Solar panels in California

Q: Is solar worth it in California?

At 31.2 cents per kWh and 1,900 usable sun hours, a typical system pays back in about 8.3 years.

Q: How much do solar panels cost in California?

A 6.8 kW system costs about $19,380 before incentives.

Roofs across California get about 1,900 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 31.2¢/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 8.3 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 16 California cities.

1,900Sun hours / yr

31.2¢Per kWh

17Panels typical

8.3 yrPayback

California is a middling solar market. A 8.3-year payback still beats leaving the money in a savings account over 25 years, but it is not the slam dunk the ads suggest.

California no longer pays full price for exported power. Under net billing, power you send to the grid earns about 20% of what you pay to buy it back, rather than the one-for-one credit older net metering gave. Because a system without a battery exports most of what it makes, this lengthens payback substantially — and it is why our figures here are lower than calculators still assuming one-for-one credit. A battery raises the share you use yourself and shortens payback, at the cost of adding $8,000–15,000 to the system.

Check your own roof in California → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.

How California compares

California gets more sunlight than 89% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 97% of states and provinces. Both matter, but not equally: the electricity rate usually matters more, because solar saves money by replacing power you would otherwise buy. A sunny state with cheap power often pays back slower than a cloudy state with expensive power. Why that happens →

Solar by city in California

City	Sun hrs/yr	Panels	Net cost	Payback
Anaheim	1,984	17	$13,566	8.2 yrs
Riverside	1,980	17	$13,566	8.2 yrs
Bakersfield	1,957	17	$13,566	8.2 yrs
Santa Ana	1,944	17	$13,566	8.2 yrs
Long Beach	1,938	17	$13,566	8.3 yrs
Chula Vista	1,936	17	$13,566	8.3 yrs
Irvine	1,924	17	$13,566	8.3 yrs
Modesto	1,900	17	$13,566	8.3 yrs
San Diego	1,894	17	$13,566	8.3 yrs
Stockton	1,879	17	$13,566	8.4 yrs
Los Angeles	1,875	17	$13,566	8.4 yrs
Fresno	1,827	18	$14,364	8.8 yrs
San Francisco	1,819	18	$14,364	8.8 yrs
San Jose	1,810	18	$14,364	8.8 yrs
Sacramento	1,796	18	$14,364	8.8 yrs
Oakland	1,793	18	$14,364	8.8 yrs

What a system costs in California

System	Size	kWh/yr	Net cost	Saves/yr	Payback
8 panels	3.2 kW	5,168	$6,384	$1,266	5 yrs
12 panels	4.8 kW	7,752	$9,576	$1,427	6.7 yrs
16 panels	6.4 kW	10,336	$12,768	$1,588	8 yrs
20 panels	8 kW	12,920	$15,960	$1,750	9.1 yrs
26 panels	10.4 kW	16,796	$20,748	$1,992	10.4 yrs

Payback stops improving as systems grow, then gets worse. You can only save on electricity you were going to buy, so once a system covers your usage the extra panels mostly export at a lower rate.

California solar incentives

Every US household can claim the 30% federal residential clean energy credit, which is what the "after credit" figures above assume. On a $19,380 system that is $5,814 back. How the credit works →

State, utility and municipal incentives stack on top and change often — California may offer rebates, property or sales tax exemptions, or performance payments. We deliberately don't list specific state programmes here because they change several times a year and stale numbers are worse than none. The DSIRE database is the standard reference and is kept current.

Net metering is the one to actually check. It decides what your utility pays for exported power, and it affects your return far more than most rebates. Rules vary by utility, not just by state, and have been getting less generous. Ask any installer exactly which net metering tariff you would be on.

California solar questions

Is solar worth it in California?

At 31.2¢/kWh and 1,900 usable sun hours, a typical system pays back in about 8.3 years and returns roughly $27,153 over 25 years. That is a solid return.

How many solar panels do I need in California?

About 17 panels for a home using 10,800 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 646 kWh annually at California sunlight levels.

How much do solar panels cost in California?

A 6.8 kW system runs about $19,380 before incentives and $13,566 after the 30% federal credit. Quotes vary widely by installer and roof complexity — get three.

Worth reading before you buy

What your utility pays for exportsChanges payback more than any equipment choice 12 questions to ask before signingIdentical systems vary 30–40% in price Is a battery worth it?Guide How long do panels last?Guide

Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 16 California cities, and average California electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.