Typical home: Worth it

Solar in Hercules, CA

With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,602 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Hercules home today: about a 10.3-year payback.

Payback, typical home
10.3 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
25-year net
$24,258after paying $10,700
Sun
1,602kWh per kW per year
Electricity
40.5¢125% above U.S. average

A typical Hercules home, by the numbers

UtilityPG&E
Electricity use405 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,805 kWh a year (99% of use)
Cost$10,700
First-year savings$959
Payback10.3 years
Exported power3.9¢/kWh (PG&E)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Hercules

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan81
Feb100
Mar130
Apr156
May172
Jun182
Jul184
Aug169
Sep143
Oct122
Nov90
Dec73

Homes in Hercules

Owner-occupied homes
79%
Single-family detached
58%
Median home value
$769k
Median year built
1988
Population
26,302
Solar installs, last 3 years*
513
Roofs suitable for solar†
98%

Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 6,352 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Hercules

Companies with the most installations in Hercules's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.

  1. Sunrun 134 installs
  2. Tesla Energy 53 installs
  3. Lifestyle Solar 34 installs
  4. SunPower 33 installs
  5. Freedom Forever 27 installs
  6. Bright OPS 20 installs
  7. Ambrose Solar 16 installs
  8. Kota Construction 15 installs
  9. Better Earth Electric 12 installs
  10. Powur P B C Which Will DO Business IN California AS Powur Home 7 installs

Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.

Questions about solar in Hercules

Is solar worth it in Hercules, CA?

For a typical home in Hercules, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $959 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 Hercules?

About 1,602 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 3% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Hercules?

Most homes in Hercules are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Hercules?

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

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.