Solar in Costa Mesa, CA
With Southern California Edison (SCE)'s electricity at about 33.8¢ per kWh and 1,657 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Costa Mesa home today: about a 10.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.6 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $22,681after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,657kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 33.8¢88% above U.S. average
A typical Costa Mesa home, by the numbers
| Utility | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 468 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,972 kWh a year (89% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $928 |
| Payback | 10.6 years |
| Exported power | 4.6¢/kWh (Southern California Edison (SCE)) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Costa Mesa
- Owner-occupied homes
- 40%
- Single-family detached
- 39%
- Median home value
- $1.1M
- Median year built
- 1972
- Population
- 110,330
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 993
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 96%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 26,069 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Costa Mesa
Companies with the most installations in Costa Mesa's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 239 installs
- Freedom Forever 55 installs
- Tesla Energy 50 installs
- SunPower 42 installs
- Orange County Contracting Services 33 installs
- Energy Service Partners INC DBA ESP Contracting 18 installs
- Powur PBC Which Will DO Business IN California AS Powur Home 18 installs
- Ameco Solar 17 installs
- Enlightened Solar 17 installs
- Better Earth Electric 16 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Costa Mesa
Is solar worth it in Costa Mesa, CA?
For a typical home in Costa Mesa, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $928 in year one and pays back in about 10.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Costa Mesa?
About 1,657 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Costa Mesa?
Most homes in Costa Mesa are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), at about 33.8¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Costa Mesa?
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
- Newport Beach 10.6 yrs
- Fountain Valley 10.6 yrs
- Santa Ana 10.6 yrs
- Huntington Beach 10.6 yrs
- Tustin 10.6 yrs
- Westminster 10.6 yrs
- Irvine 10.6 yrs
- Garden Grove 10.6 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.