Typical home: Close call

Solar in Troy, MI

With DTE Electric's electricity at about 21.3¢ per kWh and 1,306 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Troy home today: about a 15.8-year payback.

Payback, typical home
15.8 yrsMichigan: 16 yrs
25-year net
$9,729after paying $11,900
Sun
1,306kWh per kW per year
Electricity
21.3¢18% above U.S. average

A typical Troy home, by the numbers

UtilityDTE Electric
Electricity use623 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 3,919 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 Troy

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan68
Feb89
Mar117
Apr127
May140
Jun148
Jul159
Aug138
Sep118
Oct87
Nov65
Dec51

Homes in Troy

Owner-occupied homes
73%
Single-family detached
71%
Median home value
$420k
Median year built
1977
Population
87,898
Roofs suitable for solar†
88%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 25,525 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Troy

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 Troy

Is solar worth it in Troy, MI?

For a typical home in Troy, 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 Troy?

About 1,306 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 Troy?

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

How much do solar panels cost in Troy?

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.