Typical home: Close call

Solar in Shaker Heights, OH

With Cleveland Electric Illum's electricity at about 17.6¢ per kWh and 1,214 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Shaker Heights home today: about a 14.6-year payback.

Payback, typical home
14.6 yrsOhio: 12.8 yrs
25-year net
$16,495after paying $17,250
Sun
1,214kWh per kW per year
Electricity
17.6¢2% below U.S. average

A typical Shaker Heights home, by the numbers

UtilityCleveland Electric Illum
Electricity use694 kWh a month
Best-value system5.5 kW, about 13 panels, 6,679 kWh a year (80% of use)
Cost$17,250
First-year savings$1,127
Payback14.6 years
Exported powerReduced export credit (Cleveland Electric Illum)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Shaker Heights

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan60
Feb76
Mar108
Apr119
May130
Jun138
Jul146
Aug136
Sep111
Oct91
Nov56
Dec42

Homes in Shaker Heights

Owner-occupied homes
60%
Single-family detached
54%
Median home value
$303k
Median year built
1945
Population
28,922
Roofs suitable for solar†
74%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 6,359 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 Shaker 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 Shaker Heights

Is solar worth it in Shaker Heights, OH?

For a typical home in Shaker Heights, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 5.5 kW system costs about $17,250 after state incentives, saves about $1,127 in year one and pays back in about 14.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Shaker Heights?

About 1,214 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 5% less than the Ohio average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Shaker Heights?

Most homes in Shaker 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 Shaker Heights?

A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $17,250 for a 5.5 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.