Kansas
Solar Permit Plans.
No State Code.
NEM at Avoided Cost. Size for Self-Consumption.
Two things every Kansas installer needs to know. First: Kansas has no statewide electrical or building code — the NEC edition enforced at any Kansas address is set by the local city or county. Second: Kansas net metering credits exported solar at the utility's system average cost — approximately 2.4 cents per kilowatt-hour — not at the retail rate of roughly 11.5 cents. Oversizing a Kansas solar system creates a dramatically worse payback than any proposal model will show.
Two Things That Define Every Kansas Solar Project. Code Varies by City. Export Pays a Fraction of Retail.
Permit Design builds Kansas solar permit plan sets for solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies across all 105 counties. Kansas is a home rule state with no statewide electrical or building code applicable to private construction. The NEC edition enforced at any Kansas project address is set exclusively by the local city or county. Wichita and Sedgwick County adopted NEC 2023 effective January 1, 2025. Most other Kansas metro areas — Topeka, Overland Park, Lawrence, Manhattan — enforce NEC 2017 or NEC 2018. Some rural and unincorporated counties have no adopted electrical code, in which case Kansas Corporation Commission rules still govern the interconnection application to Evergy or Empire District.
The net metering structure is Kansas's most consequential solar fact. For customers who began operating a solar system on or after July 1, 2014, Kansas law credits net excess generation at the utility's monthly system average cost of energy — approximately 2.4 cents per kilowatt-hour. Kansas's retail electricity rate averages approximately 11.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Exported solar earns less than one-quarter of the value of self-consumed solar. A system sized to maximize annual production rather than annual self-consumption will deliver a dramatically worse real-world payback than the proposal model projects. Kansas solar proposals should target system size at 100 to 110 percent of annual household consumption, minimizing export and maximizing bill offset.
Last updated: June 2026 · Kansas net metering system average cost rate, Wichita/Sedgwick NEC 2023 adoption, and Evergy interconnection requirements confirmed as of June 2026.
Kansas NEM Pays ~2.4¢/kWh. Retail Is ~11.5¢/kWh. Every Exported kWh Earns 20 Cents on the Dollar.
The Kansas Net Metering and Easy Connection Act requires Evergy and Empire District to offer net metering — but the compensation rate for exported energy is set at the utility's system average cost, not the retail rate. Understanding this gap is the most important conversation a Kansas solar installer can have with a prospective customer.
No Statewide Code. Wichita Has NEC 2023. Topeka Has NEC 2017. Some Rural Counties Have Nothing.
Kansas's home rule framework means the NEC edition and structural codes enforced at any project address are determined by the local city or county — not by a state standard. Permit Design verifies the specific jurisdiction's adopted editions before building any Kansas plan set.
Evergy Serves Most of Kansas. Empire District in the Southeast. Co-ops Get 1.5× Avoided Cost.
Kansas has two investor-owned utilities required to offer net metering under the Kansas Net Metering and Easy Connection Act. Rural electric cooperatives must offer parallel generation but not standard net metering.
| Utility | Territory | NEM Rate | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central | Wichita, Topeka, Salina, Lawrence, central and eastern KS | ~2.4¢/kWh system avg cost | Formerly Westar; project-specific diagrams required; $100 non-refundable processing fee; 30-day review; MABCD-licensed contractor for Wichita projects |
| Evergy Kansas Metro | Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa, Johnson County, KC metro Kansas | ~2.4¢/kWh system avg cost | Formerly KCP&L; same Evergy interconnection platform; Johnson County municipalities each have their own local permit requirements |
| Empire District / Liberty | Southeast Kansas — Parsons, Pittsburg, Columbus | ~2.4¢/kWh system avg cost | Liberty Utilities subsidiary; same statutory NEM requirements as Evergy |
| Rural Electric Co-ops | Rural counties statewide | 1.5× avoided cost (parallel generation) or voluntary NEM | Not required to offer standard net metering; must offer parallel generation at 1.5× avoided cost; some co-ops voluntarily offer standard NEM — verify with the specific co-op |
Kansas Solar Permit Plan Set Contents
Every Kansas plan set opens with a jurisdiction-specific code lookup. Evergy interconnection documentation uses project-specific diagrams — never generic spec sheet line drawings. ASCE 7 county-specific wind values are applied, particularly for high-wind southwest and northwest Kansas counties.
Also doing commercial rooftop, ground-mount, or agrivoltaic in Kansas?
Kansas commercial solar packages reference the jurisdiction-confirmed IBC edition, the locally adopted NEC, and Evergy or Empire District interconnection documentation with project-specific diagrams. ASCE 7 county wind values applied — southwest Kansas commercial installations in high-wind counties require materially different structural engineering than central Kansas metro projects. USDA REAP grants are available for rural and agricultural Kansas customers and are noted in the project documentation where applicable. Scope and turnaround quoted per project.
How Kansas Solar Permit Plan Sets Work
Submit Your Kansas Project
Give us the city or county and street address. We verify the local jurisdiction's adopted NEC edition and building code, confirm whether Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Kansas Metro, or Empire District serves the address, and pull ASCE 7 county wind values — critical for high-wind southwest and northwest Kansas counties.
Built to Local Code + Project-Specific Diagrams
NEC edition matched to the confirmed jurisdiction. Structural code per local adoption. Evergy interconnection documentation uses project-specific diagrams identifying this installation's resource type, inverter, load center, production meter, disconnect, and revenue meter — not a generic template. Kansas-licensed PE stamp on structural sheets.
Delivered in 24–48 Hours
The complete 7-sheet Kansas package ships in 24–48 hours. Evergy interconnection documentation is project-specific per Evergy's stated requirements. Net metering system average cost rate noted throughout. Free revisions until the Kansas AHJ approves.
Try Us on Your First Kansas Project. Free.
New to Permit Design? Send your first Kansas residential project and we will produce the full 7-sheet package at no charge — jurisdiction-confirmed NEC edition and structural code, ASCE 7 county-specific wind values, and Evergy or Empire District project-specific interconnection diagrams per the utility's stated requirements.
⚠️ For licensed solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies only. Individual homeowners and residential end customers are not eligible. One free residential plan set per company.
Kansas Solar Permit Design — Frequently Asked Questions
Kansas Solar by the Numbers
Top 3 Reasons Kansas Solar Permits and Interconnection Applications Get Rejected
Three issues account for most Kansas plan set and interconnection application rejections — two from Evergy's requirements and one from the multi-edition code landscape.
The Permit Design Commitment
What every Kansas installer, EPC, and roofing company gets from Permit Design on every project.
Solar Permit Plan Sets — Great Plains States
Kansas Solar Permits —
Local Code Confirmed. Project-Specific. NEM Math Honest.
Jurisdiction-Confirmed NEC · Evergy Project-Specific Diagrams
~2.4¢/kWh NEM · 105 Counties · 24–48 Hours