Solar in Atwater, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,623 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Atwater home today: about a 10.2-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,361after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,623kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Atwater home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,870 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $963 |
| Payback | 10.2 years |
| Exported power | 3.9¢/kWh (PG&E) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Atwater
- Owner-occupied homes
- 52%
- Single-family detached
- 67%
- Median home value
- $363k
- Median year built
- 1982
- Population
- 32,162
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 821
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 98%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 8,227 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Atwater
Companies with the most installations in Atwater's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 258 installs
- Bright OPS 52 installs
- APG Solar 40 installs
- Empower Electric Solar 35 installs
- Porter Graham Construction 28 installs
- Bright Planet 27 installs
- Freedom Forever 22 installs
- Empower Home Services 19 installs
- Extreme Solar Solutions 18 installs
- Quality Homes Services 16 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Atwater
Is solar worth it in Atwater, CA?
For a typical home in Atwater, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $963 in year one and pays back in about 10.2 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Atwater?
About 1,623 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Atwater?
Most homes in Atwater are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Merced Irrigation District.
How much do solar panels cost in Atwater?
A fair cash price is around $2.90 per watt before incentives, so about $10,700 for a 3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Merced 11.9 yrs
- Turlock 13.3 yrs
- Los Banos 10.2 yrs
- Ceres 10.9 yrs
- Modesto 10.9 yrs
- Riverbank 10.2 yrs
- Madera 10.2 yrs
- Manteca 10.2 yrs
- All of California
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.