Solar in West Lafayette, IN
With Duke Energy Indiana's electricity at about 15.9¢ per kWh and 1,358 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical West Lafayette home today: about a 17.7-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 17.7 yrsIndiana: 16.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $8,563after paying $14,720
- Sun
- 1,358kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 15.9¢12% below U.S. average
A typical West Lafayette home, by the numbers
| Utility | Duke Energy Indiana |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 992 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.4 kW, about 10 panels, 5,975 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $14,720 |
| First-year savings | $760 |
| Payback | 17.7 years |
| Exported power | Reduced export credit (Duke Energy Indiana) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.3% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in West Lafayette
- Owner-occupied homes
- 29%
- Single-family detached
- 32%
- Median home value
- $350k
- Median year built
- 1992
- Population
- 45,159
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 92%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 4,397 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in West Lafayette
Public installation records for Indiana don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Indiana.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in West Lafayette
Is solar worth it in West Lafayette, IN?
For a typical home in West Lafayette, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.4 kW system costs about $14,720 after state incentives, saves about $760 in year one and pays back in about 17.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in West Lafayette?
About 1,358 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% more than the Indiana average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in West Lafayette?
Most homes in West Lafayette are served by Duke Energy Indiana, at about 15.9¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Tipmont Rural Electric Member, Carroll-White REMC.
How much do solar panels cost in West Lafayette?
A fair cash price is around $3.05 per watt before incentives, so about $14,720 for a 4.4 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Lafayette 17.7 yrs
- Kokomo 18.1 yrs
- Zionsville 17.9 yrs
- Westfield 18 yrs
- Brownsburg 18.1 yrs
- Carmel 18.2 yrs
- Noblesville 17.8 yrs
- Plainfield 17.9 yrs
- All of Indiana
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.