Solar in Ceres, CA
With Modesto Irrigation District's electricity at about 24.2¢ per kWh and 1,647 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Ceres home today: about a 10.9-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.9 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $21,932after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,647kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 24.2¢35% above U.S. average
A typical Ceres home, by the numbers
| Utility | Modesto Irrigation District |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 751 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,941 kWh a year (55% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $892 |
| Payback | 10.9 years |
| Exported power | Net billing (reduced export credit) (California rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Ceres
- Owner-occupied homes
- 64%
- Single-family detached
- 77%
- Median home value
- $425k
- Median year built
- 1986
- Population
- 49,342
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 98%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 12,539 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Ceres
Public installation records for California don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in California.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Ceres
Is solar worth it in Ceres, CA?
For a typical home in Ceres, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $892 in year one and pays back in about 10.9 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Ceres?
About 1,647 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Ceres?
Most homes in Ceres are served by Modesto Irrigation District, at about 24.2¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Turlock Irrigation District.
How much do solar panels cost in Ceres?
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
- Modesto 10.9 yrs
- Turlock 13.3 yrs
- Riverbank 10.2 yrs
- Manteca 10.2 yrs
- Lathrop 10.1 yrs
- Atwater 10.2 yrs
- Tracy 10.2 yrs
- Stockton 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.