Solar in San Marcos, CA
With SDG&E's electricity at about 45.1¢ per kWh and 1,679 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical San Marcos home today: about a 11.4-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 11.4 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $19,961after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,679kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 45.1¢150% above U.S. average
A typical San Marcos home, by the numbers
| Utility | SDG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 296 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,038 kWh a year (142% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $861 |
| Payback | 11.4 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 Marcos
- Owner-occupied homes
- 64%
- Single-family detached
- 52%
- Median home value
- $868k
- Median year built
- 1996
- Population
- 94,882
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 2,936
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 97%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 21,799 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in San Marcos
Companies with the most installations in San Marcos's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 618 installs
- Lennar 339 installs
- Baker Electric 260 installs
- SunPower 247 installs
- GAF Energy 186 installs
- Tesla Energy 104 installs
- Freedom Solar 75 installs
- Bright Planet Solar 73 installs
- Stellar Solar 70 installs
- Semper Solaris 56 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in San Marcos
Is solar worth it in San Marcos, CA?
For a typical home in San Marcos, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $861 in year one and pays back in about 11.4 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in San Marcos?
About 1,679 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in San Marcos?
Most homes in San Marcos are served by SDG&E, at about 45.1¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in San Marcos?
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
- Vista 11.4 yrs
- Escondido 11.4 yrs
- Carlsbad 11.4 yrs
- Encinitas 11.4 yrs
- Oceanside 11.3 yrs
- Poway 11.4 yrs
- Fallbrook 11.4 yrs
- San Diego 11.3 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.