Solar in San Diego, CA
With SDG&E's electricity at about 45.1¢ per kWh and 1,716 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical San Diego home today: about a 11.3-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 11.3 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $20,147after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,716kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 45.1¢150% above U.S. average
A typical San Diego home, by the numbers
| Utility | SDG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 296 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,147 kWh a year (145% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $867 |
| Payback | 11.3 years |
| Exported power | 3.7¢/kWh (SDG&E) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in San Diego
- Owner-occupied homes
- 47%
- Single-family detached
- 43%
- Median home value
- $907k
- Median year built
- 1979
- Population
- 1,389,526
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 25,912
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 45%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 15 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in San Diego
Companies with the most installations in San Diego's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 4,680 installs
- Baker Electric 1,903 installs
- SunPower 1,301 installs
- Bright Planet Solar 1,215 installs
- Tesla Energy 1,165 installs
- Semper Solaris 1,149 installs
- Lennar 1,142 installs
- Stellar Solar 778 installs
- Sunline Energy 741 installs
- Solartech 591 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in San Diego
Is solar worth it in San Diego, CA?
For a typical home in San Diego, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $867 in year one and pays back in about 11.3 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in San Diego?
About 1,716 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 3% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in San Diego?
Most homes in San Diego are served by SDG&E, at about 45.1¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in San Diego?
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
- La Mesa 11.3 yrs
- Santee 11.3 yrs
- Lemon Grove 11.3 yrs
- El Cajon 11.3 yrs
- La Presa 11.3 yrs
- Spring Valley CDP (San Diego County) 11.3 yrs
- National City 11.3 yrs
- Poway 11.4 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.