Solar in Fair Oaks, CA
With SMUD's electricity at about 19.9¢ per kWh and 1,576 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Fair Oaks home today: about a 12.8-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.8 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $15,325after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,576kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 19.9¢11% above U.S. average
A typical Fair Oaks home, by the numbers
| Utility | SMUD |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 663 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,729 kWh a year (59% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $774 |
| Payback | 12.8 years |
| Exported power | 9.6¢/kWh (SMUD) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Fair Oaks
- Owner-occupied homes
- 71%
- Single-family detached
- 72%
- Median home value
- $683k
- Median year built
- 1977
- Population
- 32,799
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 89%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 9,372 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Fair Oaks
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 Fair Oaks
Is solar worth it in Fair Oaks, CA?
For a typical home in Fair Oaks, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $774 in year one and pays back in about 12.8 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Fair Oaks?
About 1,576 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 5% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Fair Oaks?
Most homes in Fair Oaks are served by SMUD, at about 19.9¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Fair Oaks?
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
- Orangevale 10.3 yrs
- Citrus Heights 12.8 yrs
- Carmichael 12.7 yrs
- Rancho Cordova 12.7 yrs
- Foothill Farms 12.7 yrs
- Folsom 12.8 yrs
- North Highlands 12.6 yrs
- Antelope 10.3 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.