Solar in Santa Clara, CA
With City of Santa Clara's electricity at about 18.8¢ per kWh and 1,648 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Santa Clara home today: about a 18.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 18.6 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $5,512after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,648kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 18.8¢5% above U.S. average
A typical Santa Clara home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Santa Clara |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 398 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,944 kWh a year (104% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $507 |
| Payback | 18.6 years |
| Exported power | Net billing (reduced export credit) (California rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Santa Clara
- Owner-occupied homes
- 41%
- Single-family detached
- 37%
- Median home value
- $1.6M
- Median year built
- 1974
- Population
- 130,256
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 96%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 25,404 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 Clara
Public installation records for California don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in California.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Santa Clara
Is solar worth it in Santa Clara, CA?
For a typical home in Santa Clara, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $507 in year one and pays back in about 18.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Santa Clara?
About 1,648 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Santa Clara?
Most homes in Santa Clara are served by City of Santa Clara, at about 18.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by PG&E.
How much do solar panels cost in Santa Clara?
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
- Sunnyvale 10.2 yrs
- Cupertino 10.1 yrs
- Campbell 10.1 yrs
- Milpitas 10.2 yrs
- Mountain View 10.2 yrs
- Los Altos 10.2 yrs
- Saratoga 10.1 yrs
- Fremont 10.2 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.