Solar in San Luis Obispo, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,693 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical San Luis Obispo home today: about a 10.1-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.1 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,863after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,693kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical San Luis Obispo home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,079 kWh a year (105% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $979 |
| 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 Luis Obispo
- Owner-occupied homes
- 40%
- Single-family detached
- 46%
- Median home value
- $935k
- Median year built
- 1977
- Population
- 48,491
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1,593
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 88%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 14,235 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in San Luis Obispo
Companies with the most installations in San Luis Obispo's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 597 installs
- SunPower 204 installs
- A.m. Sun Solar 84 installs
- Lifestyle Solar 82 installs
- Photon Brothers 76 installs
- Tesla Energy 71 installs
- Solarponics 70 installs
- Wicks Solar 39 installs
- Axiom 360 36 installs
- SLO Craft 27 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in San Luis Obispo
Is solar worth it in San Luis Obispo, CA?
For a typical home in San Luis Obispo, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $979 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 Luis Obispo?
About 1,693 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in San Luis Obispo?
Most homes in San Luis Obispo are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in San Luis Obispo?
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
- Atascadero 10.1 yrs
- El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) 10 yrs
- Santa Maria 10.1 yrs
- Orcutt 10 yrs
- Lompoc 10.1 yrs
- Goleta 10.6 yrs
- Eastern Goleta Valley 10.6 yrs
- Wasco 10.1 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.