Is solar worth it in Wisconsin?
A 7.0 kW rooftop system near Milwaukee produces about 9,339 kWh a year. Priced against 27 current residential tariffs in Wisconsin, payback runs from 11 years on the best of them to 39 on the worst.
Why the tariff matters more than the panels
Two households in Wisconsin with identical roofs and identical systems can see paybacks 11 and 39 years apart, purely because they are on different tariffs. Solar produces at midday; households consume in the evening. Only 54% of what these panels make is used as it is made — the rest is exported, and what an exported kWh earns is set by the tariff and by state net metering rules, not by the hardware.
That is why the figures here are computed hour by hour against each real tariff rather than by taking a bill and assuming solar removes a share of it. How this is modeled →
Payback by tariff in Wisconsin
7.0 kW system at $3.00/W, household using 1000 kWh a month, no incentives. A range means the export credit is not filed with the tariff and the outcome depends on net metering rules — 25 of 27 tariffs here belong to a utility that reports residential net metering.
| Utility | Tariff | Structure | Annual saving | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential (Single-Phase) Rg 1 | Flat | $990–$1,830 | 11–21y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential (Three-Phase) Rg 1 | Flat | $929–$1,717 | 12–23y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Farm (Single-Phase) Fg 1 | Flat | $929–$1,717 | 12–23y |
| Village of Waunakee, Wisconsin | Residential | Flat | $907–$1,676 | 13–23y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential Time-of-Use (Single-Phase, Option A) Rg 2 | Time-of-use | $1,007–$1,639 | 13–21y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential Time-of-Use (Three-Phase, Option A) Rg 2 | Time-of-use | $1,007–$1,639 | 13–21y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential Time-of-Use (Single-Phase, Option B) Rg 2 | Time-of-use | $934–$1,629 | 13–22y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential Time-of-Use (Three-Phase, Option B) Rg 2 | Time-of-use | $934–$1,629 | 13–22y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential Time-of-Use (Single-Phase, Option C) Rg 2 | Time-of-use | $844–$1,610 | 13–25y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential Time-of-Use (Three-Phase, Option C) Rg 2 | Time-of-use | $844–$1,610 | 13–25y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential Time-of-Use (Single-Phase, Option D) Rg 2 | Time-of-use | $761–$1,587 | 13–28y |
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Residential Time-of-Use (Three-Phase, Option D) Rg 2 | Time-of-use | $761–$1,587 | 13–28y |
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Residential Service Rg-1 (Single Phase) | Flat | $830–$1,534 | 14–25y |
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Residential Service Rg-1 (Three Phase) | Flat | $830–$1,534 | 14–25y |
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Residential Time-of-Use Rg-5 (Single Phase) | Time-of-use | $755–$1,513 | 14–28y |
Price it for your own usage and system size →
What would change this
Your roof. Production is modeled for Milwaukee on a south-facing array at 20° tilt. Shading, orientation and pitch all move it, and solar resource varies within Wisconsin itself.
Your usage pattern. A household at home during the day self-consumes more and exports less, which shortens payback wherever export credit is poor.
Rising rates. These figures hold today's prices flat. Electricity prices have been rising, and every rise shortens payback — so treat these as a conservative bound.
State and local incentives. Not included here, and in some states they are worth more than the federal credit was. Check your state energy office before deciding.