Typical home: Close call

Solar in Inkster, MI

With DTE Electric's electricity at about 21.3¢ per kWh and 1,312 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Inkster home today: about a 15.8-year payback.

Payback, typical home
15.8 yrsMichigan: 16 yrs
25-year net
$9,741after paying $11,900
Sun
1,312kWh per kW per year
Electricity
21.3¢18% above U.S. average

A typical Inkster home, by the numbers

UtilityDTE Electric
Electricity use623 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 3,935 kWh a year (53% of use)
Cost$11,900
First-year savings$694
Payback15.8 years
Exported power9¢/kWh (DTE Electric)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.3% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Inkster

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan66
Feb85
Mar121
Apr129
May144
Jun151
Jul154
Aug146
Sep118
Oct90
Nov60
Dec49

Homes in Inkster

Owner-occupied homes
47%
Single-family detached
73%
Median home value
$80k
Median year built
1957
Population
25,428
Roofs suitable for solar†
70%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 6,917 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 Inkster

Public installation records for Michigan don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Michigan.

Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.

Questions about solar in Inkster

Is solar worth it in Inkster, MI?

For a typical home in Inkster, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $11,900 after state incentives, saves about $694 in year one and pays back in about 15.8 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Inkster?

About 1,312 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 Michigan average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Inkster?

Most homes in Inkster are served by DTE Electric, at about 21.3¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Inkster?

A fair cash price is around $3.30 per watt before incentives, so about $11,900 for a 3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.

Nearby

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.