Solar in Menlo Park, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,624 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Menlo Park home today: about a 10.2-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,379after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,624kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Menlo Park home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,871 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $963 |
| 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 Menlo Park
- Owner-occupied homes
- 54%
- Single-family detached
- 54%
- Median home value
- $2.0M
- Median year built
- 1964
- Population
- 32,727
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 800
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 88%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 8,380 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 Menlo Park
Companies with the most installations in Menlo Park's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 82 installs
- Cobalt Power Systems 73 installs
- Tesla Energy 71 installs
- Citadel Roofing And Solar 62 installs
- SunPower 40 installs
- Cinnamon Energy Systems 31 installs
- Clean Solar 30 installs
- Solar Optimum Design & Electrical 22 installs
- Rockin Roofers 17 installs
- Infinium Solar 14 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Menlo Park
Is solar worth it in Menlo Park, CA?
For a typical home in Menlo Park, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $963 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 Menlo Park?
About 1,624 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 Menlo Park?
Most homes in Menlo Park 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 Menlo Park?
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
- East Palo Alto 10.2 yrs
- Redwood City 10.1 yrs
- Palo Alto 10.2 yrs
- Newark 10.3 yrs
- Mountain View 10.2 yrs
- San Carlos 10.1 yrs
- Foster City 10.2 yrs
- Los Altos 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.