Solar in Cleveland, OH
With City of Cleveland's electricity at about 17.7¢ per kWh and 1,255 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Cleveland home today: about a 15-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 15 yrsOhio: 12.8 yrs
- 25-year net
- $11,722after paying $13,250
- Sun
- 1,255kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 17.7¢2% below U.S. average
A typical Cleveland home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Cleveland |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 511 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3.9 kW, about 9 panels, 4,894 kWh a year (80% of use) |
| Cost | $13,250 |
| First-year savings | $835 |
| Payback | 15.0 years |
| Exported power | Reduced export credit (Ohio rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Cleveland
- Owner-occupied homes
- 42%
- Single-family detached
- 46%
- Median home value
- $102k
- Median year built
- 1941
- Population
- 366,097
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 85%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 118,736 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
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
Is solar worth it in Cleveland, OH?
For a typical home in Cleveland, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 3.9 kW system costs about $13,250 after state incentives, saves about $835 in year one and pays back in about 15 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Cleveland?
About 1,255 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the Ohio average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Cleveland?
Most homes in Cleveland are served by City of Cleveland, at about 17.7¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Cleveland Electric Illum, Ohio Edison.
How much do solar panels cost in Cleveland?
A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $13,250 for a 3.9 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Garfield Heights 14.5 yrs
- Lakewood 13.9 yrs
- Cleveland Heights 14.1 yrs
- Shaker Heights 14.6 yrs
- Parma 14.2 yrs
- Euclid 14.7 yrs
- North Royalton 14 yrs
- Westlake 13.8 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.