City of Cleveland and solar
City of Cleveland is a municipal utility serving about 64,905 homes in Ohio. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 17.7¢3% below Ohio average
- Typical bill
- $90511 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~45%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 15 yrs3.9 kW, cash
Export rules for City of Cleveland customers
Reduced export credit (Ohio rule).
Ohio's investor-owned utilities must offer net metering. Within a month, solar offsets your usage at full retail; any extra energy beyond your monthly use is credited only at the generation (energy supply) price, roughly half of the retail rate.
Solar for a typical City of Cleveland home
| System | 3.9 kW (80% of 511 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $13,250 |
| First-year savings | $835 |
| Payback | 15.0 years |
| 25-year net | $11,721 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 182
- Share of customers
- 0.3%
- Residential solar capacity
- 2 MW
- Residential customers
- 64,905
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about City of Cleveland and solar
Does City of Cleveland have net metering?
City of Cleveland follows Ohio's rules: Ohio's investor-owned utilities must offer net metering. Within a month, solar offsets your usage at full retail; any extra energy beyond your monthly use is credited only at the generation (energy supply) price, roughly half of the retail rate.
How much does electricity cost with City of Cleveland?
Residential customers paid an average of 16.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 17.7¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 511 kWh a month, a bill of about $90.
Is solar worth it with City of Cleveland?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 3.9 kW system costing about $13,250 pays back in about 15 years, with $11,721 net over 25 years.
How many City of Cleveland customers have solar?
About 182 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.3% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: City of Cleveland - (OH) (EIA ID 3762). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.