Key takeaways
- No Ohio program pays for home solar today. Ohio’s $156.12 million Solar for All award ended in August 2025 before any household was served. Courts ruled the cut unlawful in September 2026, but no application is open.
- “Free” means $0 down. A loan or a power purchase agreement (PPA) spreads the price of a typical 7.84 kW system, $21,717, over many years.
- Surplus power earns the supply rate, not the full rate. Extra kWh left at the end of a month earn 7.2774 cents per kWh at the FirstEnergy utilities, 7.508 cents per kWh at AEP Ohio and about 10.86 cents per kWh at AES Ohio.
- No credit for homeowners. The federal home credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025, and Ohio’s 2025 income tax instruction booklet lists no state solar credit.
- Ohio’s Attorney General has sued two solar sellers. Pink Energy in September 2022 and G3 Solar in January 2026, both over sales pitches and tax-credit claims.
About this review
Tariffs, Ohio law and tax rules were read on the sources below from September 29 to October 1, 2026; Solar for All, the PPA market and the court cases were rechecked October 5, 2026. This guide explains offers and programs; it is not tax, legal or financial advice.
How we choose sources and correct errors: editorial process and content standards.
No Ohio program gives away solar panels. Every “free solar” offer at an Ohio door is a financing contract that recovers the whole cost from you. With no state rebate, no state tax credit and no federal credit for a homeowner who buys, nothing shrinks the $21,717 price. A seller can say “$0 down” and mean it. The real question is who owns the panels, and who keeps the value they create.
Where Ohio Solar for All stands
Ohio’s state award, held by the Office of Budget and Management and overseen by the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, was still in planning when EPA ended it in August 2025. A second award of the same size went to Growth Opportunity Partners for a multistate effort. In September 2026 federal courts in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. ruled the termination unlawful; EPA was weighing an appeal as of October 1. On October 5, 2026 we found no Ohio Solar for All application for homeowners.
Zero-Down Solar in Ohio: Who Owns the Panels, Who Keeps the Value
A homeowner who buys gets no federal credit. A company that owns panels on your roof can still claim a business credit, which ends for most new solar placed in service after December 31, 2027. It reaches you only through a lower price.
| Route | Sold in Ohio now? | Who keeps the tax value | Panels and property tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-down solar loan | Yes, from installers and lenders | Nobody: the home credit ended December 31, 2025 | Yours, and exempt for systems of 250 kW or less |
Pros and cons in Ohio: zero-down loanPros
Cons
Can fit if: the payment plus your remaining utility bill is below what you pay now, with no paydown built in. | |||
| Power purchase agreement (PPA) | Yes. Palmetto’s LightReach PPA is offered to homes on AEP Ohio, the three FirstEnergy utilities, Duke Energy Ohio and AES Ohio (checked October 5, 2026) | The company, priced into your rate | The company’s; the law is silent on third-party systems |
Pros and cons in Ohio: PPAPros
Cons
Can fit if: the rate in year 1 and the final year stays below your utility’s kWh price. | |||
| Solar lease | Allowed; we found no seller on October 5, 2026 | The company, priced into your fee | The company owns them |
Pros and cons in Ohio: leasePros
Cons
Can fit if: the winter fee is still below what the panels save in a winter month. | |||
| Hamilton County HIP loan | Yes, in Hamilton County; solar is an allowed project | Nobody; the rate is 3% below the bank’s lowest | Yours, and exempt |
Pros and cons in Ohio: Hamilton County loanPros
Cons
Can fit if: you have equity and want the panels paid off fast. | |||
Lease or PPA? In Ohio the live choice is a PPA or a loan: we confirmed a PPA seller but no lease seller, so there is no fair side-by-side. No money-flow chart either: no Ohio payment a company could keep has a published dollar value. For loan terms and APRs, see our solar financing guide.
Ohio’s Supply-Rate Credit: Why Size Matters More Than the Pitch
Net metering means your utility bills you for the power you take in minus the power you send out. In Ohio that netting happens inside each month, kWh for kWh.
The catch is the surplus. Ohio’s power market is deregulated: the utility delivers, but supply comes from its default “standard offer” or a supplier you pick. Power left over at month’s end becomes a dollar credit at the energy part of the standard offer only, with no delivery charges. The rate resets every June 1.
The average Ohio home pays 18.25 cents per kWh with every charge included; a surplus kWh earns well under half that at most utilities. So a system sized for the whole year sends summer surplus out cheap, and PPA kWh bought in those months can be worth less than they cost. The rule caps size at 120% of average yearly use over the last three years; a good quote sizes to monthly use instead.
AEP Ohio, FirstEnergy, Duke or AES Ohio: What a Surplus Earns
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) sets one rule for six utilities. Their credit rates and refund rules differ.
| Utility on your bill | Surplus kWh earns | A 100 kWh surplus | Unused credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo EdisonFirstEnergy, Rider GEN energy charge | 7.2774 cents per kWh | $7.28 | Refund of up to 12 months on written request |
| AEP OhioGeneration Energy Rider | 7.508 cents per kWh | $7.51 | Refund of up to 12 months on written request |
| AES OhioStandard Offer Rate | about 10.86 cents per kWh | $10.86 | No refund listed; may be lost when you stop service |
| Duke Energy OhioRider RE energy charge | Ask Duke in writing | Ask Duke | Refund of up to 12 months on written request |
| City utility or co-opOutside the PUCO rule | Set locally | Ask | Cleveland Public Power zeroes it out when you close the account |
AEP Ohio’s schedule, effective April 10, 2026, does not say whether its 2.659 cents per kWh capacity charge is credited; FirstEnergy excludes its own. We could not read Duke’s current price sheet. AES Ohio’s net metering charges for a home average $130.
Buy power from a supplier or a town aggregation? Ask whether you stay on the utility’s net metering tariff or move to the supplier’s terms. Suppliers need not offer net metering at all.
SRECs, ECO-Link and the One Tax Break That Is Real
- Solar renewable energy credits (SRECs). One credit stands for 1,000 kWh of solar power. Ohio has had no solar-only requirement since 2020, so the credits sell as ordinary renewable credits at low prices, and no official price is published. A typical system makes about 10 RECs a year. Leave them out of your math, and check who owns them in a PPA.
- ECO-Link. Our earlier version of this page pointed to this Treasurer loan discount. It was not on the Treasurer’s website on September 30, 2026.
- Property tax exemption. Under Ohio Revised Code 5709.53(B), panels on a system of 250 kW or less, finished on or after January 1, 2010, are exempt. If your county auditor adds the system to your home’s value anyway, file Form DTE 23 by December 31.
When $0-Down Solar Does Not Pay in Ohio
- Your summer surplus would be large. Low use in mild months means many kWh credited at the supply rate only.
- Your meter belongs to a city utility or a co-op. The state rule does not reach it; get the local terms in writing first.
- You expect to move soon. A loan is paid off at closing; a PPA must pass to a buyer who qualifies, or be bought out.
- The roof needs replacing. Removing and refitting panels is a cost most proposals leave out.
Five Questions for Any Ohio Solar Contract
- Does any number assume a homeowner tax credit?
That credit ended December 31, 2025. Strike it out.
- Does the loan payment rise after a few months?
The Attorney General’s January 2026 suit against G3 Solar alleges loans that went up after 18 months unless the buyer made a “voluntary” payment of about 30 percent.
- What is the cash price next to the financed total?
Get both on one page. Compare them with what solar costs in Ohio.
- Which credit rate did the savings estimate use?
Surplus kWh should be valued at your utility’s rate in the table above, not at 18.25 cents per kWh.
- Who holds the installer license?
Ask your local building department which license it requires for home work, and check complaints with the Attorney General.
Ohio has seen this before. In September 2022 the Attorney General sued Pink Energy, formerly Power Home Solar, over high-pressure sales, misrepresentations and shoddy work. Pause if a door seller rushes you or claims to work for your utility.
Read the solar scam warning signs and compare installers in our Ohio solar companies guide.
Compare Ohio Quotes on the Same Terms
Ask every installer for the cash price, the loan or PPA price, monthly output and the credit rate it assumed.
Line up Ohio quotes that show the cash price and the PPA rate
This is a commercial quote request, not an application for Solar for All, net metering or any county loan. Availability depends on your ZIP code and home. Net metering rules: Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-10-28.
How EcoGen is paid
EcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us.
Read how we make money and our privacy policy.
More Ohio Solar Guides
- Ohio solar incentivesNet metering by utility and the property tax rule
- Cost of solar in OhioThe cash price any financed offer should beat
- Are solar panels worth it in Ohio?Payback when surplus earns the supply rate
- Ohio solar companiesInstallers working across the state
- Free solar panels in the USPrograms in other states
Ohio Free Solar FAQs
Can you really get free solar panels in Ohio?
No. No Ohio or federal program gives homeowners free panels in 2026. “Free solar” means $0 at installation, paid back through a loan, PPA or lease.
Can I get zero-down solar in Ohio?
Yes. Many installers offer zero-down loans, and PPAs are sold to homes on AEP Ohio, FirstEnergy, Duke Energy Ohio and AES Ohio. A PPA works only if its rate stays below your utility’s kWh price for the whole term.
Is Ohio Solar for All taking applications?
No, as of October 5, 2026. EPA ended Ohio’s $156.12 million state award in August 2025, while it was still in planning. Courts ruled that unlawful in September 2026, but we found no homeowner application.
Does the 30% federal solar credit still apply in Ohio?
Not to homeowners. The home credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. A company that owns panels on your roof may claim a business credit; you cannot.
Do Ohio city utility and co-op customers get net metering?
Not under the state rule. They set their own terms. Cleveland Public Power gives kWh credits that are erased when you close the account.
How do I check an Ohio solar installer?
Ohio’s state electrical contractor license covers commercial work; local building departments regulate home contractors. Ask yours what it requires, then check complaints with the Attorney General.
Sources and review
Checked between September 29 and October 5, 2026. Rates reset each June 1; the utility’s current tariff always wins.
- Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-10-28, net metering (read September 29, 2026)
- Ohio Power Company (AEP Ohio) tariff P.U.C.O. No. 22, Generation Energy Rider, Generation Capacity Rider and Schedule NEMS, PUCO tariff library (checked September 30, 2026)
- Ohio Edison tariff P.U.C.O. No. 11, Rider GEN and Net Energy Metering Rider (checked September 30, 2026)
- AES Ohio tariff P.U.C.O. No. 17, Sheet G10, Standard Offer Rate (checked September 30, 2026)
- AES Ohio tariff P.U.C.O. No. 17, Sheet D5, Billing and Payment, net metering (checked September 30, 2026)
- AES Ohio, Net metering (checked September 30, 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code 5709.53, property tax exemption for energy facilities of 250 kW or less (read September 29, 2026)
- Ohio House Bill 15, 136th General Assembly, as enrolled (read September 29, 2026)
- Ohio Department of Taxation, 2025 Ohio IT 1040 instructions and Schedule of Credits (checked September 30, 2026)
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit (checked September 30, 2026)
- FirstEnergy, Renewable Energy Credits (checked September 30, 2026)
- Ohio Treasurer of State, programs listed on the home page (checked September 30, 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code 5312.16, solar in planned communities (read September 29, 2026)
- Cleveland Public Power, Residential Solar Generation and interconnection procedure (read September 29, 2026)
- Hamilton County, Home Improvement Program (read September 29, 2026)
- U.S. EPA, Ohio organizations receive more than $312 million for residential solar, April 22, 2024
- Signal Ohio, Trump kills Solar for All program in Ohio, August 8, 2025
- Utility Dive, Solar for All grantees seek damages from EPA, October 1, 2026
- EcoGen America, Cost of solar panels in Ohio (Solar Cost Index Q2 2026)
- IRS, Notice 2025-42, sections 45Y and 48E
- Palmetto, Ohio solar (LightReach PPA by utility)
- Ohio Attorney General, 2022 Consumer Annual Report (Pink Energy)
- Richland Source, AG Yost sues Utah solar company, January 12, 2026
- Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, contractors
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