Solar in Monterey, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,517 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Monterey home today: about a 10.4-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.4 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $23,697after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,517kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Monterey home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,550 kWh a year (94% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $942 |
| Payback | 10.4 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 Monterey
- Owner-occupied homes
- 36%
- Single-family detached
- 43%
- Median home value
- $1.1M
- Median year built
- 1971
- Population
- 29,613
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 340
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 81%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 7,664 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 Monterey
Companies with the most installations in Monterey's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 61 installs
- Solex 42 installs
- Scudder Solar Electrical Energy Systems 39 installs
- Solartecture 26 installs
- Tesla Energy 22 installs
- Premo & Torres Solar Electric JV 16 installs
- Allterra Solar 14 installs
- Bright Future Energy 10 installs
- Coastal Electric 7 installs
- 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 Monterey
Is solar worth it in Monterey, CA?
For a typical home in Monterey, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $942 in year one and pays back in about 10.4 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Monterey?
About 1,517 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 9% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Monterey?
Most homes in Monterey are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Monterey?
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
- Seaside 10.4 yrs
- Salinas 10.3 yrs
- Watsonville 10.4 yrs
- Santa Cruz 10.4 yrs
- Hollister 10.2 yrs
- Gilroy 10.3 yrs
- Soledad 10.1 yrs
- Morgan Hill 10.3 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.