There can be solar tax credits and incentives available at the federal, state and local levels. The calculator above will show you the value of all incentives your home is eligible for.
Although the Ohio Public Utilities Commission recently reduced the amount of credit you get when you send unused solar power back to your utility, solar power still makes a lot of sense here for homeowners.
In the future, we'd like to see more support from Mike DeWine for homeowners who want to go solar, and on a strengthened renewable portfolio standard. Ohioans deserve to be part of a profitable renewable energy future for us all.
Learn what solar incentives are available to Ohio homeowners
See what Ohio solar incentives you qualify for based on your utility company and city
Find out how much these incentives and/or Ohio solar tax credits will reduce your cost to go solar and add batteries
The federal solar investment tax credit will have the biggest impact on the cost you will face to go solar in Ohio
If you install your photovoltaic system before the end of 2032, the federal tax credit is 30% of the cost of your solar panel system. This is 30% off the entire cost of the system including equipment, labor, and permitting.
Example: If your solar energy system costs $20,000, your federal solar tax credit would be $20,000 x 30% = $6,000.
The federal tax credit falls to 26% starting in 2033.
With net metering in some states, you get full retail rate credit for the amount of electricity you send back into the grid with your solar panels.
Net Metering requires your utility to monitor how much energy your solar power system produces and how much energy you actually consume, and make sure you get credit for the surplus.
Ohio used to have one of the strongest net metering policies in the country. However, now any net excess generation your system produces on a monthly basis will be credited to your bill, but only at the per-kWh generation charge, which averages between 4 and 5 cents per kWh across the state. While that’s still a credit, it’s less than half of current retail electricity rates of $0.12/kwh.
Therefore, it’s important to size your solar energy system well, so you aren’t feeding in a whole bunch of credits back to your utility when you aren’t able to use the power onise.
Ohio separates itself from the pack as one of the handful of states that allows you to request a check for any credits accumulated over the course of a 12-month billing cycle. That’s right – if you run a surplus for the year, the utility company will actually pay you.
While Ohio does not have a dedicated state rebate for solar panel installation, some manufacturers like LG offer their own solar rebates. These programs are usually time sensitive. For example, LG offers a $600 solar rebate on their equipment, which your installer can help you redeem over the next year.
Here’s some great news: the value of your home goes up when you install solar panels. Here’s some okay news: The cities of Cleveland and Cincinnati will let you keep that extra home value off the property tax rolls for many years to come. Here's some not-so-good news: the rest of the state has property tax relief only for commercial solar installations.
Ohio does have a sales tax exemption for solar energy though! That means you’ll save 5.75% on the purchase of your new system. On an investment of tens of thousands of dollars, that’s nothing to sneeze at.
Showing data for:
Prices based on a 10.8kW system, after 30% federal tax credit
33 solar companies in Ohio provide pricing on SolarReviews. Here are the best rated companies near you.
4.89 70 Reviews
Martha Webster, 3 weeks ago
Gold Path Solar is great. We had a wonderful experience with them. Alex did a great job helping us through the process and working through any small issues that came about. Cant wait to see our electric savings!
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Martha Webster, 3 weeks ago
Gold Path Solar is great. We had a wonderful experience with them. Alex did a great job helping us through the process and working through any small issues that came about. Cant wait to see our electric savings!
4.86 121 Reviews
Burkholder Mfg. Inc., over 1 month
This is my 3rd solar system. I totaly trust Paradise Energy with the whole project. Pretty much signed the papers and let them run with it. The whole project was well managed and I was well informed. We enjoy working with Paradise.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$16,000 ($3.20 per watt)
Burkholder Mfg. Inc., over 1 month
This is my 3rd solar system. I totaly trust Paradise Energy with the whole project. Pretty much signed the papers and let them run with it. The whole project was well managed and I was well informed. We enjoy working with Paradise.
4.75 31 Reviews
LeoL, 6 days ago
Finally pulled the trigger for solar panels since our monthly electric bill kept increasing over the past several years. It made financial sense to go solar since our monthly bill would be fixed and would cost less than our current monthly electric bill. Greg provided me with all the information i needed to make an informed decision and answered all my questions. Evan and his team of installers were fast and accommodated my specific requests without any issues. Panels look clean along the roof and the wiring/conduits along the external wall of the house looks good and not an eye-sore. I compared this company with several local companies as well as bigger national companies and chose Coldstream overall. I would definitely consider this company.
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LeoL, 6 days ago
Finally pulled the trigger for solar panels since our monthly electric bill kept increasing over the past several years. It made financial sense to go solar since our monthly bill would be fixed and would cost less than our current monthly electric bill. Greg provided me with all the information i needed to make an informed decision and answered all my questions. Evan and his team of installers were fast and accommodated my specific requests without any issues. Panels look clean along the roof and the wiring/conduits along the external wall of the house looks good and not an eye-sore. I compared this company with several local companies as well as bigger national companies and chose Coldstream overall. I would definitely consider this company.
4.73 662 Reviews
Joshua Bentley, 4 weeks ago
They worked with me so professionally. The only slowdowns were on consumer end and they were so patient and polite. Tulsa shine solar office. Hmm. ;) Excellent work lads and lassies.
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Joshua Bentley, 4 weeks ago
They worked with me so professionally. The only slowdowns were on consumer end and they were so patient and polite. Tulsa shine solar office. Hmm. ;) Excellent work lads and lassies.
4.65 41 Reviews
Steve G, over 1 month
Ecohouse Solar installed our 8.4 kW system in July of 2022 which included a new electrical service panel. Mike Hopper was excellent to work with and answered all of our (many) questions. He helped us design the best system with the right panels for us, at a great price. After signing the contract, Mike continued to keep us informed of all activities. Both the local and utility permitting/inspections were handled with little to no effort from us. All the installers and electricians were courteous and professional. They worked quickly without disrupting the yard or interior of the house. I would gladly recommend Ecohouse for anyone considering solar.
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Steve G, over 1 month
Ecohouse Solar installed our 8.4 kW system in July of 2022 which included a new electrical service panel. Mike Hopper was excellent to work with and answered all of our (many) questions. He helped us design the best system with the right panels for us, at a great price. After signing the contract, Mike continued to keep us informed of all activities. Both the local and utility permitting/inspections were handled with little to no effort from us. All the installers and electricians were courteous and professional. They worked quickly without disrupting the yard or interior of the house. I would gladly recommend Ecohouse for anyone considering solar.
4.53 56 Reviews
James B, over 1 month
We had a 30 panel system installed by Third Sun. They did a good job and the system has worked well. Last year one of the panels went bad and we contacted them about the warranty. The panels are from LG. . We were told when we contracted with Third Sun that if there was a warranty issue, we could go through them. When I reminded them of this they said they would look into it only to send an email a few days later saying they could not get in touch with LG. They basically said that it was our responsibility to contact LG but would not even supply any information about how to do that. The next issue has come up recently. When we purchased the panels we specifically asked what the cost would be for them to remove and replace the panels if we had to have the roof replaced. They told us that is would cost around $4,000. We are now having that done, so I contacted them and the price they now give me for removing and replacing the panels is over $19,000. Even given inflation this is outrageous. After the government tax rebates that is only a few thousand less than the original cost of the whole project and I suspect that we could put an entirely new system in for not much more than that. The message is beware of this new incarnation of Third Sun. Whatever integrity the original company had is apparently gone, so do not expect any help or service from them after installation. We are not only committed to solar but also in another area of the solar business, so we are well informed about costs. Kokosing is not a company with which we would advise doing business.
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James B, over 1 month
We had a 30 panel system installed by Third Sun. They did a good job and the system has worked well. Last year one of the panels went bad and we contacted them about the warranty. The panels are from LG. . We were told when we contracted with Third Sun that if there was a warranty issue, we could go through them. When I reminded them of this they said they would look into it only to send an email a few days later saying they could not get in touch with LG. They basically said that it was our responsibility to contact LG but would not even supply any information about how to do that. The next issue has come up recently. When we purchased the panels we specifically asked what the cost would be for them to remove and replace the panels if we had to have the roof replaced. They told us that is would cost around $4,000. We are now having that done, so I contacted them and the price they now give me for removing and replacing the panels is over $19,000. Even given inflation this is outrageous. After the government tax rebates that is only a few thousand less than the original cost of the whole project and I suspect that we could put an entirely new system in for not much more than that. The message is beware of this new incarnation of Third Sun. Whatever integrity the original company had is apparently gone, so do not expect any help or service from them after installation. We are not only committed to solar but also in another area of the solar business, so we are well informed about costs. Kokosing is not a company with which we would advise doing business.
4.53 12 Reviews
Melissa R, over 1 month
TGE Solar provided excellent customer service! They took the time to work with us on the ROI and best solution for our home. The installation process was quick and precise. We had an all around great experience and are seeing the results!
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Melissa R, over 1 month
TGE Solar provided excellent customer service! They took the time to work with us on the ROI and best solution for our home. The installation process was quick and precise. We had an all around great experience and are seeing the results!
4.53 13 Reviews
Brad S, over 1 month
From Sales (Scott McKinstry) to Engineering to the Install Crew and even the Owner (Eben Needham), the entire Green Rack Contracting team has been professional, responsive, and flexible. I was able to get a larger system with the exact solar panels and micro-inverters I wanted for less of a price than the competition. Truly a top notch company that is trying to do solar the right way by being upfront and honest. It's not often that top quality and low price go together, but Green Rack is certainly the exception. Now, over a year into my solar experience, my solar system has produced ~130% of my energy needs (20% more than estimated), due to both exceeding performance expectations as well as making me more aware of my energy usage allowing me to make changes to use less electricity. It is a great feeling to have my utility provider paying me and to be on track to have a return of investment of less than 6 years.
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Brad S, over 1 month
From Sales (Scott McKinstry) to Engineering to the Install Crew and even the Owner (Eben Needham), the entire Green Rack Contracting team has been professional, responsive, and flexible. I was able to get a larger system with the exact solar panels and micro-inverters I wanted for less of a price than the competition. Truly a top notch company that is trying to do solar the right way by being upfront and honest. It's not often that top quality and low price go together, but Green Rack is certainly the exception. Now, over a year into my solar experience, my solar system has produced ~130% of my energy needs (20% more than estimated), due to both exceeding performance expectations as well as making me more aware of my energy usage allowing me to make changes to use less electricity. It is a great feeling to have my utility provider paying me and to be on track to have a return of investment of less than 6 years.
4.52 1,953 Reviews
Landon, 2 weeks ago
I had applied to a door to door sales position and scheduled a 1-1 zoom call from 1:50pm-2:10pm wed 10/30/2024. Interviewer never showed up. Didn't even bother to communicate if something came up. How can you trust a company that doesn't care about its employees... waisted 20min of my time.
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Landon, 2 weeks ago
I had applied to a door to door sales position and scheduled a 1-1 zoom call from 1:50pm-2:10pm wed 10/30/2024. Interviewer never showed up. Didn't even bother to communicate if something came up. How can you trust a company that doesn't care about its employees... waisted 20min of my time.
4.49 55 Reviews
Solar45224, over 1 month
I had a 19 panel system installed last week. I’m overall very satisfied with SIF on pricing, quality of equipment, and quality of install. The only area that I wish was a little better is their communication. During my 3 month install process, I called the office 3 times. I never had anyone answer the phone when I called, but they did call me or text me back within 24 hours. Ultimately, no major issue, but hope they improve this going forward. If/when I move, I would be happy to have SIF install a system on my next home.
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Solar45224, over 1 month
I had a 19 panel system installed last week. I’m overall very satisfied with SIF on pricing, quality of equipment, and quality of install. The only area that I wish was a little better is their communication. During my 3 month install process, I called the office 3 times. I never had anyone answer the phone when I called, but they did call me or text me back within 24 hours. Ultimately, no major issue, but hope they improve this going forward. If/when I move, I would be happy to have SIF install a system on my next home.