Free Solar Cost Calculator for Midwest Homes

What You'll See

Enter your address in the calculator above and answer a few questions about your home. You'll see an estimate range, and we can follow up with an exact design.

Every solar estimate comes down to two numbers: system size in kilowatts (kW) and price per watt. Size depends on your yearly electricity use and how much each kW of panels makes where you live. Price depends on your state, your roof and the equipment.

Have a recent electric bill handy. If it shows 12 months of use in kilowatt-hours (kWh), add them up. A full year is a better starting point than one month, because Midwest homes use very different amounts of power in July and January.

Expect a range, not a single number. Two homes with the same bill can need different systems if one roof faces south with open sky and the other faces east under tall trees.

How We Estimate: Assumptions by State

These are the figures behind the sample results on this page. For Minnesota and Wisconsin, price per watt comes from our own 2026 contracts: roof-mounted home systems without a battery, ground mount, trenching or panel upgrade, signed June to October 2026. The range shown is the middle half of those contracts. For the other states, we use published market averages.

Price per Watt

Most of our Minnesota systems are 8 to 12 kW, and most of our Wisconsin systems are 6.5 to 10.5 kW. For full state breakdowns, see our cost pages for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Production per kW

Production is how many kWh each kW of panels makes in a year. Minnesota Power says a 1 kW system in Minnesota typically generates about 1,200 kWh per year. We use that figure for the Minnesota example below.

For Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota, we don't publish one statewide number. Production changes with location, roof direction, tilt and shade, so an exact design models your roof at your address. To check a production number yourself, use PVWatts, the free model from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Laboratory of the Rockies. It works from a street address or ZIP code.

The Math

• Yearly kWh divided by production per kW = system size in kW
• System size in watts times price per watt = price before incentives
• System size in watts divided by panel wattage = number of panels

Sample Results for MN, WI and IA Homes

These are examples, not quotes. They use the figures above and 400-watt panels. Your roof, utility and equipment will change the numbers.

Example 1: A Minnesota Home Using 12,000 kWh a Year

• Size: 12,000 kWh divided by 1,200 kWh per kW = 10 kW
• Price: 10,000 watts times $2.70 to $3.15 per watt = $27,000 to $31,500. At our median of about $2.93, that's about $29,300.
• Panels: 10,000 watts divided by 400 watts = 25 panels
• Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards, if you're enrolled: 12,000 kWh times $0.05 = about $600 a year for 10 years, while funding lasts
• Prepaid lease: Wolf River Electric customers typically see about 30% off the list price, or about $20,500 on a $29,300 system

Example 2: A Wisconsin Home With an 8 kW Design

Say the production model for a Wisconsin roof shows that 8 kW covers the home's yearly use. That sits in the middle of the range most of our Wisconsin customers buy.

• Price: 8,000 watts times $3.00 to $3.30 per watt = $24,000 to $26,400. At our median of about $3.09, that's about $24,700.
• Panels: 8,000 watts divided by 400 watts = 20 panels
• Focus on Energy, if you buy: 8 kW times $600 = $4,800, but the rebate caps at $2,400. That brings the price to about $22,300.

Example 3: An Iowa Home With a 13.4 kW Design

EnergySage's typical Iowa system is 13.4 kW, so this example uses that size and EnergySage's Iowa average price.

• Price: 13,400 watts times $3.26 per watt = about $43,700
• Panels: 13,400 watts divided by 400 watts = 33.5, so about 34 panels
• Iowa breaks: no sales tax on solar equipment, and the added value is exempt from property tax for 5 years if you file with your assessor. Iowa's state solar tax credit ended after 2021.

Size comes first and the rest follows from it, so your yearly kWh matters more than any other number you enter.

Incentives Included

The sample results above show prices before incentives, with the incentives that apply listed under each one. When we turn an estimate into an exact design, these are the incentives we check for your address.

Not Included: the 30% Federal Homeowner Credit

The Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for systems installed after Dec 31, 2025. A system counts when installation is completed, so a system paid for in 2025 but installed in 2026 gets no credit. If yours was installed in 2025, you claim it on IRS Form 5695 with your 2025 return. Our solar tax credit guide has the details.

Leases work differently. The leasing company can claim the commercial credit (Section 48E) and pass the savings to you, which is why Wolf River Electric customers on a prepaid lease typically see about 30% off the list price. See financing options.

State and Utility Incentives

• Minnesota: Net metering for systems under 40 kW, with credits at the average retail energy rate. Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards pays $0.05 per kWh produced for 10 years on 2026 residential enrollments, with system size capped at 120% of yearly use and limited funding. Battery incentives: Xcel pays $175 per kWh ($370 income-qualified), up to $5,000; other utilities through the state program pay $250 per kWh, up to $7,000. The battery must be paired with solar and be 50 kWh or less. Solar equipment is exempt from sales tax, and the value solar adds is exempt from property tax. More in our Minnesota incentives guide.
• Wisconsin: Focus on Energy pays $600 per kW, up to $2,400, for homeowners who buy (not leases). Apply within 60 days of the system running and by Jan 31, 2027. Solar is exempt from sales tax and property tax. Buyback rules vary by utility. See our Wisconsin incentives guide.
• Iowa: MidAmerican and Alliant customers choose net billing (kWh credits) or inflow-outflow billing (dollar credits at the outflow rate). Sales tax exemption on equipment, plus the 5-year property tax exemption above.
• South Dakota: No statewide net metering; exports earn avoided-cost rates. For systems under 5 MW, 70% of assessed value or $50,000, whichever is greater, is exempt from property tax. No state solar tax credit.
• Illinois and North Dakota: See our Illinois incentives guide and the 2026 Midwest incentives guide.

Estimate vs. a Real Quote

A calculator can't see your roof up close. An exact design checks the things that move the price:

• Roof size, direction, tilt and condition, and where shade falls through the year
• Whether your main electrical panel can take the system or needs an upgrade
• A ground mount and trenching, if the roof isn't the best spot
• A battery, if you want backup power (see battery storage)
• Your utility's rules for hookup and buyback
• The panels and inverters that fit your roof and budget

Our contract ranges above leave out batteries, ground mounts, trenching and panel upgrades, so those add to the price when a home needs them.

Wolf River Electric is licensed in every state we serve and is a NABCEP-certified company. Residential installs come with our 25-year workmanship warranty, including roof leaks, and manufacturer warranties cover the equipment itself.

Other Calculators

Want a second opinion? We compared six free tools, including PVWatts, Google Project Sunroof and EnergySage, in our guide to the best solar calculators. Use PVWatts if you only want a production number. If another calculator shows a much lower price, check whether it still subtracts the 30% federal credit.

Sources: Wolf River Electric contract data (June to October 2026); EnergySage (October 2026; South Dakota September 2026); SolarReviews (North Dakota, 2026); Minnesota Power, SolarSense FAQ; National Laboratory of the Rockies, PVWatts; U.S. Department of Energy; IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit and Form 5695; Minnesota Department of Commerce; Xcel Energy, Solar*Rewards; Focus on Energy; Wis. Stat. 70.111(18); Iowa Code 476.49; South Dakota Public Utilities Commission and Department of Revenue.