How Much Does Solar Cost in Central Oregon?
The cost of solar depends on your home, your energy usage, and which incentives you qualify for. Explore the factors that shape the cost of a solar installation and go into the conversation with a clear picture.
What Goes Into the Cost
The cost of a residential solar system is shaped by several factors specific to your home and your energy needs. These include the size of the system (based on how much power you use), the type and number of panels, inverter equipment, electrical and structural engineering, labor, and permitting from local jurisdictions. Roof pitch, orientation, shading, and the condition of your electrical panel can also affect the scope of work and the final price.
Because every home is different, two houses on the same street can end up with different system sizes and different costs. That's why we start with your power bill and design a system around your actual usage rather than a one-size-fits-all package.
Understanding Your Return
Solar is a long-term investment, and the return builds over time. Once your system is installed, the energy it produces offsets the power you would otherwise buy from your utility. In Central Oregon, that means your system is working hardest during the long, sunny summer months, building up net metering credits you can draw on in the winter.
Most homeowners see their system pay for itself within several years, depending on system size, energy usage, and the incentives they take advantage of. After that point, the energy your panels produce is essentially free for the remaining life of the system, which is typically 25 to 40 years.
Incentives That Bring Down Your Cost
Oregon offers several programs that can significantly reduce your upfront cost. The Oregon Solar and Storage Rebate Program, administered by the Oregon Department of Energy, can lower your cost further, and Oregon's property tax exemption ensures that adding solar to your home won't raise your property taxes.
As an Energy Trust of Oregon Trade Ally, Sunlight Solar helps eligible Pacific Power customers access Energy Trust cash incentives. For homes on Central Electric Cooperative or another local utility, we walk you through net metering and the programs that apply to your situation. These incentives can stack, which is why two homes of similar size can land at very different net costs.
Average Costs
Typical household using 10,500 kWh/year
System Size
Number of Panels
Panel Size
Gross Project Cost
30% Tax Credit
Net Cost
9.6 kW
24 panels
400 watts each
$33,600
$10,080
$23,520
All values are general estimates and will vary at each branch.