Solar in Los Gatos, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,617 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Los Gatos home today: about a 10.2-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,351after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,617kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Los Gatos home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,851 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $962 |
| 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 Gatos
- Owner-occupied homes
- 65%
- Single-family detached
- 58%
- Median home value
- $2.0M
- Median year built
- 1972
- Population
- 32,786
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1,255
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 88%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 8,759 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 Gatos
Companies with the most installations in Los Gatos's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Tesla Energy 189 installs
- Cinnamon Energy Systems 175 installs
- Sunrun 136 installs
- Rockin Roofers 71 installs
- SunPower 58 installs
- Infinium Solar 42 installs
- Semper Solaris 31 installs
- Cobalt Power Systems 30 installs
- Citadel Roofing And Solar 23 installs
- Golden Bear Solar 22 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Los Gatos
Is solar worth it in Los Gatos, CA?
For a typical home in Los Gatos, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $962 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 Gatos?
About 1,617 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Los Gatos?
Most homes in Los Gatos 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 Gatos?
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
- Campbell 10.1 yrs
- Saratoga 10.1 yrs
- Cupertino 10.1 yrs
- San Jose 10.2 yrs
- Santa Clara 18.6 yrs
- Sunnyvale 10.2 yrs
- Los Altos 10.2 yrs
- Mountain View 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.