Solar in Oakland, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,582 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Oakland home today: about a 10.3-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.3 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,138after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,582kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Oakland home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,746 kWh a year (98% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $955 |
| Payback | 10.3 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 Oakland
- Owner-occupied homes
- 42%
- Single-family detached
- 41%
- Median home value
- $930k
- Median year built
- 1953
- Population
- 439,418
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 4,351
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 90%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 89,195 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 Oakland
Companies with the most installations in Oakland's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 512 installs
- SunPower 347 installs
- Bright OPS 316 installs
- Kota Construction 265 installs
- Tesla Energy 179 installs
- Better Earth Electric 125 installs
- Save A LOT Solar 111 installs
- N R G Clean Power 102 installs
- Semper Solaris 102 installs
- Your Energy Solutions 91 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Oakland
Is solar worth it in Oakland, CA?
For a typical home in Oakland, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $955 in year one and pays back in about 10.3 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Oakland?
About 1,582 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 5% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Oakland?
Most homes in Oakland are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Oakland?
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
- Alameda 10.3 yrs
- San Leandro 10.3 yrs
- Berkeley 10.3 yrs
- San Lorenzo 10.2 yrs
- Castro Valley 10.3 yrs
- Lafayette 10.2 yrs
- El Cerrito 10.2 yrs
- South San Francisco 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.