Solar in San Mateo, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,665 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical San Mateo home today: about a 10.1-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.1 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,650after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,665kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical San Mateo home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,995 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 Mateo
- Owner-occupied homes
- 50%
- Single-family detached
- 42%
- Median home value
- $1.6M
- Median year built
- 1965
- Population
- 103,105
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1,544
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 92%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 22,444 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 Mateo
Companies with the most installations in San Mateo's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 252 installs
- Tesla Energy 175 installs
- SunPower 91 installs
- Rockin Roofers 69 installs
- Bright OPS 66 installs
- Semper Solaris 41 installs
- Leonard Roofing 41 installs
- Freedom Forever 40 installs
- Solar Optimum Design & Electrical 36 installs
- Your Energy Solutions 33 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in San Mateo
Is solar worth it in San Mateo, CA?
For a typical home in San Mateo, 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 Mateo?
About 1,665 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 Mateo?
Most homes in San Mateo are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in San Mateo?
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
- Foster City 10.2 yrs
- Belmont 10.2 yrs
- Burlingame 10.2 yrs
- San Carlos 10.1 yrs
- Redwood City 10.1 yrs
- South San Francisco 10.2 yrs
- San Bruno 10.2 yrs
- Pacifica 10.4 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.