Solar in San Rafael, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,595 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical San Rafael home today: about a 10.3-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.3 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,187after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,595kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical San Rafael home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,785 kWh a year (98% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $957 |
| Payback | 10.3 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 Rafael
- Owner-occupied homes
- 53%
- Single-family detached
- 48%
- Median home value
- $1.4M
- Median year built
- 1968
- Population
- 60,433
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1,231
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 94%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 14,701 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 Rafael
Companies with the most installations in San Rafael's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 173 installs
- Solarcraft Services 110 installs
- Tesla Energy 94 installs
- SunPower 71 installs
- Earthwise Energy Solutions 58 installs
- Sonomarin Solar 50 installs
- Rockin Roofers 49 installs
- Sun First! 47 installs
- Better Earth Electric 41 installs
- Semper Solaris 37 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in San Rafael
Is solar worth it in San Rafael, CA?
For a typical home in San Rafael, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $957 in year one and pays back in about 10.3 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in San Rafael?
About 1,595 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in San Rafael?
Most homes in San Rafael are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in San Rafael?
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
- Novato 10.2 yrs
- Richmond 10.2 yrs
- San Pablo 10.2 yrs
- El Cerrito 10.2 yrs
- Hercules 10.3 yrs
- Berkeley 10.3 yrs
- Vallejo 10.3 yrs
- Petaluma 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.