Solar in Upper Arlington, OH
With City of Columbus's electricity at about 14.0¢ per kWh and 1,303 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Upper Arlington home today: about a 17.4-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 17.4 yrsOhio: 12.8 yrs
- 25-year net
- $8,309after paying $14,500
- Sun
- 1,303kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 14.0¢22% below U.S. average
A typical Upper Arlington home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Columbus |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 594 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.4 kW, about 10 panels, 5,733 kWh a year (80% of use) |
| Cost | $14,500 |
| First-year savings | $789 |
| 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 Upper Arlington
- Owner-occupied homes
- 79%
- Single-family detached
- 74%
- Median home value
- $596k
- Median year built
- 1959
- Population
- 36,293
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 88%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 11,319 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 Upper Arlington
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 Upper Arlington
Is solar worth it in Upper Arlington, OH?
For a typical home in Upper Arlington, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.4 kW system costs about $14,500 after state incentives, saves about $789 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 Upper Arlington?
About 1,303 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% more than the Ohio average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Upper Arlington?
Most homes in Upper Arlington are served by City of Columbus, at about 14.0¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Upper Arlington?
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
- Hilliard 13.2 yrs
- Columbus 17.4 yrs
- Dublin 13.6 yrs
- Gahanna 17.5 yrs
- Westerville 17.5 yrs
- Grove City 13.4 yrs
- Reynoldsburg 11.9 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.