Solar in San Carlos, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,664 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical San Carlos home today: about a 10.1-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.1 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,630after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,664kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical San Carlos home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,993 kWh a year (103% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $971 |
| Payback | 10.1 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 San Carlos
- Owner-occupied homes
- 68%
- Single-family detached
- 67%
- Median home value
- $2.0M
- Median year built
- 1962
- Population
- 29,614
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 719
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 94%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 9,931 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 San Carlos
Companies with the most installations in San Carlos's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Rockin Roofers 77 installs
- Tesla Energy 76 installs
- Sunrun 53 installs
- SunPower 47 installs
- N R G Clean Power 28 installs
- Clean Solar 24 installs
- Freedom Green Construction 18 installs
- Citadel Roofing And Solar 17 installs
- Semper Solaris 15 installs
- Solar Optimum Design & Electrical 14 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in San Carlos
Is solar worth it in San Carlos, CA?
For a typical home in San Carlos, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $971 in year one and pays back in about 10.1 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in San Carlos?
About 1,664 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in San Carlos?
Most homes in San Carlos are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in San Carlos?
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
- Belmont 10.2 yrs
- Redwood City 10.1 yrs
- Foster City 10.2 yrs
- San Mateo 10.1 yrs
- Menlo Park 10.2 yrs
- East Palo Alto 10.2 yrs
- Burlingame 10.2 yrs
- Palo Alto 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.