Solar in Cleveland Heights, OH
With Cleveland Electric Illum's electricity at about 17.6¢ per kWh and 1,269 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Cleveland Heights home today: about a 14.1-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 14.1 yrsOhio: 12.8 yrs
- 25-year net
- $17,059after paying $16,500
- Sun
- 1,269kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 17.6¢2% below U.S. average
A typical Cleveland Heights home, by the numbers
| Utility | Cleveland Electric Illum |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 694 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5.2 kW, about 12 panels, 6,600 kWh a year (79% of use) |
| Cost | $16,500 |
| First-year savings | $1,115 |
| Payback | 14.1 years |
| Exported power | Reduced export credit (Cleveland Electric Illum) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Cleveland Heights
- Owner-occupied homes
- 58%
- Single-family detached
- 62%
- Median home value
- $192k
- Median year built
- 1938
- Population
- 44,497
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 68%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 10,717 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 Cleveland Heights
Public installation records for Ohio don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Ohio.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Cleveland Heights
Is solar worth it in Cleveland Heights, OH?
For a typical home in Cleveland Heights, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 5.2 kW system costs about $16,500 after state incentives, saves about $1,115 in year one and pays back in about 14.1 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Cleveland Heights?
About 1,269 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% less than the Ohio average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Cleveland Heights?
Most homes in Cleveland Heights are served by Cleveland Electric Illum, at about 17.6¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Cleveland.
How much do solar panels cost in Cleveland Heights?
A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $16,500 for a 5.2 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Shaker Heights 14.6 yrs
- Euclid 14.7 yrs
- Cleveland 15 yrs
- Garfield Heights 14.5 yrs
- Parma 14.2 yrs
- Lakewood 13.9 yrs
- North Royalton 14 yrs
- Mentor 14.7 yrs
- All of Ohio
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.