Solar in Louisville, KY
With LG&E's electricity at about 13.2¢ per kWh and 1,344 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Louisville home today: about a 20.5-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 20.5 yrsKentucky: 18.7 yrs
- 25-year net
- $3,691after paying $13,370
- Sun
- 1,344kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 13.2¢27% below U.S. average
A typical Louisville home, by the numbers
| Utility | LG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 937 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.2 kW, about 10 panels, 5,643 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $13,370 |
| First-year savings | $656 |
| Payback | 20.5 years |
| Exported power | 7.089¢/kWh (LG&E) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Louisville
- Owner-occupied homes
- 61%
- Single-family detached
- 63%
- Median home value
- $234k
- Median year built
- 1971
- Population
- 631,818
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 89%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 207,426 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Louisville
Public installation records for Kentucky don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Kentucky.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Louisville
Is solar worth it in Louisville, KY?
For a typical home in Louisville, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.2 kW system costs about $13,370 after state incentives, saves about $656 in year one and pays back in about 20.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Louisville?
About 1,344 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% more than the Kentucky average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Louisville?
Most homes in Louisville are served by LG&E, at about 13.2¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Salt River Electric Cooperative, Shelby Energy Cooperative.
How much do solar panels cost in Louisville?
A fair cash price is around $2.85 per watt before incentives, so about $13,370 for a 4.2 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Jeffersontown 20.6 yrs
- Elizabethtown 18.9 yrs
- Frankfort 22.2 yrs
- Georgetown 20.5 yrs
- Nicholasville 20 yrs
- Lexington 20 yrs
- Florence 19.2 yrs
- Richmond 20.2 yrs
- All of Kentucky
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.