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Solar panels in Omaha, Nebraska: output, savings and payback

Solar panels in Omaha produce about 1,480 kWh a year for each kW installed, 2% less than the average of the 400 US cities in our data (1,517 kWh). Among the 2 Nebraska cities we cover, it ranks 2nd of 2 for solar output, against an average there of 1,501 kWh.

Nebraska’s average residential electricity price for January to August 2026 was 12.92¢ per kWh, 5.27¢ below the US average of 18.19¢, according to the Energy Information Administration.

For a home using the US average of 899 kWh a month, a 7.3 kW system would cover a year’s use and save about $1,394 in its first year, or $47,517 over 25 years. With the average sunshine of the 400 US cities in our data, the same home would need a 7.1 kW system. Because Omaha gets less sun, it needs 3% more capacity to cover the same use, so at any price per watt the system costs 3% more and pays for itself later.

There is no verified US installed-price figure yet, so add the price per watt from your installer’s quote in the calculator below to see the payback period for Omaha.

A typical home in Omaha

System size
7.3 kW
Sized to cover 10,788 kWh a year
First-year generation
10,788 kWh
First-year savings
$1,394
At 12.92¢ per kWh
Savings over 25 years
$47,517
Prices rising 3% a year
Payback
Needs your quote
No verified US installed price yet: enter yours below

Assumes all the electricity the panels make is used at home, up to the home’s yearly use, and that panel output falls 0.5% a year. Power sent to the grid is counted at zero.

How Omaha compares

Omaha compared with the Nebraska and US averages
OmahaNebraska averageUS average
Solar output, kWh per kW a year1,4801,5011,517
Electricity price per kWh12.92¢12.92¢18.19¢
System size for a typical home7.3 kW7.2 kW7.1 kW
First-year savings$1,394$1,394$1,962

Averages are of the 2 places in Nebraska and the 400 US cities in our data, unweighted. The US column uses the US average price as well as the average sunshine.

Your home in Omaha

All amounts in US dollars.

Your home

Sets how much electricity each kW of panels makes in a year at your location.

kWh per month

Check your utility bill: most show monthly kWh. Average your last 12 months if you can.

cents per kWh

Starts at the Nebraska residential average for January to August 2026. Your bill shows your own rate.

Solar system
kW

Leave blank to size the panels to cover your yearly use, or enter the size on your quote.

Installed price
$per W

Enter the price from your installer quote to see cost, payback and return. Your quote divided by the system size in watts (for example, a 6 kW system is 6,000 W).

Assumptions you can change
% per year

Starts at 0.5%, the median of nearly 2,000 reported rates in an NREL review.

% per year

A scenario, not a forecast. Try 0% and 5% to see how much it matters.

%

Share of the panels’ output your home uses as it is made. 100% assumes all of it offsets power you would otherwise buy, up to your annual use.

A battery only adds savings when you use less than 100% of your solar power directly. Lower “Used directly at home” under assumptions to model that.

Results

Payback period

Add your installer’s quoted price to see payback

First-year savings
$1,394
Savings over 25 years
$47,517
System size
7.3 kW
Sized to cover your yearly use
First-year generation
10,788 kWh
Cumulative savings over 25 yearsAdd your quoted price to compare against the cost.
Year-by-year table
Generation and savings for each of the 25 years
YearGeneration (kWh)Price per kWhSaved that yearSaved so far
110,788$0.129$1,394$1,394
210,734$0.133$1,428$2,822
310,680$0.137$1,464$4,286
410,627$0.141$1,500$5,787
510,574$0.145$1,538$7,324
610,521$0.150$1,576$8,900
710,468$0.154$1,615$10,515
810,416$0.159$1,655$12,170
910,364$0.164$1,696$13,866
1010,312$0.169$1,738$15,605
1110,261$0.174$1,782$17,386
1210,209$0.179$1,826$19,212
1310,158$0.184$1,871$21,083
1410,107$0.190$1,918$23,001
1510,057$0.195$1,965$24,966
1610,007$0.201$2,014$26,981
179,957$0.207$2,064$29,045
189,907$0.214$2,116$31,161
199,857$0.220$2,168$33,329
209,808$0.227$2,222$35,551
219,759$0.233$2,277$37,828
229,710$0.240$2,334$40,162
239,662$0.248$2,392$42,554
249,613$0.255$2,451$45,005
259,565$0.263$2,512$47,517

Savings count only electricity your home no longer buys. Power sent to the grid is valued at zero. Grid emissions data has not been verified yet, so no carbon figure is shown. See the methodology for every formula and source.

Nearby cities

CityDistancekWh per kW a yearPrice per kWhSystem sizeFirst-year savings
Kansas City, Missouri168 miles1,48614.28¢7.3 kW$1,541
Minneapolis, Minnesota292 miles1,38516.44¢7.8 kW$1,774
Tulsa, Oklahoma355 miles1,49913.81¢7.2 kW$1,490
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma408 miles1,57413.81¢6.9 kW$1,490
Milwaukee, Wisconsin432 miles1,37919.05¢7.8 kW$2,055

Solar panels in Omaha: questions

How much electricity do solar panels produce in Omaha, Nebraska?
About 1,480 kWh a year for each kW of panels, for a roof-mounted, south-facing array at a 30° tilt with 14% system losses (PVWatts). A 7.3 kW system would make about 10,788 kWh in its first year. Shade, a different roof angle or an east or west-facing roof will change this.
How much could solar panels save in Omaha, Nebraska?
At Nebraska’s average residential price of 12.92¢ per kWh, a 7.3 kW system sized for an average US home would save about $1,394 in its first year and $47,517 over 25 years. That assumes the home uses all the power the panels make, electricity prices rise 3% a year and panel output falls 0.5% a year. Power sent to the grid is counted at zero. At the US average price of 18.19¢, the first-year figure would be $1,962.
How long do solar panels take to pay back in Omaha, Nebraska?
It depends on the installed price on your quote, which varies by installer and system, and we do not have a verified US average to use. Enter your quote in the calculator on this page: Omaha’s solar output and Nebraska’s electricity price are already filled in. Every $0.10 per watt adds about $730 to the price of a 7.3 kW system.
What do homes in Omaha, Nebraska pay for electricity?
Nebraska’s average residential price for January to August 2026 was 12.92¢ per kWh, against 18.19¢ for the US as a whole (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B). Your own rate depends on your utility and plan, so use the figure from your bill in the calculator if you can.
How does Omaha compare with nearby cities?
Of the 5 nearest cities we cover, Oklahoma City (408 miles away) gets the most sun at 1,574 kWh per kW, and Milwaukee (432 miles away) the least at 1,379 kWh. Omaha gets 1,480 kWh. Within Nebraska, it ranks 2nd of the 2 cities we cover.
Where do these figures come from?
Solar output is from the PVWatts V8 tool for Omaha’s coordinates in the Census Bureau Gazetteer, checked on 2026-11-11. The electricity price is the EIA residential average for Nebraska for January to August 2026, and household use is the EIA average for US homes. Each figure is listed with its source link at the bottom of this page.

Sources for this page

  • Solar output for Omaha: developer.nlr.gov (checked 2026-11-11)PVWatts V8.5.0 outputs.ac_annual for a 1 kW system. Weather data: 718965.csv, station at 41.25, -96.05999755859375 (1,522 m away).
  • Nebraska electricity price: www.eia.gov (checked 2026-11-11)Nebraska, residential sector, year-to-date through August 2026. Published as 12.92 cents per kilowatthour.
  • US average price: www.eia.gov (checked 2026-11-11)U.S. Total, residential sector, year-to-date through August 2026. Published as 18.19 cents per kilowatthour.
  • Typical household use: www.eia.gov (checked 2026-11-10)Average annual electricity sold to a U.S. residential utility customer in 2022: 10,791 kWh ("an average of about 899 kWh per month").
  • Panel output loss: docs.nlr.gov (checked 2026-11-10)Median of nearly 2,000 reported degradation rates: "a median value of 0.5%/year" (average 0.8%/year).
  • Location: www2.census.gov (checked 2026-11-10)Census Gazetteer INTPTLAT/INTPTLONG (internal point) for GEOID 3137000, "Omaha city".

Methods and every other figure are on the methodology page.