Typical home: Close call

Solar in Rochester Hills, MI

With DTE Electric's electricity at about 21.3¢ per kWh and 1,290 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Rochester Hills home today: about a 15.9-year payback.

Payback, typical home
15.9 yrsMichigan: 16 yrs
25-year net
$9,532after paying $11,900
Sun
1,290kWh per kW per year
Electricity
21.3¢18% above U.S. average

A typical Rochester Hills home, by the numbers

UtilityDTE Electric
Electricity use623 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 3,871 kWh a year (52% of use)
Cost$11,900
First-year savings$687
Payback15.9 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 Rochester Hills

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan67
Feb86
Mar122
Apr127
May141
Jun147
Jul150
Aug136
Sep119
Oct87
Nov57
Dec51

Homes in Rochester Hills

Owner-occupied homes
77%
Single-family detached
66%
Median home value
$410k
Median year built
1984
Population
77,089
Roofs suitable for solar†
85%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 20,775 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Rochester Hills

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 Rochester Hills

Is solar worth it in Rochester Hills, MI?

For a typical home in Rochester Hills, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $11,900 after state incentives, saves about $687 in year one and pays back in about 15.9 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Rochester Hills?

About 1,290 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 Michigan average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Rochester Hills?

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

How much do solar panels cost in Rochester Hills?

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.