Solar in Long Beach, CA
With Southern California Edison (SCE)'s electricity at about 33.8¢ per kWh and 1,678 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Long Beach home today: about a 10.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.6 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $22,821after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,678kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 33.8¢88% above U.S. average
A typical Long Beach home, by the numbers
| Utility | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 468 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,035 kWh a year (90% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $933 |
| 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 Long Beach
- Owner-occupied homes
- 41%
- Single-family detached
- 40%
- Median home value
- $807k
- Median year built
- 1959
- Population
- 455,548
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 3,788
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 84%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 91,992 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 Long Beach
Companies with the most installations in Long Beach's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 726 installs
- Bright OPS 176 installs
- Freedom Forever 174 installs
- Tesla Energy 170 installs
- Solar Source 165 installs
- SunPower 108 installs
- South West Builders 82 installs
- C S S Construction 75 installs
- Better Earth Electric 73 installs
- Ameco Solar 64 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Long Beach
Is solar worth it in Long Beach, CA?
For a typical home in Long Beach, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $933 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 Long Beach?
About 1,678 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 Long Beach?
Most homes in Long Beach are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), at about 33.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by LADWP.
How much do solar panels cost in Long Beach?
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
- Lakewood 10.6 yrs
- Carson 10.6 yrs
- Bellflower 10.6 yrs
- Cypress 10.6 yrs
- Paramount 10.6 yrs
- Cerritos 10.5 yrs
- Compton 10.6 yrs
- Norwalk 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.