State solar profile · #46 of 51

Solar in Michigan: mid payback · average sun

Michigan sits in the middle of the payback pack at 14.4 yr (#26), so irradiance (4 kWh/m²/day) and the 2 tracked programs matter more than ranking alone.

4
kWh/m²/day irradiance
17.5¢
avg electricity rate
14.4 yr
payback (#26)
2
incentive programs
18 Marginal
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EIA Form 860 nameplate strip

Nameplate MI · Michigan score #46/51

Michigan | 18/100 | 14.4 yr payback | 1.2 GW

  • VS-AVG 18/100
  • GW #46/51
  • IRR 4 kWh
  • STRIP 17.5c/kWh
  • FORM860 14.4 yr
  • MW 1.2 GW
  • SCORE 2 programs
  • RANK near Ohio

Stamps derive from this state's NREL irradiance, EIA Form 860 / Electric Power Monthly nameplate, and DSIRE incentive row (score, rank, sun, rate, payback, capacity, programs, peer), not a quote or site assessment. Modeled figures use a typical 6 kW system; your roof, shading, and utility tariff decide the real return. See our disclaimer. Verify with EIA Form 860 → · Read with methodology → · Net-metering guide → · Personalized estimate → · All state rows → · States ranked → · Payback vs U.S. avg (14.2 yr): 0.2 yr slower

Modeled 6 kW payback · Michigan and nearest peers

Shorter bars = faster simple payback on the NREL/EIA model

years

What this shows Michigan sits at 14.4 years among nearest payback peers (0.2 yr slower vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).

Source PlainSolarData model · NREL irradiance + EIA rates As of 2024

Mid-pack 25-year ROI · Michigan

$17,700

system cost

$1,226/yr

modeled savings

14.4 yr

break-even

+$12,950

25-year net

Mid-band math for Michigan: $17,700 system cost vs $1,226/yr savings. Incentive stacking usually decides the edge case. Run a personalized estimate →

Installed solar capacity in Michigan, 2015–2024

Total solar nameplate capacity in Michigan reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 30.5x (2 to 61) between 2015 and 2024, and the average site size grew from 1 MW to 19 MW per site, a shift toward larger utility-scale installations.

0 MW500 MW1.0 GW1.5 GW 2015201620172018201920202021202220232024 1.2 GW
Michigan now has about 1.2 GW of installed solar capacity across 61 reported facilities.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, installed solar nameplate capacity As of 2024

Michigan plotted against the national sun-payback field

Irradiance 4 kWh/m²/day (below the 4.8 national mean) vs 14.4-yr payback (mid band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.

Modest sun · fast payback (high rates)Sun + speedModest sun · slowSunny but slow (cheap power)3.24.15.05.86.74.1 yr10.0 yr15.9 yr21.8 yr27.7 yrSolar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →← Faster payback (years)HI, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.9 · ← Faster payback (years): 5.2 yrCA, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.8 · ← Faster payback (years): 6.3 yrAZ, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 6.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 10.3 yrNM, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 6.4 · ← Faster payback (years): 10.3 yrNV, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 6.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 11.9 yrTX, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.7 · ← Faster payback (years): 11.8 yrFL, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.6 · ← Faster payback (years): 12 yrCO, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 12.3 yrCT, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.1 · ← Faster payback (years): 8.9 yrMA, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 9.2 yrUT, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.9 · ← Faster payback (years): 14.5 yrNY, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.4 · ← Faster payback (years): 11.1 yrRI, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 9.7 yrME, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.3 · ← Faster payback (years): 9.3 yrNH, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 9.8 yrNJ, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 12.8 yrSC, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 14 yrNC, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 14.4 yrKS, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 13.7 yrDC, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.4 · ← Faster payback (years): 13 yrGA, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.3 · ← Faster payback (years): 14.5 yrVT, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.1 · ← Faster payback (years): 11.5 yrMD, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 14.3 yrMT, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5 · ← Faster payback (years): 16.3 yrOK, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.3 · ← Faster payback (years): 15.5 yrIL, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.3 · ← Faster payback (years): 14 yrWY, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 15.3 yrLA, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5.1 · ← Faster payback (years): 17.8 yrVA, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.8 · ← Faster payback (years): 15 yrMN, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.4 · ← Faster payback (years): 15.9 yrTN, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.9 · ← Faster payback (years): 16.7 yrAL, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.9 · ← Faster payback (years): 14.4 yrAR, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.8 · ← Faster payback (years): 17.2 yrDE, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 15.4 yrMO, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.8 · ← Faster payback (years): 15.6 yrND, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.8 · ← Faster payback (years): 18.2 yrOR, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 16.9 yrPA, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.3 · ← Faster payback (years): 14.2 yrWI, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.3 · ← Faster payback (years): 14.2 yrMS, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5 · ← Faster payback (years): 15.7 yrNE, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5 · ← Faster payback (years): 16.4 yrSD, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 5 · ← Faster payback (years): 17.1 yrIA, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 16.7 yrKY, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 17.7 yrID, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.7 · ← Faster payback (years): 20 yrMI, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4 · ← Faster payback (years): 14.4 yrOH, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 16.3 yrWV, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.2 · ← Faster payback (years): 19.4 yrIN, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 4.4 · ← Faster payback (years): 15.8 yrWA, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 3.5 · ← Faster payback (years): 26.6 yrAK, Solar irradiance (kWh/m²/day) →: 3.4 · ← Faster payback (years): 17 yr
Michigan (highlighted): 4 kWh/m²/day, 14.4-yr modeled payback - slower than the national average.

Source: PlainSolarData model, NREL irradiance + EIA rates As of 2024

How Michigan compares on payback speed

Michigan's 14.4-yr modeled break-even sits near the 14.2-yr national average, banded here in 2-year steps.

Michigan's spot in the national payback spread

Every tracked state, banded by modeled 6 kW break-even (2-yr steps).

14 Around the middle faster than 49% of 51 states

all tracked states, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainSolarData model, NREL irradiance + EIA rates · 2024

Solar & grid details

Net-metering policy
full
Renewable portfolio standard
Mandatory (25% by 2035)
Installed cost / watt
$2.95/W
Annual production (6 kW)
7,008 kWh
Installed capacity (EIA 2024)
1.2 GW
Notable programs
Consumers Energy CleanRate

Top incentive programs

2 programs available for Michigan residents

Tax exemption MI Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption · Property tax exemption Net metering MI Net Metering · Retail rate credit

All Michigan solar incentives (2)

Tax exemption

MI Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption

Property tax exemption

Michigan exempts solar energy systems from property tax assessment.

 Net metering

MI Net Metering

Retail rate credit

Michigan utilities offer net metering for residential systems up to 150 kW.

Peer states for Michigan, by score and payback

Two non-geographic peer sets for Michigan: composite score neighbors and payback-year neighbors (deduped so each row links a distinct comparison).

Similar composite solar score

Nearest nationwide matches on the NREL/EIA/DSIRE blend (18/100 here).

Peer states by modeled payback

Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (14.4 yr modeled here).

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published composite scores and modeled 6 kW payback years; rankings above use the same fields but sort the full corpus.

Solar resource from NREL; electricity rates and installed capacity from the U.S. EIA; incentive programs from DSIRE. See our methodology.

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher.