Solar in Desert Hot Springs, CA
With Southern California Edison (SCE)'s electricity at about 33.8¢ per kWh and 1,825 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Desert Hot Springs home today: about a 10.3-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.3 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $23,759after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,825kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 33.8¢88% above U.S. average
A typical Desert Hot Springs home, by the numbers
| Utility | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 468 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,476 kWh a year (98% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $963 |
| Payback | 10.3 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 Desert Hot Springs
- Owner-occupied homes
- 51%
- Single-family detached
- 64%
- Median home value
- $355k
- Median year built
- 1990
- Population
- 33,200
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1,674
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 98%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 6,234 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Desert Hot Springs
Companies with the most installations in Desert Hot Springs's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 375 installs
- GAF Energy 169 installs
- Sunnova 109 installs
- Renova Energy 95 installs
- Freedom Forever 87 installs
- Bright OPS 55 installs
- Current Home INC DBA Current Home Solar 47 installs
- Energy Service Partners INC DBA ESP Contracting 44 installs
- Solar Flare 44 installs
- GSP (got Solar Power) 43 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Desert Hot Springs
Is solar worth it in Desert Hot Springs, CA?
For a typical home in Desert Hot Springs, 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 10.3 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Desert Hot Springs?
About 1,825 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 10% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Desert Hot Springs?
Most homes in Desert Hot Springs are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), at about 33.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Imperial Irrigation District.
How much do solar panels cost in Desert Hot Springs?
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
- Cathedral City 10.4 yrs
- Palm Springs 10.4 yrs
- Palm Desert 10.4 yrs
- Banning 10.5 yrs
- Indio 11.1 yrs
- Beaumont 10.5 yrs
- La Quinta 11.1 yrs
- San Jacinto 10.5 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.