MO · Solar

Solar Panel Cost in Missouri (2026)

Compare quotes from vetted Missouri solar installers - average ~$2.85/W before incentives. Free, no obligation, ~2 minutes.

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7.5 kW
Average system size
$2.85/W
Average cost (USD)
11 yrs
Average payback
90+
Local installers

Why solar in Missouri

Missouri is unusual in a way that helps and unusual in a way that costs money, and most guides get the second part wrong. The helpful part is that the Net Metering and Easy Connection Act, Section 386.890 RSMo, reaches every kind of utility here. Regulated investor-owned utilities, municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives all have to offer net metering for systems of 100 kW or less, so unlike most states advice actually travels between Missouri towns. The costly part is the property tax exemption almost every solar guide still promises: on August 9, 2022 the Missouri Supreme Court held in Johnson v. Springfield Solar 1, LLC that the exemption for solar energy systems not held for resale under Section 137.100(10) is unconstitutional. Add the 30 percent federal Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D expiring for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, and two of the three incentives people expect in Missouri are no longer there.

Incentives & rebates

Net metering: Net metering under the Easy Connection Act (Sec. 386.890 RSMo)

Missouri's Net Metering and Easy Connection Act, Section 386.890 RSMo, establishes standards for interconnecting qualified net metering units of 100 kW or less. It applies to all regulated electric utilities, to municipal electric utilities and to rural electric cooperatives, which are required to adopt policies establishing a simple contract for interconnection and net metering. Standard residential tariffs apply a retail-rate offset for in-period consumption, with year-end surplus reconciled at avoided cost rather than retail. For systems of ten kilowatts or less the application uses an all-in-one document combining a simple interconnection request, simple procedures and a brief set of terms and conditions, and the utility must review and respond within 30 days; for larger systems up to 100 kW the response window is 90 days.

Related Missouri resources

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How payback works in Missouri

System cost
$21,375
Estimated net cost
$21,375
Estimated payback
~13.2 years
25-year net savings
~$19,125

These figures are illustrative; your actual quote reflects your roof, sun exposure, and local utility rates.

Cities we serve in Missouri

8cities with vetted local solar + battery installers.

Frequently asked questions

How much do solar panels cost in Missouri?
Missouri solar averages roughly $2.85 per watt installed. The 30 percent federal Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D expired for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a cash or loan purchase no longer receives it. Check any quote line by line rather than trusting a summary figure.
What incentives are available in Missouri?
Fewer than most guides claim. Net metering under the Easy Connection Act is the main one, applying to investor-owned, municipal and cooperative utilities alike for systems of 100 kW or less. The federal residential credit has ended, utility rebates have largely been discontinued, and the state property tax exemption was held unconstitutional in 2022.
Does Missouri exempt solar from property tax?
Not reliably. On August 9, 2022 the Missouri Supreme Court held in Johnson v. Springfield Solar 1, LLC that the exemption under Section 137.100(10) is unconstitutional, and the State Tax Commission has issued guidance to assessors since. Most guides have not caught up. Ask your county assessor how residential solar is assessed at your address.
Is solar worth it in Missouri?
It depends on arithmetic done without the incentives people assume. Typical payback is around 11 years, and that calculation should be built on net metering and avoided electricity purchases alone, with any rebate verified with your utility first and no property tax exemption assumed.