Solar in Cupertino, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,669 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Cupertino home today: about a 10.1-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.1 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,680after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,669kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Cupertino home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,007 kWh a year (103% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $972 |
| Payback | 10.1 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 Cupertino
- Owner-occupied homes
- 61%
- Single-family detached
- 58%
- Median home value
- $2.0M
- Median year built
- 1973
- Population
- 58,566
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1,311
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 97%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 14,801 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 Cupertino
Companies with the most installations in Cupertino's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Tesla Energy 235 installs
- Sunrun 219 installs
- Citadel Roofing And Solar 97 installs
- SunPower 69 installs
- Cinnamon Energy Systems 52 installs
- Solar Optimum Design & Electrical 42 installs
- Infinium Solar 31 installs
- N R G Clean Power 29 installs
- Your Energy Solutions 29 installs
- Sunvault 27 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Cupertino
Is solar worth it in Cupertino, CA?
For a typical home in Cupertino, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $972 in year one and pays back in about 10.1 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Cupertino?
About 1,669 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Cupertino?
Most homes in Cupertino are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Palo Alto, City of Santa Clara.
How much do solar panels cost in Cupertino?
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
- Saratoga 10.1 yrs
- Los Altos 10.2 yrs
- Sunnyvale 10.2 yrs
- Santa Clara 18.6 yrs
- Campbell 10.1 yrs
- Mountain View 10.2 yrs
- Palo Alto 10.2 yrs
- Los Gatos 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.