Washington solar installation & market data
The Washington solar market at a glance.
Washington has about 61,648 solar systems totalling 611.3 MW, as reported by its utilities through July 2026. 44 MW of residential solar was added in the trailing twelve months, down 13.4% on the twelve months before. 3.1% of owner-occupied homes have gone solar and 6.9% of solar customers have a battery. SolarDNA tracks 7,444 individual installations here, with a median residential cost of $3.45 per watt, from 0 installers.
Washington's SolarDNA Market Score: 39 out of 100.
Washington scores 39 out of 100 on SolarDNA's Market Score, a 0-to-100 scale benchmarked against every other state market. That is higher than 49% of U.S. states. Grade C (Good).
The score combines 5 subscores, each computed from observed market data:
- Velocity (37): trailing-12-month growth in solar added versus the prior twelve months, so accelerating markets score higher.
- Cost (67): median installed $/W relative to the national median (a cheaper market scores higher).
- Incentives (35): net-metering coverage, RECs a new system can earn, state tax credit, rebate program and tax exemptions (components listed below).
- Resource (5): annual solar irradiance, so the same system produces more where this score is high.
- Depth (53): proven demand: how many systems are already installed, with a bonus for markets that show adoption without being saturated.
Sales tax exemption for systems up to 100 kW through 2029.
Federal: Federal residential credit (25D) ended for systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025. Third-party-owned systems can still use the commercial credit (48E) through 2027 under construction-start rules.
State-level averages hide wide variation. Here's how to go deeper in the app:
- 1Narrow to a zip codeZip metrics give a far more accurate picture of the exact neighborhoods you are considering.
- 2Apply filtersFilter by score, growth, $/W, adoption and permits to reach the markets that actually match your model.
- 3Benchmark the installersSee who already wins there, how fast they are growing, and what they charge per watt.
How SolarDNA defines these metrics
Solar systems
Solar systems is the market-size figure: the systems utilities report on their lines, plus an estimate (sized from reported capacity) for systems outside net metering. It is current for every state.
How SolarDNA calculates solar systems →Tracked installations
Tracked installations are the individual residential, commercial and utility-scale systems SolarDNA holds a record for. SolarDNA de-duplicates the same system across records. Pricing, installers, equipment and every zip-level figure come from these records.
How SolarDNA calculates tracked installations →Median installed cost
Median installed cost is the middle price per watt (DC) that homeowners paid for a residential system in the trailing twelve months, before incentives. Quartiles show the spread.
How SolarDNA calculates median installed cost →Adoption rate
Adoption rate is the share of owner-occupied homes with a residential solar system. It measures how saturated a market is, not how fast it is growing.
How SolarDNA calculates adoption rate →12-month growth
For a state, growth compares the residential solar capacity added in the trailing twelve months with the twelve months before, from utility-reported totals with one-off reporting corrections smoothed out. For cities and zip codes it compares tracked installations.
How SolarDNA calculates 12-month growth →Battery share
Battery share is the portion of a state's solar customers whose system includes a battery, as reported by utilities.
How SolarDNA calculates battery share →Permits
Permits count the solar building permits filed in the last twelve months. They lead installations by several months, which makes them the earliest read on demand.
How SolarDNA calculates permits →Market Score
SolarDNA's Market Score grades each market from 0 to 100 on solar sales potential, weighing velocity, cost, incentives, solar resource and installer depth. Markets are benchmarked against every other market in the country, and the letter grade is set on a curve: A is the top 10% of markets, C the middle 40%, F the bottom 10%.
How SolarDNA calculates market score →See what a specific Washington zip code looks like
Drop in any Washington zip code and SolarDNA opens its market card: score, installs, median $/W, growth and permits, benchmarked against the state.
Dive deeper into the Washington market
Market size & momentum
Systems, capacity, monthly additions, battery share and solar customers by utility.
- •How many solar systems are there in Washington?
- •Is solar still growing in Washington?
- •Which utility territories are adding the most?
Pricing & economics
Installed $/W, quartiles, system sizes and simple payback.
- •How much does solar cost in Washington?
- •Is $/W falling in Washington?
- •What is the median system size?
Growth & adoption
Installs by year, adoption, TAM penetration and battery attach.
- •Is solar demand growing in Washington?
- •How saturated is the market?
- •How many systems add a battery?
Installers
The league table: volume, momentum, system size and pricing per installer.
- •Who installs the most in Washington?
- •Which installers are growing fastest?
- •What do they charge per watt?
Utilities & incentives
Retail rates by utility, net metering, SREC value and the planned utility pipeline.
- •What are electricity rates in Washington?
- •Which utilities offer net metering?
- •How big is the utility-scale pipeline?
How big Washington's solar market is, and where it is heading
Totals reported by Washington's utilities through July 2026 (latest months are preliminary)
Trailing-12-month residential capacity added carried forward at half the observed growth rate (capped at ±30%), with a ±10% band. Not a forecast of permits or policy.
Solar customers by utility in Washington
Net-metered solar customers through July 2026
| Utility | Solar customers | Capacity | Added, 12 mo | Growth | With battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Energy Inc | 29,749 | 250 MW | 2,910 | ▼ 9.1% | 10.5% |
| City of Seattle - (WA) | 9,453 | 77 MW | 768 | ▲ 6.8% | 2.6% |
| PUD No 1 of Snohomish County - (WA) | 5,526 | 53 MW | 296 | ▼ 35.3% | 9.2% |
| Avista Corp | 5,455 | 39 MW | 0 | — | — |
| PacifiCorp | 4,292 | 59 MW | 422 | ▲ 48.3% | 2.9% |
| PUD No 1 of Clark County - (WA) | 3,354 | 28 MW | 162 | ▼ 26.4% | 6.3% |
| City of Tacoma - (WA) | 3,077 | 22 MW | 112 | ▼ 52.5% | — |
| PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County | 566 | 6 MW | 12 | — | 3.9% |
What solar costs in Washington
Residential systems, trailing twelve months
How fast Washington is going solar
From SolarDNA's installation records, which run through June 4, 2019; current momentum is in the market totals above
Top installers in Washington
Ranked by installations in this state
| # | Installer | Installs | 12-mo | Avg kW | $/W |
|---|
Top zip markets in Washington
Ranked by installations · click for the zip market
| Zip | Installs | $/W | Growth | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98926 Ellensburg | 207 | $2.61 | — | 48.3 B |
| 99301 Pasco | 175 | $3.69 | — | 43 C |
| 98225 Bellingham | 168 | $3.13 | — | 45.6 B |
| 98226 Bellingham | 121 | $2.96 | — | 46.2 B |
| 98908 Yakima | 102 | $2.83 | — | 46.7 B |
| 99337 Kennewick | 85 | $3.69 | — | 42.5 C |
| 98368 Port Townsend | 84 | $4.02 | — | 41 C |
| 98070 Vashon | 80 | $3.64 | — | 42.8 C |
| 99353 West Richland | 78 | $3.45 | — | 43.6 C |
| 98115 Seattle | 77 | $3.34 | — | 44.2 C |
| 98103 Seattle | 72 | $3.65 | — | 42.7 C |
| 98229 Bellingham | 71 | $2.99 | — | 45.8 B |
| 99362 Walla Walla | 70 | $3.95 | — | 41.3 C |
| 98682 Vancouver | 69 | $3.57 | — | 43.1 C |
| 98040 Mercer Island | 68 | $3.05 | — | 45.5 B |
Counties in Washington
Zip markets grouped by county · click for the county market
| County | Zip markets | Installs |
|---|---|---|
| King County | 77 | 1,865 |
| Clark County | 19 | 573 |
| Snohomish County | 28 | 523 |
| Whatcom County | 16 | 516 |
| Pierce County | 49 | 483 |
| Spokane County | 36 | 447 |
| Benton County | 8 | 436 |
| Yakima County | 20 | 346 |
| Thurston County | 13 | 305 |
| Kittitas County | 7 | 273 |
| Kitsap County | 16 | 249 |
| Skagit County | 12 | 248 |
Utilities and retail rates
Implied residential rate per utility
| Utility | Type | Res. customers | ¢/kWh | Net metering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Energy Inc | Investor Owned | 1,091,599 | 14.6 | ✓ |
| City of Seattle - (WA) | Municipal | 459,964 | 14.1 | ✓ |
| PUD No 1 of Snohomish County | Political Subdivision | 346,532 | 11.5 | ✓ |
| Avista Corp | Investor Owned | 246,055 | 11.9 | ✓ |
| PUD No 1 of Clark County - (WA) | Political Subdivision | 219,477 | 10.4 | ✓ |
| City of Tacoma - (WA) | Municipal | 180,357 | 10.8 | ✓ |
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | 114,453 | 11.1 | ✓ |
| Adjustment 2024 | 50,106 | 11.4 | ✓ |
Other solar markets in Washington
Three ways to slice Washington's 7.4K installations
See how the market splits by sector, by battery attach and by installer, updated with every refresh.
See all breakdownsWhen demand peaks in Washington
Quick answers about Washington's market
🛡 Why trust SolarDNA data?
How many solar installations are there in Washington?
How much does solar cost in Washington?
Is the Washington solar market growing?
What is the solar adoption rate in Washington?
Is Washington a good market for solar sales?
How many solar installers work in Washington?
How many solar permits were filed in Washington?
How current is Washington's solar data?
There's a lot more inside the SolarDNA app.
- ◇Zip and city market pages
- ◇Installer league tables
- ◇Territory builder
- ◇Solarizer deal estimates
- ◇Permit activity where reported
- ◇Export the data