Typical home: Close call

Solar in Oak Park, MI

With DTE Electric's electricity at about 21.3¢ per kWh and 1,305 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Oak Park home today: about a 15.8-year payback.

Payback, typical home
15.8 yrsMichigan: 16 yrs
25-year net
$9,738after paying $11,900
Sun
1,305kWh per kW per year
Electricity
21.3¢18% above U.S. average

A typical Oak Park home, by the numbers

UtilityDTE Electric
Electricity use623 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 3,916 kWh a year (52% of use)
Cost$11,900
First-year savings$693
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 Oak Park

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan71
Feb86
Mar118
Apr128
May140
Jun151
Jul147
Aug138
Sep118
Oct91
Nov67
Dec52

Homes in Oak Park

Owner-occupied homes
63%
Single-family detached
73%
Median home value
$212k
Median year built
1958
Population
29,318
Roofs suitable for solar†
76%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 8,101 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 Oak Park

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 Oak Park

Is solar worth it in Oak Park, MI?

For a typical home in Oak Park, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $11,900 after state incentives, saves about $693 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 Oak Park?

About 1,305 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the Michigan average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Oak Park?

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

How much do solar panels cost in Oak Park?

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.