Solar in Saratoga, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,676 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Saratoga home today: about a 10.1-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.1 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,714after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,676kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Saratoga home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 5,028 kWh a year (103% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $973 |
| Payback | 10.1 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 Saratoga
- Owner-occupied homes
- 86%
- Single-family detached
- 85%
- Median home value
- $2.0M
- Median year built
- 1967
- Population
- 30,319
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 1,135
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 94%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 10,334 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 Saratoga
Companies with the most installations in Saratoga's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Tesla Energy 204 installs
- SunPower 117 installs
- Cinnamon Energy Systems 100 installs
- Sunrun 100 installs
- Infinium Solar 54 installs
- Cobalt Power Systems 33 installs
- Clean Solar 22 installs
- Solar Optimum Design & Electrical 22 installs
- N R G Clean Power 21 installs
- Semper Solaris 21 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Saratoga
Is solar worth it in Saratoga, CA?
For a typical home in Saratoga, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $973 in year one and pays back in about 10.1 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Saratoga?
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 Saratoga?
Most homes in Saratoga are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Palo Alto.
How much do solar panels cost in Saratoga?
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
- Cupertino 10.1 yrs
- Campbell 10.1 yrs
- Los Gatos 10.2 yrs
- Santa Clara 18.6 yrs
- Los Altos 10.2 yrs
- Sunnyvale 10.2 yrs
- Mountain View 10.2 yrs
- Palo Alto 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.