Solar in Santa Barbara, CA
With Southern California Edison (SCE)'s electricity at about 33.8¢ per kWh and 1,629 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Santa Barbara home today: about a 10.7-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.7 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $22,483after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,629kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 33.8¢88% above U.S. average
A typical Santa Barbara home, by the numbers
| Utility | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 468 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,888 kWh a year (87% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $922 |
| Payback | 10.7 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 Barbara
- Owner-occupied homes
- 40%
- Single-family detached
- 46%
- Median home value
- $1.6M
- Median year built
- 1965
- Population
- 87,779
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 2,112
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 91%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 23,612 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 Barbara
Companies with the most installations in Santa Barbara's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 384 installs
- Brighten Solar Construction 321 installs
- Tesla Energy 152 installs
- Action Energy 127 installs
- Sun Pacific Solar Electric 127 installs
- Good Energy Renewables 84 installs
- Sunrise805 69 installs
- Photon Brothers 51 installs
- Wicks Solar 51 installs
- California Solar Electric Systems 46 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Santa Barbara
Is solar worth it in Santa Barbara, CA?
For a typical home in Santa Barbara, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $922 in year one and pays back in about 10.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Santa Barbara?
About 1,629 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Santa Barbara?
Most homes in Santa Barbara are served by Southern California Edison (SCE), at about 33.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by PG&E.
How much do solar panels cost in Santa Barbara?
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
- Eastern Goleta Valley 10.6 yrs
- Goleta 10.6 yrs
- San Buenaventura (Ventura) 10.8 yrs
- Oxnard 10.7 yrs
- Santa Paula 10.6 yrs
- Camarillo 10.6 yrs
- Lompoc 10.1 yrs
- Moorpark 10.5 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.