The cost of solar panels in Hilo, HI (2025)

Updated Mar 25, 2025

  • You'll pay an average of $20,173 to install a 5 kilowatt solar panel system in Hilo, HI, before incentives.

  • The federal investment tax credit (ITC) lowers that price by 30% of all your solar equipment and installation costs.

Don't overpay for solar in Hilo

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Written by:Emily Walker

As of April 2025, the average solar panel system costs $4.03/W including installation in Hilo, HI. For a 5 kW installation, this comes out to about $20,173 before incentives, though prices range from $17,147 to $23,199. After the federal tax credit, the average price drops by 30%.

Average price of a 5 kW solar panel installation in Hilo, HI

Good Price
$17,147 or less
Market Average
$20,173
High Price
$23,199 or more

You'll probably pay even less than what we show here. It doesn't include the federal ITC or Hilo, HI state incentives, which will lower this price by at least a few thousand dollars.

Your solar panel cost depends on your system's size

It may seem obvious but larger solar panel systems cost more money. We use cost per watt ($/W) so you can easily compare quotes, controlling for slight variations in system size.

While a 5 kW system will only cost you $20,173 in Hilo, HI, doubling the system size effectively doubles the price, so you'll pay about twice that for a 10 kW system. The higher the price tag, though, the more you'll get back as a credit towards your federal tax bill.

Average solar cost by system size in Hilo, HI

System Size
System Cost
System Cost (after ITC)
3 kW$12,104$8,473
4 kW$16,138$11,297
5 kW$20,173$14,121
6 kW$24,208$16,945
7 kW$28,242$19,770
8 kW$32,277$22,594
9 kW$36,312$25,418
10 kW$40,346$28,242

Are solar panels worth it in Hilo, HI?

Solar panels are worth it in most areas, including Hilo, HI. Certain factors, including the cost of electricity, incentives, climate, and the angle at which the sun hits your roof impact how quickly you break even on your investment relative to other areas around the U.S. 

If you pay for your system with cash, you'll save about $94,603 over 25 years (the warranty term of most solar panels) on electricity costs with a 5 kW system in Hilo, HI. We generate this estimate based on real solar quote data from our Marketplace. It considers your system's cost, the federal tax credit, and inflation rates.

Payback Period
3.23 Years
25-Year Savings
$94,603
Cost-per-Watt
$4.03

If you can't shell out $20,173 in cash to pay for solar, don't sweat it. You can choose to finance your system with a loan instead. Some companies even offer $0-down loans so you can start saving on day one if your loan payments are less than your current electric bills. Just keep in mind that your long-term savings will be lower with a loan due to interest rates.

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The numbers we're showing are averages. The price you'll pay for solar depends on many factors unique to you and your home:

If you're looking for solar companies in HI, here are some popular suggestions:

  • Independent Energy Hawaii
    Honolulu, HI
    Established 2020
    Advanced Installer
    Best-in-class 30yr Warranty! Independent Energy was founded upon a core belief that customers wanting to go solar... 
    Advanced Installer
    Screened & Verified
    5.0 /5.0
    16 Reviews

    Best-in-class 30yr Warranty! Independent Energy was founded upon a core belief that customers wanting to go solar... 
  • Sunspear Energy
    Honolulu, HI
    Established 2017
    Approved Installer
    Sunspear offers premium home energy systems, ensuring our customers have the best performance, aesthetics, and re... 
    Approved Installer
    Screened & Verified
    5.0 /5.0
    9 Reviews

    Sunspear offers premium home energy systems, ensuring our customers have the best performance, aesthetics, and re... 
  • ProVision Solar
    Hilo, HI
    Established 1998
    Approved Installer
    We can help you switch to clean renewable energy and have battery back up in case the grid goes dark. Excellent c... 
    Approved Installer
    Screened & Verified
    5.0 /5.0
    6 Reviews

    We can help you switch to clean renewable energy and have battery back up in case the grid goes dark. Excellent c... 
  • RevoluSun
    Honolulu, HI
    Established 2009
    Approved Installer
    Join 10,000+ Hawaii homeowners and over 200 of Hawaii's most beloved businesses by joining the RevoluSun– Hawaii’... 
    Approved Installer
    Screened & Verified
    5.0 /5.0
    1 Review

    Join 10,000+ Hawaii homeowners and over 200 of Hawaii's most beloved businesses by joining the RevoluSun– Hawaii’... 

Solar is a major purchase, but you can get the price tag to come down a bit by being an educated shopper. Taking advantage of incentives and rebates and shopping around for quotes can bring down your cost of solar in Hilo, HI.

Take advantage of federal and local solar incentives

As long as your federal tax bill is high enough, you can take advantage of the federal tax credit in Hilo, HI. This incentive allows you to apply 30% of your solar installation and equipment costs toward your federal tax bill. If the amount exceeds your tax bill, you can roll over the remaining credit to the following year. Many states also offer great local incentives and rebates.

Get quotes from multiple installers

Comparing multiple solar quotes can save you money through competition and transparency. Each additional quote you receive for solar will help you find the right solar panel system at the right price.

This is where EnergySage can help. With funding from the Department of Energy’s SunShot Prize, EnergySage opened the country’s first (and now the largest) marketplace for home solar panel installations. We gather custom solar quotes from local installers on your behalf and put them in an easy-to-compare format. When you compare quotes for solar panels on the EnergySage Marketplace, you can expect to see prices up to 20% lower than if you work with a single solar company.

As of April 2025, the average solar panel cost in Hilo, HI is $4.03/W. If you install a 5 kW system it will cost you between $17,147 to $23,199, with an average cost of $20,173.

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