Solar in Madera, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,646 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Madera home today: about a 10.2-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,508after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,646kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Madera home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,939 kWh a year (102% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $967 |
| 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 Madera
- Owner-occupied homes
- 55%
- Single-family detached
- 72%
- Median home value
- $360k
- Median year built
- 1991
- Population
- 67,831
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 6,080
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 94%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 15,189 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Madera
Companies with the most installations in Madera's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 1,147 installs
- Dick Donald P Air Conditioning 602 installs
- GAF Energy 485 installs
- SunPower 467 installs
- Leonard Roofing 417 installs
- Lifestyle Solar 281 installs
- Solar Negotiators 276 installs
- Citadel Roofing And Solar 271 installs
- Empower Electric Solar 216 installs
- Freedom Forever 182 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Madera
Is solar worth it in Madera, CA?
For a typical home in Madera, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $967 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 Madera?
About 1,646 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 Madera?
Most homes in Madera are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Madera?
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
- Fresno 10.2 yrs
- Clovis 10.2 yrs
- Merced 11.9 yrs
- Sanger 10.2 yrs
- Atwater 10.2 yrs
- Los Banos 10.2 yrs
- Reedley 10.2 yrs
- Dinuba 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.