The cost of solar panels in Howard County, IA (2024)

Updated Jul 23, 2024

  • You'll pay an average of $15,210 to install a 5 kilowatt solar panel system in Howard County, IA, before incentives.

  • The federal investment tax credit (ITC) lowers that price by 30% of all your solar equipment and installation costs.

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Written by: Emily Walker

As of July 2024, the average solar panel system costs $3.04/W including installation in Howard County, IA. For a 5 kW installation, this comes out to about $15,210 before incentives, though prices range from $12,928 to $17,492. After the federal tax credit, the average price drops by 30%.

Average price of a 5 kW solar panel installation in Howard County, IA

Good Price
$12,928 or less
Market Average
$15,210
High Price
$17,492 or more

You'll probably pay even less than what we show here. It doesn't include the federal ITC or Howard County, IA state incentives, which will lower this price by at least a few thousand dollars.

Your solar panel cost depends on your system's size

It may seem obvious but larger solar panel systems cost more money. We use cost per watt ($/W) so you can easily compare quotes, controlling for slight variations in system size.

While a 5 kW system will only cost you $15,210 in Howard County, IA, doubling the system size effectively doubles the price, so you'll pay about twice that for a 10 kW system. The higher the price tag, though, the more you'll get back as a credit towards your federal tax bill.

Average solar cost by system size in Howard County, IA

System Size
System Cost
System Cost (after ITC)
3 kW$9,126$6,388
4 kW$12,168$8,518
5 kW$15,210$10,647
6 kW$18,252$12,776
7 kW$21,294$14,906
8 kW$24,336$17,035
9 kW$27,378$19,165
10 kW$30,420$21,294

Are solar panels worth it in Howard County, IA?

Solar panels are worth it in most areas, including Howard County, IA. Certain factors, including the cost of electricity, incentives, climate, and the angle at which the sun hits your roof impact how quickly you break even on your investment relative to other areas around the U.S. 

If you pay for your system with cash, you'll save about $21,833 over 20 years on electricity costs with a 5 kW system in Howard County, IA. We generate this estimate based on real solar quote data from our Marketplace. It considers your system's cost, the federal tax credit, and inflation rates.

Payback Period
10.83 Years
20-Year Savings
$21,833
Cost-per-Watt
$3.04

If you can't shell out $15,210 in cash to pay for solar, don't sweat it. You can choose to finance your system with a loan instead. Some companies even offer $0-down loans so you can start saving on day one if your loan payments are less than your current electric bills. Just keep in mind that your long-term savings will be lower with a loan due to interest rates.

Find out what solar panels cost in your area in 2024
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The numbers we're showing are averages. The price you'll pay for solar depends on many factors unique to you and your home:

If you're looking for solar companies in IA, here are some popular suggestions:

  • All Energy Solar
    Multi-state
    Established 2009
    Elite+ Installer
    Our team of industry professionals have been focused on providing long term, trusted relationships since 2009. O...
    Elite+ Installer
    Screened & Verified

    Our team of industry professionals have been focused on providing long term, trusted relationships since 2009. O...
  • Wolf River Electric
    Multi-state
    Established 2014
    Elite Installer
    Here at Wolf River Electric customer service and satisfaction is our number one priority because with out you we ...
    Elite Installer
    Screened & Verified
    4.5 /5.0
    99 Reviews

    Here at Wolf River Electric customer service and satisfaction is our number one priority because with out you we ...
  • Eagle Point Solar
    Dubuque, IA
    Established 2010
    Elite Installer
    Serving Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin
    Proven results in Residential, Agricultural, Commercial, Academic, Municipal...
    Elite Installer
    Screened & Verified
    4.0 /5.0
    5 Reviews

    Serving Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin
    Proven results in Residential, Agricultural, Commercial, Academic, Municipal...
  • CB SOLAR INC
    Des Moines, IA
    Established 2013
    Approved Installer
    We are a turn-key solar installation company servicing all of Iowa. Exclusively in the solar industry for over 1...
    Approved Installer
    Screened & Verified
    5.0 /5.0
    7 Reviews

    We are a turn-key solar installation company servicing all of Iowa. Exclusively in the solar industry for over 1...
  • SolQ
    Hills, IA
    Established 2021
    Advanced Installer
    After working for other solar providers for nearly a decade running the Sales, Project Management, and Service de...
    Advanced Installer
    Screened & Verified
    5.0 /5.0
    5 Reviews

    After working for other solar providers for nearly a decade running the Sales, Project Management, and Service de...

Solar is a major purchase, but you can get the price tag to come down a bit by being an educated shopper. Taking advantage of incentives and rebates and shopping around for quotes can bring down your cost of solar in Howard County, IA.

Take advantage of federal and local solar incentives

As long as your federal tax bill is high enough, you can take advantage of the federal tax credit in Howard County, IA. This incentive allows you to apply 30% of your solar installation and equipment costs toward your federal tax bill. If the amount exceeds your tax bill, you can roll over the remaining credit to the following year. Many states also offer great local incentives and rebates.

Get quotes from multiple installers

Comparing multiple solar quotes can save you money through competition and transparency. Each additional quote you receive for solar will help you find the right solar panel system at the right price.

This is where EnergySage can help. With funding from the Department of Energy’s SunShot Prize, EnergySage opened the country’s first (and now the largest) marketplace for home solar panel installations. We gather custom solar quotes from local installers on your behalf and put them in an easy-to-compare format. When you compare quotes for solar panels on the EnergySage Marketplace, you can expect to see prices up to 20% lower than if you work with a single solar company.

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