Idaho solar in numbers, 2024
Every figure below is computed by us from the Form EIA-861 annual files. Ranks are out of 51 jurisdictions, highest first.
| Measure | Idaho | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Households with a metered rooftop system22,899 systems across 868,141 residential accounts | 2.64% | 20th of 51 |
| Average system sizeNational average 6.74 kW | 6.5 kW | 39th of 51 |
| Residential priceDerived average across the state, not a tariff | 11.52¢/kWh | 50th of 51 |
| Consumption per accountWhat a system here is typically sized against | 11,326 kWh/yr | 21st of 51 |
| Systems with a battery465 paired systems | 2.03% | 20th of 51 |
| Third-party ownedLeased or under a power purchase agreement | 0.0% | 35th of 51 |
| Five-year growth2,631 systems added in 2024 | 29.5%/yr | 18th of 51 |
| Installed capacityResidential net-metered capacity | 148.8 MW | — |
What the adoption figure means
Adoption sits comfortably above the national middle, so there is generally a working installer market to choose between.
Residential electricity in Idaho averaged 11.52¢ per kilowatt-hour in 2024, 50th of 51 and below the national average of 16.48¢. Among the cheapest residential electricity in the country. That is the most common reason solar struggles to pay back here, whatever the sunshine. Prices and adoption across all 51.
System size and consumption
The average Idaho system was 6.5 kW in 2024, ranking 39th of 51. Households consumed an average of 11,326 kilowatt-hours a year (21st of 51) — the figure a system here is sized against.
Size your own system from your own kilowatt-hours, not from this average — how to do that.
Who owns the systems
0.0% of Idaho systems were third-party owned in 2024 — leased or under a power purchase agreement rather than owned by the householder. That is 35th of 51.
Outright ownership dominates, so purchase and loan offers will make up most of what you see. Who claims the federal credit · ownership across all 51.
Battery attachment
2.03% of Idaho solar systems were paired with a battery in 2024, 20th of 51 — 465 paired systems.
Attachment runs above the national middle, suggesting storage often earns its place. Attachment across all 51 · does a battery belong in your project.
Where the market is going
Idaho added 2,631 systems in 2024 and has grown at 29.5% a year over five years, 18th of 51. Where growth has turned.
Solar companies and licensing in Idaho
We found no dedicated state licence register for solar work in Idaho, so we publish no company counts rather than guessing. That is not evidence of light regulation — electrical work is frequently licensed at state or local level even where solar is never named separately.
It does have a practical consequence here. With 22,899 systems in the state and adoption 20th of 51, you are working in a market where a search for "Idaho solar licence" will often return nothing useful, and where the company quoting you may be travelling in from out of state. Ask which licence they hold, in which state, and confirm it with that issuing authority rather than accepting a licence number on a proposal. What to do when the search comes back empty.
Method
Figures are computed by HyreSolar from the Form EIA-861 2024 annual files — net-metered residential systems only, penetration counted against residential accounts, sizes as means. EIA publishes the inputs, not these ratios. Full methodology and the underlying CSV.
None of these figures is an estimate for your property. What to work through before you talk to anyone.
Common questions
How many homes in Idaho have solar?
22,899 residential net-metered systems were recorded in Idaho in 2024, against 868,141 residential electricity accounts — 2.64% of households, 20th of 51 jurisdictions. That is a HyreSolar calculation from Form EIA-861.
What size solar system is typical in Idaho?
The average net-metered residential system in Idaho was 6.5 kW in 2024, against a national average of 6.74 kW. Your own system should be sized from twelve months of your kilowatt-hours and your usable roof, not from a state average.
Do people in Idaho add batteries to solar?
2.03% of Idaho systems were paired with storage in 2024, 20th of 51. Battery attachment tracks outage frequency and export rules more than it tracks sunshine.
Is Idaho a good state for solar?
On the measures we can compute: residential electricity averages 11.52¢/kWh (50th of 51), households use 11,326 kWh a year (21st of 51), and 2.64% have installed a system (20th of 51). Retail price and export rules move the answer far more than sunshine does, and both are set by your specific utility rather than by the state.
Source: US EIA, Form EIA-861, 2024 final release, retrieved 2 September 2026. Figures marked as a HyreSolar calculation are derived by us and are not official EIA statistics.