Honest numbers · Myrtle Beach, SC
How much do solar panels cost in Myrtle Beach, SC?
The short answer · as of July 2026
Solar in the Myrtle Beach area costs about $2.53 per watt installed before incentives as of July 2026. A system near our ~9.5 kW average runs roughly $24,035 gross and about $18,026 once South Carolina's 25% state tax credit is fully claimed. Illustrative payback lands between 14 years and 19 years, driven mostly by how much power you use on site rather than export.
Local pricing reality
What drives price in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach carries the lowest installed benchmark in our territory at around $2.53 per watt, which reflects competition and comparatively open, simple lots rather than any compromise in specification. Grand Strand properties, particularly the newer developments, often have straightforward roofs with good exposure, and that keeps design and installation time down.
Coastal specification is where the money has to go, and it is not optional. Direct hurricane exposure means attachment detail and structural documentation matter, and salt drives the choice of fasteners, racking and enclosures. A Myrtle Beach quote that matches an inland price on hardware has almost certainly specified inland hardware, which is cheaper today and expensive in about five years.
The economics need reading carefully because Santee Cooper's retail rate is around 11.4 cents, the lowest we work with. A low rate means each offset kilowatt-hour is worth less, which lengthens payback even at a low installed price. Santee Cooper's rebate can shorten it again, but it has been waitlisted, so ask for the arithmetic both with and without and make the decision on the version without.
Written for Myrtle Beach specifically. Your own roof, bill and meter still decide the answer, which is what the free assessment settles.
The numbers
What a system costs in Myrtle Beach, by size
Priced at the local $2.53 per watt benchmark (July 2026) and shown before and after South Carolina's 25% credit. These are worked examples to set expectations, not a quote, and not a promise of savings.
| System size | Cost before incentives | SC 25% credit (TC-38) | Net after credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 kW | $15,180 | $3,795 over 2 tax years | $11,385 |
| 9.5 kW Closest to our ~9.5 kW average system | $24,035 | $6,009 over 2 tax years | $18,026 |
| 12 kW | $30,360 | $7,590 over 3 tax years | $22,770 |
| 15 kW | $37,950 | $9,488 over 3 tax years | $28,463 |
Note the third column carefully. The credit is 25% of system cost but capped at $3,500 per tax year, so a larger system is claimed across several returns rather than all at once. Most pages quoting "25% off" skip this, and it is the most common reason homeowners feel misled later. See exactly how the credit is claimed.
Sizing
Why the calculators overstate your system and your savings
National cost calculators model a 11.22 kW system for the Myrtle Beach market. Across our combined install experience, the average is about 9.5 kW. That gap is not a rounding difference, it is roughly a third of the system, and it distorts every downstream figure those calculators show you.
An oversized system costs more up front, and because Santee Cooper credits exported power at about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer rather than at retail, the extra production it generates is worth far less than the panels cost. Sizing past your own consumption is the fastest way to make a payback period worse.
So we size to your actual bill, not to our margin. That usually means a smaller system than you were quoted elsewhere, a lower price, and a shorter payback. It also means the savings estimate we give you is one we can defend line by line.
Every system carries our lifetime full-system and roof-penetration warranty, on top of the 25-year manufacturer warranty and 10-year workmanship coverage.
The part competitors leave out
Your utility sets your payback more than your panels do
Most Myrtle Beach homes are served by Santee Cooper , though Horry Electric Cooperative serves many addresses around the city. Under its Santee Cooper's net metering and rebate programme programme, the older one-for-one net metering ended for new residential systems on December 31, 2025. What replaced it changes the entire economics of a rooftop system, and it is why a single national payback figure for Myrtle Beach is meaningless.
About these rates in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach has the lowest retail electricity rate of any market we serve, at about 11.4¢ per kWh, which lengthens payback because there is less to offset. Pulling the other way, Santee Cooper is the only utility in our territory offering a real upfront rebate. With the rebate secured, payback can land several years shorter than the table below. Without it, the table is the honest picture. The rebate is waitlisted, so we do not assume it.
| How you use your production | Illustrative annual saving | Illustrative simple payback |
|---|---|---|
| 40% used on-site | about $926 | roughly 19 years |
| 60% used on-site | about $1,123 | roughly 16 years |
| 80% used on-site | about $1,319 | roughly 14 years |
The mechanic is simple. Power you consume the moment you generate it offsets electricity you would have bought at about 11.4¢ per kWh. Power you export earns only about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer, and So a home that runs its air conditioning, pool pump and laundry during daylight gets a materially better return than an identical home that uses most of its power after dark.
That also explains why payback in Myrtle Beach is longer now than the 13-year figures still published on aggregator sites. Those figures were calculated when a 30% federal credit existed and when exports earned retail rates. Both of those changed. We would rather show you the current number than a flattering old one.
2026 incentives
What reduces this price this year
The net column above already applies South Carolina's 25% credit. Two things worth knowing about it: the $3,500 annual cap means larger systems are claimed across more than one tax return, and the credit is non-refundable, so it is limited by your state tax liability.
The 30% federal credit expired for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026. If a quote you are comparing still applies it, that quote is wrong by thousands.
Santee Cooper runs a rebate of $950 per kW up to $5,700, which requires a NABCEP-certified crew and Trade Ally participation, is capped at 6 kW-AC over the lifetime of a meter, and is funded annually with a first-come waitlist. It is real money and it materially changes the numbers, but it is rationed, so we confirm current-year availability for your address before it forms part of any figure we give you.
Incentives specific to Myrtle Beach · statewide mechanics and worked examples · financing
Line items
The eight things that move a Myrtle Beach quote
Two houses on the same street can differ by several thousand dollars for reasons that have nothing to do with panel brand. These are the drivers, in roughly the order they matter here.
- 01
Roof condition and remaining life
The single biggest swing factor in Myrtle Beach. Panels last decades, so putting them on a roof with five years left means paying to remove and reset them later. If a replacement makes sense first, we say so and can coordinate it as one project.
- 02
Roof material and pitch
Asphalt shingle is the straightforward case. Standing-seam metal is often cheaper to mount because it clamps rather than penetrates. Tile, slate and very low-slope membrane roofs cost more in labour and flashing detail.
- 03
Shading
Grand Strand lots are often comparatively open, particularly the newer developments, which is favourable. Older interior neighbourhoods carry more pine canopy. Heavy shade may push you toward microinverters or optimisers, which adds cost but recovers production.
- 04
Electrical panel and meter
An older or fully-loaded service panel may need an upgrade before a system can be interconnected. This is a real line item and one of the most common surprises on cheap quotes that skipped a site visit.
- 05
Coastal mounting and wind load
Horry County is a high-wind coastal zone with heavy salt exposure, so structural review, roof-access pathways and corrosion-rated hardware all matter. This is not a market for under-specified mounting. That work is what our lifetime roof-penetration warranty stands behind.
- 06
Architectural review and HOA rules
A wide mix of HOAs across the resort and residential developments, with real rules on street and beach-side visibility. Condominium and short-term-rental ownership structures add a layer to resolve before design. Where visibility is restricted, the compliant layout is sometimes not the cheapest one. We design for approval first, then optimise production within those limits.
- 07
Ground mount instead of roof
If the roof genuinely will not work, a ground-mounted array needs trenching, racking and a zoning review, so it typically costs more per watt than a straightforward roof install.
- 08
Battery storage
Optional, and it changes the maths rather than just adding to it. Under Santee Cooper's net metering and rebate programme export credits, storing power to use later is worth more than exporting it.
Roof age is the one we raise most often, and the one homeowners least want to hear. See how we handle roof-first projects.
Paying for it
Cash, loan, and the South Carolina trap
Cash gives the shortest payback and clean ownership. A loan spreads the cost and can sit near your current Myrtle Beach bill, but ask for the cash price and the financed price side by side: a low advertised rate is often bought with a dealer fee of several thousand dollars folded into the system price.
The South Carolina-specific trap: because the state credit is capped at $3,500 a year, it arrives across several tax years. A loan structured around one large first-year credit payment will not behave as presented.
The honest part
When solar is not worth it in Myrtle Beach
We would rather tell you now than after you have paid for a design
- The retail rate here is the lowest we work with, so a modest bill offsets slowly. Under roughly $110 a month in Santee Cooper territory, the numbers rarely justify a system.
- Your usage is almost entirely after dark and you will not shift load or add storage. Export credits are under 4.2¢ against an 11.4¢ retail rate.
- Your roof needs replacing within about five years, which is common on older Grand Strand properties.
- The property is a short-term rental you may sell within five years.
- You are counting on the Santee Cooper rebate but the current programme year is already fully subscribed. We check before you commit.
If two or more of these describe your home, we will say so during the assessment and we will not design a system to talk you past them. That is the whole point of a free, no-pressure assessment. If circumstances change, we will still be here.
Real systems
What we have actually built
Our team brings 30+ years of combined experience and roughly 450 combined experienced solar PV installs, averaging about 9.5 kW. You can see real photographs of systems we have installed across South Carolina on the homepage gallery.
We are not going to publish a banded price against a specific job and imply it is your price, because the drivers above make that misleading. What we will do at the assessment is walk you through comparable systems we have installed, with the actual figures.
Install photos on this site are real job photography without invented city captions or fabricated price bands. Named reviews appear only when customers give permission—see our reviews page for how we handle proof.
Myrtle Beach solar cost FAQ
Straight answers on what solar costs in Myrtle Beach
How much do solar panels cost in Myrtle Beach, SC?
As of July 2026, solar in the Myrtle Beach area runs about $2.53 per watt installed before incentives. A system close to our ~9.5 kW average works out to roughly $24,035 gross, or about $18,026 once South Carolina's 25% state tax credit is fully claimed. Your own number depends on your roof, your usage and your utility.
Is there still a 30% federal tax credit for solar in Myrtle Beach?
No. The federal residential clean energy credit (Section 25D) expired for systems placed in service on or after January 1, 2026. Many pages online still advertise it. South Carolina's own 25% state credit did not expire and is now the main incentive for homeowners here, alongside the property- and sales-tax exemptions.
What is the payback period on solar in Myrtle Beach?
Illustratively, 14 years to 19 years, and the single biggest variable is how much of your production you use on site rather than export. Under Santee Cooper's Santee Cooper's net metering and rebate programme, power you use as you generate it offsets about 11.4¢ per kWh, while exported power credits at only about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer. These are examples, not guarantees.
Why is your average system smaller than the 11.22 kW the calculators show?
Because we size to your bill rather than to a sales quota. National cost calculators model 11.22 kW for this market, which inflates both the price and the projected savings for a typical home. Our combined install experience averages about 9.5 kW. A smaller correctly-sized system usually pays back faster than a larger one you were upsold.
Do you charge for a quote or a site assessment in Myrtle Beach?
No. The assessment is free and there is no obligation. We look at your roof, your actual usage history and your utility rate, then give you real figures for your address. If solar is a poor fit for your home, we will tell you that instead of designing a system anyway.
Does a solar system add to my property taxes in Myrtle Beach?
South Carolina exempts qualifying residential renewable energy systems of 20 kW or less from property tax, so an eligible rooftop system should not increase your assessed value. Confirm your own situation with Horry County and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances.
Nearby
What solar costs near Myrtle Beach
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