Typical home: Worth it

Solar in Manhattan Beach, CA

With Southern California Edison (SCE)'s electricity at about 33.8¢ per kWh and 1,661 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Manhattan Beach home today: about a 10.6-year payback.

Payback, typical home
10.6 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
25-year net
$22,683after paying $10,700
Sun
1,661kWh per kW per year
Electricity
33.8¢88% above U.S. average

A typical Manhattan Beach home, by the numbers

UtilitySouthern California Edison (SCE)
Electricity use468 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,982 kWh a year (89% of use)
Cost$10,700
First-year savings$928
Payback10.6 years
Exported power4.6¢/kWh (Southern California Edison (SCE))

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Manhattan Beach

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan111
Feb121
Mar142
Apr162
May153
Jun159
Jul160
Aug163
Sep145
Oct138
Nov112
Dec95

Homes in Manhattan Beach

Owner-occupied homes
65%
Single-family detached
66%
Median home value
$2.0M
Median year built
1970
Population
34,210
Solar installs, last 3 years*
581
Roofs suitable for solar†
85%

Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 11,431 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 Manhattan Beach

Companies with the most installations in Manhattan Beach's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.

  1. Xero Solar 207 installs
  2. Tesla Energy 38 installs
  3. Sunrun 29 installs
  4. Solar Freedom USA 22 installs
  5. Freedom Forever 16 installs
  6. Ameco Solar 14 installs
  7. Powur PBC Which Will DO Business IN California AS Powur Home 13 installs
  8. SunPower 10 installs
  9. A P Electrical 7 installs
  10. N R G Clean Power 7 installs

Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.

Questions about solar in Manhattan Beach

Is solar worth it in Manhattan Beach, CA?

For a typical home in Manhattan Beach, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $928 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 Manhattan Beach?

About 1,661 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 Manhattan Beach?

Most homes in Manhattan Beach are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), at about 33.8¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Manhattan 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

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.