Solar in Santa Ana, CA
With Southern California Edison (SCE)'s electricity at about 33.8¢ per kWh and 1,676 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Santa Ana home today: about a 10.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.6 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $22,805after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,676kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 33.8¢88% above U.S. average
A typical Santa Ana home, by the numbers
| Utility | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 468 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,028 kWh a year (90% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $932 |
| Payback | 10.6 years |
| Exported power | 4.6¢/kWh (Southern California Edison (SCE)) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Santa Ana
- Owner-occupied homes
- 45%
- Single-family detached
- 44%
- Median home value
- $713k
- Median year built
- 1969
- Population
- 312,534
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 2,347
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 94%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 51,592 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 Santa Ana
Companies with the most installations in Santa Ana's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 381 installs
- Tesla Energy 112 installs
- Freedom Forever 103 installs
- Energy Service Partners INC DBA ESP Contracting 100 installs
- Orange County Contracting Services 80 installs
- Swss Electrical 78 installs
- Bright Planet 69 installs
- Better Earth Electric 67 installs
- SunPower 66 installs
- Bright OPS 58 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Santa Ana
Is solar worth it in Santa Ana, CA?
For a typical home in Santa Ana, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $932 in year one and pays back in about 10.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Santa Ana?
About 1,676 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 Santa Ana?
Most homes in Santa Ana are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), at about 33.8¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Santa Ana?
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
- Orange 10.6 yrs
- Tustin 10.6 yrs
- Fountain Valley 10.6 yrs
- Costa Mesa 10.6 yrs
- Garden Grove 10.6 yrs
- North Tustin 10.6 yrs
- Westminster 10.6 yrs
- Huntington Beach 10.6 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.