Solar in Columbus, OH
With City of Columbus's electricity at about 14.0¢ per kWh and 1,296 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Columbus home today: about a 17.4-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 17.4 yrsOhio: 12.8 yrs
- 25-year net
- $8,219after paying $14,500
- Sun
- 1,296kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 14.0¢22% below U.S. average
A typical Columbus home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Columbus |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 594 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.4 kW, about 10 panels, 5,703 kWh a year (80% of use) |
| Cost | $14,500 |
| First-year savings | $786 |
| Payback | 17.4 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 Columbus
- Owner-occupied homes
- 44%
- Single-family detached
- 44%
- Median home value
- $253k
- Median year built
- 1980
- Population
- 914,802
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 89%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 209,154 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Columbus
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 Columbus
Is solar worth it in Columbus, OH?
For a typical home in Columbus, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.4 kW system costs about $14,500 after state incentives, saves about $786 in year one and pays back in about 17.4 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Columbus?
About 1,296 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 Ohio average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Columbus?
Most homes in Columbus are served by City of Columbus, at about 14.0¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by South Central Power, City of Westerville, AEP Ohio.
How much do solar panels cost in Columbus?
A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $14,500 for a 4.4 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Upper Arlington 17.4 yrs
- Gahanna 17.5 yrs
- Grove City 13.4 yrs
- Hilliard 13.2 yrs
- Westerville 17.5 yrs
- Reynoldsburg 11.9 yrs
- Dublin 13.6 yrs
- Delaware 13.4 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.