Solar in Hawthorne, CA
With Southern California Edison (SCE)'s electricity at about 33.8¢ per kWh and 1,676 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Hawthorne home today: about a 10.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.6 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $22,795after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,676kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 33.8¢88% above U.S. average
A typical Hawthorne home, by the numbers
| Utility | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 468 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,029 kWh a year (90% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $932 |
| 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 Hawthorne
- Owner-occupied homes
- 27%
- Single-family detached
- 27%
- Median home value
- $863k
- Median year built
- 1970
- Population
- 85,191
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 466
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 89%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 13,696 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 Hawthorne
Companies with the most installations in Hawthorne's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 109 installs
- Freedom Forever 34 installs
- Tesla Energy 23 installs
- Bright OPS 14 installs
- Energy Service Partners INC DBA ESP Contracting 14 installs
- South West Builders 14 installs
- SOLAR OPTIMUM DESIGN & ELECTRICAL 12 installs
- SunPower 12 installs
- Better Earth Electric 9 installs
- Xero Solar 9 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Hawthorne
Is solar worth it in Hawthorne, CA?
For a typical home in Hawthorne, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $932 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 Hawthorne?
About 1,676 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 Hawthorne?
Most homes in Hawthorne are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), at about 33.8¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Hawthorne?
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
- Lawndale 10.6 yrs
- Gardena 10.6 yrs
- Inglewood 10.6 yrs
- Westmont 10.5 yrs
- Manhattan Beach 10.6 yrs
- Redondo Beach 10.8 yrs
- Torrance 10.6 yrs
- Culver City 7.5 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.