In short: Wichita has the best sun of Kansas’s big metros, about 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, and paid about 14.3¢ per kWh with Evergy in 2024. Outages averaged 206 minutes, below the state’s 286 (EIA). FEMA rates ice storms, tornadoes and cold waves “very high” in Sedgwick County.
This page covers Wichita, Derby and Andover. Statewide rules, such as the Kansas net metering law, the 10-year property tax exemption for solar and the lack of a state electrician license, are in our Kansas energy guide.
Wichita at a glance
- Evergy Kansas Central: Wichita, Derby and Andover are served by Evergy Kansas South, which operates as Evergy Kansas Central. About 14.3¢ per kWh for homes, averaged over 2024; 206 outage minutes per customer with major events and 87 without; 1.4 interruptions a year (EIA-861, 2024).
- Co-ops and small city utilities on the edges: Sedgwick County Electric Cooperative, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative and Sumner-Cowley Electric Cooperative serve rural parts of the area, and Mulvane and Mount Hope run their own utilities.
- Sun: about 4.6 kWh per square meter a day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020), or roughly 1,350 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate.
- Top hazards: Sedgwick County is “very high” for cold waves, ice storms, lightning, tornadoes and winter weather, and “relatively high” for hail, heat waves, flooding and strong wind (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 108 ports at 47 locations in Wichita and 8 in Andover (AFDC data, October 3, 2026).
Prices above are 2024 averages across all months. The statewide July 2026 figure (15.27¢) is on the state page.
Your utility and what it means
- Evergy net metering in Kansas: Evergy allows home systems up to 150 kW AC in Kansas, but caps each system at what your last 12 months of use would need: yearly kWh ÷ 8,760 ÷ 0.144. A home using 10,000 kWh a year could install about 7.9 kW. Planned loads, such as a future EV or pool, do not count. Within each bill, power you send out offsets power you buy one for one; a surplus becomes a credit that rolls forward and expires after 12 months. Kansas applications carry a $100 fee and need a production meter, and Evergy swaps your meter only after a passed city or county inspection (a return trip costs $91).
- Evergy EV rebate: $500 toward a 240-volt EV outlet or hardwired charger if you enroll in a residential EV or time-of-use rate, or $250 if you don’t. You must own or lease an EV and use a certified electrician. Applications run until funds run out or March 14, 2027, within six months of installation (Evergy Kansas terms). Check the program page first.
- Evergy Solar Subscription: Kansas Central customers can buy shares of utility solar at a fixed price, with no panels at home. It can’t be combined with net metering, so it is for homes that won’t install their own panels. See Evergy’s subscription page.
- Evergy home battery pilot: a research pilot that placed 16 kWh batteries in homes for a $10 monthly fee. Evergy says it ends in 2026, so don’t plan around it.
- Co-op or city utility: Kansas doesn’t require co-ops or city utilities to offer net metering. If your bill comes from one of them, get its export and interconnection rules in writing before you buy.
Backup power in Wichita
Wichita’s grid did better than the state in 2024: about 87 minutes out on ordinary days and 206 with major events, against 104 and 286 statewide. The risk is the rare bad storm. On January 4, 2024, winds over 50 mph with snow cut power to about 100,000 Evergy customers, and the Wichita metro was among the hardest hit (Evergy). With five “very high” FEMA ratings, from ice storms to tornadoes, Wichita homes need a plan for a cold outage of a day or more.
In winter, the priorities are the furnace blower, a sump pump and, on rural lots, a well pump. A natural-gas standby generator covers multi-day outages. A home battery runs chosen circuits quietly, but ice on panels slows recharging. A portable power station keeps phones, Wi-Fi, lights and a CPAP machine going. Compare options in backup power and size yours with the generator sizing tool or the battery backup calculator.
Safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, with exhaust away from windows, doors and vents, and never in a garage. Install battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms. A licensed electrician should install the transfer switch; see generator installation.
Solar in Wichita
At about 1,350 kWh a year per kW, each kW of panels would offset roughly $190 a year at Evergy’s 2024 average price (estimate, assuming all of it replaces power you would buy). That is the highest figure of the four Kansas metros we cover, because Wichita gets more sun than Topeka, Lawrence or the Kansas City suburbs. Evergy’s size cap means a system sized to your own use, and statewide cap rules still apply (see the state guide). In hail and tornado country, ask installers about panel hail ratings and check your homeowner’s insurance.
Get several quotes. Try the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator, and read solar installation and how net metering works.
Batteries in Wichita
With monthly one-for-one netting on Evergy, a battery adds little to solar savings in Wichita. Its value is backup through an ice storm or a summer windstorm, and, on a time-of-use rate, shifting some use out of the evening peak. Read home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging in Wichita
Wichita has 108 public ports (AFDC data, October 3, 2026), fewer than Overland Park alone, so most drivers here rely on home charging. At about 30 kWh per 100 miles and Evergy’s 2024 average of 14.3¢, home charging costs about $4.30 per 100 miles (estimate), less on an off-peak plan. The $500 Evergy rebate pays best if you also join a time-of-use rate. Try the EV charging cost calculator and read EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Wichita: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Wichita and Sedgwick County: the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department (MABCD) issues permits and licenses contractors for both. Its expedited solar permit checklist covers systems of 30 kW or less and requires an MABCD-licensed electrical contractor, plans with a one-line diagram and engineering stamped by a Kansas professional engineer. Homes under historic or architectural review don’t qualify for the fast track.
- Licensing: because Kansas has no statewide electrician license, ask any installer for their MABCD license and confirm it with the department.
- Derby and Andover: ask the city’s building office which permits a generator, battery or EV circuit needs. Gas standby generators involve gas work too. Subdivisions with an HOA usually need written approval.
Cities we cover
- Wichita
- Derby
- Andover
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Wichita energy FAQ
Is Wichita on Evergy Kansas Central or Kansas South?
Both names are right. Evergy Kansas South is the company that serves Wichita, and it operates under the Evergy Kansas Central rate area and tariffs. So Wichita homes get Kansas Central programs, including the EV charger rebate and Solar Subscription. Your bill’s “Message Board” shows your jurisdiction.
How big a solar system will Evergy allow in Wichita?
The smaller of 150 kW AC or what your past 12 months of use supports: annual kWh divided by 8,760 and then by 0.144. Using 10,000 kWh a year gives about 7.9 kW. New homes without a year of bills are estimated from conditioned square footage. A future EV is not counted.
Who issues solar permits in Wichita?
The Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department, which serves both the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County. It has an expedited checklist for systems of 30 kW or less, and the work must be done by an MABCD-licensed electrical contractor. Evergy then needs the passed inspection before it swaps your meter.
How much does Evergy pay toward a home EV charger in Wichita?
Up to $500 if you enroll in a residential EV or time-of-use rate, or $250 if you don’t, for a qualifying 240-volt outlet or hardwired charger installed by a certified electrician. You must own or lease an EV. Funds are limited, and the offer ends by March 14, 2027.
Sources
Utilities, prices, outages and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. Evergy net metering guide, 2026 installer guide, Kansas EV charging rebate terms, Kansas Central tariff index, battery pilot and Solar Subscription pages, and Evergy news release of January 9, 2024, read October 3, 2026. MABCD expedited photovoltaic permit checklist (Form 68A/B), checked October 3, 2026. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.