Solar in Dayton, OH
With AES Ohio's electricity at about 17.1¢ per kWh and 1,336 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Dayton home today: about a 13-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 13 yrsOhio: 12.8 yrs
- 25-year net
- $25,709after paying $21,000
- Sun
- 1,336kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 17.1¢5% below U.S. average
A typical Dayton home, by the numbers
| Utility | AES Ohio |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 980 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 7 kW, about 16 panels, 9,350 kWh a year (80% of use) |
| Cost | $21,000 |
| First-year savings | $1,556 |
| Payback | 13.0 years |
| Exported power | Reduced export credit (AES Ohio) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Dayton
- Owner-occupied homes
- 48%
- Single-family detached
- 64%
- Median home value
- $101k
- Median year built
- 1951
- Population
- 136,579
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 80%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 47,695 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 Dayton
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 Dayton
Is solar worth it in Dayton, OH?
For a typical home in Dayton, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 7 kW system costs about $21,000 after state incentives, saves about $1,556 in year one and pays back in about 13 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Dayton?
About 1,336 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% more than the Ohio average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Dayton?
Most homes in Dayton are served by AES Ohio, at about 17.1¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Duke Energy Ohio, Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative.
How much do solar panels cost in Dayton?
A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $21,000 for a 7 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Kettering 13.1 yrs
- Huber Heights 13.2 yrs
- Beavercreek 13.1 yrs
- Fairborn 13 yrs
- Centerville 13 yrs
- Xenia 13 yrs
- Troy 13.3 yrs
- Middletown 12.6 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.