Solar in Irvine, CA
With Southern California Edison (SCE)'s electricity at about 33.8¢ per kWh and 1,664 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Irvine home today: about a 10.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.6 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $22,746after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,664kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 33.8¢88% above U.S. average
A typical Irvine home, by the numbers
| Utility | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 468 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,992 kWh a year (89% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $930 |
| 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 Irvine
- Owner-occupied homes
- 44%
- Single-family detached
- 37%
- Median home value
- $1.2M
- Median year built
- 2002
- Population
- 311,690
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 6,184
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 97%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 55,230 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Irvine
Companies with the most installations in Irvine's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunnova 997 installs
- Sunrun 805 installs
- Tesla Energy 600 installs
- SunPower 551 installs
- Solara Home Energy 370 installs
- GAF Energy 346 installs
- Aikyum Solar 295 installs
- C S S Construction 270 installs
- Orange County Contracting Services 157 installs
- Freedom Forever 135 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Irvine
Is solar worth it in Irvine, CA?
For a typical home in Irvine, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $930 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 Irvine?
About 1,664 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Irvine?
Most homes in Irvine are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), at about 33.8¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Irvine?
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
- Tustin 10.6 yrs
- Lake Forest 11.4 yrs
- North Tustin 10.6 yrs
- Newport Beach 10.6 yrs
- Aliso Viejo 10.6 yrs
- Laguna Hills 10.6 yrs
- Santa Ana 10.6 yrs
- Costa Mesa 10.6 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.