Annual report ranks the 50 states by friendliness to rooftop solar

Solar Power Rocks (SPR), the nation's most comprehensive source of information for homeowners about state and national solar policy, incentives, and financial estimates, has released its 2019 State Solar Power Rankings Report.

The Report is a ranking of the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on their friendliness to residential solar installations. Each state is awarded letter grades for 12 factors that contribute to overall solar-friendliness, including renewable energy mandates, tax breaks and available solar incentives. The factors are weighted by their importance and overall A-through-F grades are tallied for each state.

"2019 is shaping up to be a watershed year for solar power in the United States," said Ben Zientara, SPR's lead policy analyst. "The industry weathered 2018's tariffs on solar equipment, and now, facing the beginning of the end for the federal solar tax credits, several states have taken the lead in ensuring a positive future for solar homeowners."

As part of its yearly report, SPR staff calculates example return-on-investment numbers for each state. New for 2019, the calculations are based on average household electricity usage numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and estimates of solar production from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's PVWatts tool.

The numbers provide customized estimates of average system size for each state, allowing SPR to more accurately provide projections for simple payback time, Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value.

For 2019, the top 5 solar states are Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Washington, DC. More information can be found at the report page on the Solar Power Rocks website: https://www.solarpowerrocks.com/state-solar-power-rankings/

2019 marks the 11th anniversary of the State Solar Power Rankings Report, and a continuing dedication to provide homeowners with an invaluable resource as they decide whether solar is right for them.

Since 2007, Solar Power Rocks has helped homeowners around the United States understand the unique financial and logistical aspects of installing solar panels. The site is dedicated to educating people about solar technology and state-level policy, in order to spread the message that solar is a viable source of energy for everyone and state governments have a vital role to play in encouraging solar adoption.