solar worth it in Salt Lake City in 2026?
- Sometimes. With cheap Utah power, no credits and low export rates, a purchased system often takes 14 to 20 years to pay back unless your usage is high and daytime-heavy. It pencils better with a battery, an EV, or a heat pump, and worse for a small bill. The calculator shows your number instead of a national average.
- What should a Salt Lake City solar quote cost per watt?
- National average installed cost is about $2.56 per watt before any credit. Utah quotes often come in a little under that. Compare every quote on $/W, confirm the production estimate is for your roof, and under Utah's 2025 solar consumer-protection law (HB 57) make sure the retailer is registered with the Division of Consumer Protection.
More free Utah checks
Sources
- EnergySage: the federal solar tax credit explained (25D expiry)
- Gardner Energy: Net metering in Utah 2026, how Rocky Mountain Power net billing works
- Fortress Power: Rocky Mountain Power Wattsmart battery program
- Utah Division of Consumer Protection: residential solar panel retailer registration (HB 57)
Hous.io is built in Salt Lake City and paid by homeowners, not by utilities, insurers or installers. Numbers on this page are estimates from public data and what you enter. Check them against your own bill.