Solar in El Cajon, CA
With SDG&E's electricity at about 45.1¢ per kWh and 1,723 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical El Cajon home today: about a 11.3-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 11.3 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $20,182after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,723kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 45.1¢150% above U.S. average
A typical El Cajon home, by the numbers
| Utility | SDG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 296 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,169 kWh a year (146% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $868 |
| Payback | 11.3 years |
| Exported power | 3.7¢/kWh (SDG&E) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in El Cajon
- Owner-occupied homes
- 42%
- Single-family detached
- 39%
- Median home value
- $682k
- Median year built
- 1974
- Population
- 104,449
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 3,118
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 95%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 19,733 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 El Cajon
Companies with the most installations in El Cajon's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 666 installs
- Bright Planet Solar 183 installs
- SunPower 176 installs
- Semper Solaris 168 installs
- Baker Electric 154 installs
- Solartech 133 installs
- green source eletric 100 installs
- Tesla Energy 94 installs
- Blalock electric 73 installs
- Freedom Solar 63 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in El Cajon
Is solar worth it in El Cajon, CA?
For a typical home in El Cajon, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $868 in year one and pays back in about 11.3 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in El Cajon?
About 1,723 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in El Cajon?
Most homes in El Cajon are served by SDG&E, at about 45.1¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in El Cajon?
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
- La Mesa 11.3 yrs
- Santee 11.3 yrs
- Spring Valley CDP (San Diego County) 11.3 yrs
- Lemon Grove 11.3 yrs
- La Presa 11.3 yrs
- San Diego 11.3 yrs
- Chula Vista 11.3 yrs
- National City 11.3 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.