Kansas Solar Incentives, Net Metering & Cost (2026)
Written by Aditya Patil · Last updated 2026-09-24
Going solar in the Sunflower State means navigating a net billing policy where energy you export to the grid is valued below retail rates. Here is what you need to know about Kansas solar incentives, Evergy's net metering rules, and the financial reality of home solar.
$164
Avg. monthly bill
15.71¢/kWh
Avg. rate
1041 kWh
Avg. monthly usage
4.31
Peak sun hours
Cost of solar in Kansas
Currently, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Tracking the Sun dataset does not provide a sufficient sample size of recent Kansas residential installations to report a statistically confident state-specific median cost per watt. Nationally, residential solar typically trends around $3.00 to $3.50 per watt before incentives, but your local quotes will dictate the final price.
To offset 100% of an average Kansas household's electricity consumption (12,494 kWh per year), you would need a solar array sized around 8.36 kW. However, due to Kansas's net billing rules, sizing your system precisely for self-consumption — or adding a battery — may yield better financial results than attempting a 100% offset where much of your production is exported at a low rate.
Regardless of your system size, Kansas homeowners are eligible for the federal residential clean energy credit (§25D) through 2025, which allows you to claim 30% of your total solar installation costs against your federal tax liability. Note that this federal tax credit is currently set to drop to 0% for systems completed after December 31, 2025, unless Congress acts to extend it.
Incentives & rebates
Kansas lacks a statewide cash rebate or solar income tax credit. While the state historically offered a generous renewable energy property tax exemption, that program has effectively sunset for new applicants.
| Program | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption (K.S.A. 79-201, Eleventh) | 100% exemption from local property tax on qualifying renewable-energy electric generating property (including solar) for 10 taxable years following completion of construction or installation | closed |
Property Tax Note: The Kansas Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption originally provided a 10-year exemption from local property taxes. However, the statute required owners to file an application or obtain a conditional use permit by December 31, 2016. Because that cutoff was never extended, this exemption is effectively closed to newly built residential systems.
Net metering / export rules
Kansas operates under a net billing framework for solar exports, governed by the Net Metering and Easy Connection Act. This policy is administered by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) and applies mandatorily to investor-owned utilities like Evergy (Kansas Central/Metro) and Liberty Utilities. Municipal utilities and electric cooperatives are exempt but can voluntarily participate.
For any solar system interconnected on or after July 1, 2014, excess electricity sent to the grid is not credited 1-to-1 against retail rates. Instead, the utility credits exported energy at a rate equivalent to at least 100% of their monthly average cost of energy per kilowatt hour. This avoids full retail value and means you will be paid less for exported solar than what you pay to consume grid power. In 2024, legislation (HB 2527) was passed to raise the aggregate cap for these systems in phases from 2% to 5% by July 1, 2027.
| Policy type | Net Billing |
| Eligible utilities | Evergy and Liberty Utilities (opt-in for co-ops/munis) |
| Program cap | Rising from 2% (2024) to 5% (2027) of peak demand |
| Export rate (systems post-July 2014) | At least 100% of utility's monthly average energy cost |
| Export rate (legacy pre-July 2014) | 1:1 retail credit until Jan 1, 2030 |
| Administration | Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) |
Pre-July 1, 2014 systems: exported kWh are carried forward and credited 1:1 against kWh consumed, with unused credits expiring each March 31; this continues only until January 1, 2030. Systems interconnected on or after July 1, 2014, and all systems after January 1, 2030, are instead credited at a dollar rate equal to at least 100% of the utility's own monthly system average cost of energy per kWh (a wholesale-like rate, not the retail rate) -- the exact cents/kWh figure is utility- and month-specific and was not independently obtained from a current Evergy or Liberty Utilities tariff sheet in this research pass.
Top utilities
| Utility | Residential rate | Customers |
|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | 14.29¢/kWh | 341,806 |
| Evergy Kansas South, Inc | 14.25¢/kWh | 302,508 |
| Evergy Metro | 13.13¢/kWh | 244,555 |
Residential rate and customer counts are sourced from EIA-861 data.
Lease vs. buy in Kansas
Choosing between paying cash, taking out a loan, or using a lease or PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) impacts your long-term savings. In a lease or PPA, a third-party company owns the solar panels and claims the federal tax credit directly, selling the electricity (or the use of the panels) back to you. If you own the system, you keep all the electricity and claim the tax credit yourself (if you have the tax liability). Because Kansas utility export credits are low, thoroughly review the escalation rate of any lease or PPA agreement. See our lease vs. buy vs. PPA guide for full details.
Estimate your own numbers
Use the solar calculator with your specific household usage and quotes to model payoff times and expected lifetime savings.
FAQ
Does Kansas have true 1:1 net metering for solar?
No, not for new solar customers. If you interconnect a solar system after July 1, 2014, Kansas investor-owned utilities like Evergy credit your excess exported solar power at a rate equal to their monthly average cost of energy. This wholesale-like rate is considerably lower than the 15.71¢/kWh average retail rate you pay for electricity.
Are there state solar tax credits or rebates in Kansas?
Kansas does not offer a state income tax credit or state cash rebate for going solar. The state does have a renewable energy property tax exemption, but the application window for this specific statute closed for systems built after 2016, so newer installations typically do not qualify.
How much does electricity cost in Kansas?
On average, Kansas residents pay 15.71¢/kWh for electricity. The typical household uses about 1041 kWh per month, resulting in an average monthly electric bill of $164.
Data sources
Last updated 2026-09-24
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Electricity Data Browser — accessed 2026-09-24
- NREL PVWatts — accessed 2026-09-24
- NREL Solar Resource Data — accessed 2026-09-24
- LBNL Tracking the Sun (public data file, host-owned residential systems) — accessed 2026-09-24
Written by Aditya Patil