Solar in Sunnyvale, CA
With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,648 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Sunnyvale home today: about a 10.2-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,545after paying $10,700
- Sun
- 1,648kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 40.5¢125% above U.S. average
A typical Sunnyvale home, by the numbers
| Utility | PG&E |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 405 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,943 kWh a year (102% of use) |
| Cost | $10,700 |
| First-year savings | $968 |
| Payback | 10.2 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 Sunnyvale
- Owner-occupied homes
- 44%
- Single-family detached
- 36%
- Median home value
- $1.8M
- Median year built
- 1976
- Population
- 154,236
- Solar installs, last 3 years*
- 2,066
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 97%
Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 31,075 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Sunnyvale
Companies with the most installations in Sunnyvale's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.
- Sunrun 317 installs
- Tesla Energy 269 installs
- SunPower 237 installs
- Cinnamon Energy Systems 58 installs
- Citadel Roofing And Solar 50 installs
- Solar Optimum Design & Electrical 46 installs
- Infinium Solar 42 installs
- Clean Solar 42 installs
- N R G Clean Power 37 installs
- Your Energy Solutions 35 installs
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Sunnyvale
Is solar worth it in Sunnyvale, CA?
For a typical home in Sunnyvale, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $968 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 Sunnyvale?
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 Sunnyvale?
Most homes in Sunnyvale are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Santa Clara.
How much do solar panels cost in Sunnyvale?
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
- Mountain View 10.2 yrs
- Santa Clara 18.6 yrs
- Los Altos 10.2 yrs
- Cupertino 10.1 yrs
- Palo Alto 10.2 yrs
- Milpitas 10.2 yrs
- Saratoga 10.1 yrs
- Newark 10.3 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.