Solar in Riverside, CA
With City of Riverside's electricity at about 23.1¢ per kWh and 1,719 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Riverside home today: about a 12.4-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.4 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $17,046after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,719kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 23.1¢28% above U.S. average
A typical Riverside home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Riverside |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 616 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,156 kWh a year (70% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $780 |
| Payback | 12.4 years |
| Exported power | Net billing (reduced export credit) (California rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Riverside
- Owner-occupied homes
- 57%
- Single-family detached
- 64%
- Median home value
- $585k
- Median year built
- 1976
- Population
- 319,069
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 4,690
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 93%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 76,638 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Riverside
Companies with the most installations in Riverside's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 984 installs
- SunPower 760 installs
- Sunnova 524 installs
- Freedom Forever 195 installs
- Tesla Energy 164 installs
- GAF Energy 142 installs
- Bright Planet 137 installs
- Bright OPS 135 installs
- Solarmax Renewable Energy Provider 122 installs
- V3 Electric 117 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Riverside
Is solar worth it in Riverside, CA?
For a typical home in Riverside, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $780 in year one and pays back in about 12.4 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Riverside?
About 1,719 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Riverside?
Most homes in Riverside are served by City of Riverside, at about 23.1¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), City of Colton.
How much do solar panels cost in Riverside?
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
- Jurupa Valley 10.5 yrs
- Bloomington 10.5 yrs
- Colton 10.5 yrs
- Norco 10.5 yrs
- Moreno Valley 8.8 yrs
- Eastvale 10.5 yrs
- Loma Linda 10.5 yrs
- Corona 10.5 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.