Solar in Los Altos, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,648 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Los Altos home today: about a 10.2-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,538after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,648kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Los Altos home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,945 kWh a year (102% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $968 |
| Payback | 10.2 years |
| Exported power | 3.9¢/kWh (PG&E) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Los Altos
- Owner-occupied homes
- 82%
- Single-family detached
- 82%
- Median home value
- $2.0M
- Median year built
- 1964
- Population
- 30,698
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1,454
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 93%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 9,675 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 Los Altos
Companies with the most installations in Los Altos's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Tesla Energy 219 installs
- Cobalt Power Systems 178 installs
- Sunrun 102 installs
- SunPower 72 installs
- Cinnamon Energy Systems 68 installs
- Infinium Solar 45 installs
- Clean Solar 42 installs
- N R G Clean Power 38 installs
- Solar Optimum Design & Electrical 34 installs
- Your Energy Solutions 30 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Los Altos
Is solar worth it in Los Altos, CA?
For a typical home in Los Altos, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $968 in year one and pays back in about 10.2 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Los Altos?
About 1,648 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Los Altos?
Most homes in Los Altos are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Palo Alto.
How much do solar panels cost in Los Altos?
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
- Mountain View 10.2 yrs
- Palo Alto 10.2 yrs
- Sunnyvale 10.2 yrs
- Cupertino 10.1 yrs
- Santa Clara 18.6 yrs
- East Palo Alto 10.2 yrs
- Saratoga 10.1 yrs
- Menlo Park 10.2 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.