Typical home: Worth it

Solar in South San Francisco, CA

With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,623 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical South San Francisco home today: about a 10.2-year payback.

Payback, typical home
10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
25-year net
$24,392after paying $10,700
Sun
1,623kWh per kW per year
Electricity
40.5¢125% above U.S. average

A typical South San Francisco home, by the numbers

UtilityPG&E
Electricity use405 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,868 kWh a year (100% of use)
Cost$10,700
First-year savings$964
Payback10.2 years
Exported power3.9¢/kWh (PG&E)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in South San Francisco

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan82
Feb103
Mar137
Apr153
May171
Jun173
Jul179
Aug171
Sep150
Oct126
Nov101
Dec78

Homes in South San Francisco

Owner-occupied homes
59%
Single-family detached
59%
Median home value
$1.2M
Median year built
1965
Population
64,305
Solar installs, last 3 years*
504
Roofs suitable for solar†
95%

Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 15,602 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 South San Francisco

Companies with the most installations in South San Francisco's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.

  1. Sunrun 99 installs
  2. Bright OPS 55 installs
  3. Tesla Energy 52 installs
  4. SunPower 19 installs
  5. Nexus Energy Systems 18 installs
  6. Better Earth Electric 17 installs
  7. Kota Construction 15 installs
  8. Semper Solaris 15 installs
  9. Freedom Forever 13 installs
  10. N R G Clean Power 11 installs

Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.

Questions about solar in South San Francisco

Is solar worth it in South San Francisco, CA?

For a typical home in South San Francisco, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $964 in year one and pays back in about 10.2 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in South San Francisco?

About 1,623 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 South San Francisco?

Most homes in South San Francisco are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in South San Francisco?

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

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.