Solar in San Jose, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,624 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical San Jose home today: about a 10.2-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,391after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,624kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical San Jose home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,873 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $964 |
| Payback | 10.2 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 Jose
- Owner-occupied homes
- 56%
- Single-family detached
- 51%
- Median home value
- $1.2M
- Median year built
- 1976
- Population
- 990,138
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 14,152
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 97%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 210,786 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in San Jose
Companies with the most installations in San Jose's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 2,542 installs
- Tesla Energy 2,109 installs
- SunPower 878 installs
- Bright OPS 533 installs
- Cinnamon Energy Systems 369 installs
- Freedom Forever 362 installs
- Infinity Energy 315 installs
- Infinium Solar 314 installs
- Better Earth Electric 308 installs
- Solar Optimum Design & Electrical 307 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in San Jose
Is solar worth it in San Jose, CA?
For a typical home in San Jose, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $964 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 San Jose?
About 1,624 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 San Jose?
Most homes in San Jose are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Santa Clara, City of Palo Alto.
How much do solar panels cost in San Jose?
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
- Campbell 10.1 yrs
- Los Gatos 10.2 yrs
- Santa Clara 18.6 yrs
- Milpitas 10.2 yrs
- Saratoga 10.1 yrs
- Cupertino 10.1 yrs
- Sunnyvale 10.2 yrs
- Morgan Hill 10.3 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.