Typical home: Worth it

Solar in Riverbank, CA

With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,623 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Riverbank home today: about a 10.2-year payback.

Payback, typical home
10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
25-year net
$24,366after paying $10,700
Sun
1,623kWh per kW per year
Electricity
40.5¢125% above U.S. average

A typical Riverbank home, by the numbers

UtilityPG&E
Electricity use405 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,870 kWh a year (100% of use)
Cost$10,700
First-year savings$963
Payback10.2 years
Exported power3.9¢/kWh (PG&E)

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

Solar production per kW in Riverbank

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan75
Feb88
Mar140
Apr152
May175
Jun184
Jul183
Aug171
Sep154
Oct134
Nov90
Dec77

Homes in Riverbank

Owner-occupied homes
72%
Single-family detached
85%
Median home value
$463k
Median year built
1996
Population
25,166
Solar installs, last 3 years*
650
Roofs suitable for solar†
98%

Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 7,227 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Riverbank

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

  1. Sunrun 252 installs
  2. SIG Solar, S.i.g. 49 installs
  3. Momentum Solar 38 installs
  4. SunPower 36 installs
  5. Allen Electric 34 installs
  6. Citadel Roofing & Solar 22 installs
  7. Skyline Smart Energy 20 installs
  8. North Valley 17 installs
  9. Freedom Forever 16 installs
  10. Global Energy 14 installs

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

Questions about solar in Riverbank

Is solar worth it in Riverbank, CA?

For a typical home in Riverbank, 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 Riverbank?

About 1,623 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 Riverbank?

Most homes in Riverbank are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Modesto Irrigation District.

How much do solar panels cost in Riverbank?

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.