Solar in Santa Monica, CA
With LADWP's electricity at about 27.9¢ per kWh and 1,630 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Santa Monica home today: about a 7.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 7.6 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $47,703after paying $12,620
- Sun
- 1,630kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 27.9¢55% above U.S. average
A typical Santa Monica home, by the numbers
| Utility | LADWP |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 469 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3.8 kW, about 9 panels, 6,195 kWh a year (110% of use) |
| Cost | $12,620 |
| First-year savings | $1,553 |
| Payback | 7.6 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (LADWP) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Santa Monica
- Owner-occupied homes
- 28%
- Single-family detached
- 19%
- Median home value
- $1.8M
- Median year built
- 1968
- Population
- 91,169
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 513
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 81%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 15,317 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 Monica
Companies with the most installations in Santa Monica's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 51 installs
- Tesla Energy 30 installs
- SunPower 28 installs
- Solar Forward Electric 20 installs
- Xero Solar 19 installs
- Treepublic Solar 17 installs
- Green Convergence 11 installs
- N R G Clean Power 11 installs
- SOLAR OPTIMUM DESIGN & ELECTRICAL 11 installs
- Blue Sky Energy 10 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Santa Monica
Is solar worth it in Santa Monica, CA?
For a typical home in Santa Monica, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3.8 kW system costs about $12,620 after state incentives, saves about $1,553 in year one and pays back in about 7.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Santa Monica?
About 1,630 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 Monica?
Most homes in Santa Monica are served by LADWP, at about 27.9¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Santa Monica?
A fair cash price is around $2.90 per watt before incentives, so about $12,620 for a 3.8 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Los Angeles 7.5 yrs
- Culver City 7.5 yrs
- Beverly Hills 7.5 yrs
- West Hollywood 7.4 yrs
- Manhattan Beach 10.6 yrs
- Inglewood 10.6 yrs
- Hawthorne 10.6 yrs
- Lawndale 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.