Solar payback / By state / California
Solar panel cost in California, 2026
Electricity here costs 31.8 cents a kWh, above the national average of 17.1 cents. A kilowatt of panels makes about 1,550 kWh a year on a California roof. Put your own bill in below.
Your house
Pays for itself in
6 yr
At today's bill, rising
System you need
3.9 kW
about 10 panels
Cost after credits
$11,438
no federal credit in 2026
25 year net gain
$54,836
savings minus what it cost
What you have saved, year by year
Your monthly bill
On grid power you pay $180 a month, every month, for as long as you live there.
A 3.9 kW system in California makes about 6,113 kWh a year, which covers most of the 6,792 kWh your house uses. It costs $11,438 installed, and because the federal credit ended on 31 December 2025 that is also what you pay. Over 25 years you would otherwise hand the utility $78,752.
What these numbers mean in California
Two things decide whether solar pays here, and only one of them is sunshine. The first is what you are paying now: California sits 2 of 51 for residential electricity price, so every kWh the roof makes is worth 31.8 cents that stays in your pocket. The second is how much the roof makes, and California ranks 4 of 51 there.
A state with expensive power and moderate sun beats a sunny state with cheap power almost every time. That is why solar pays back faster in the northeast than in parts of the south, which surprises most people.
On a $180 a month bill, a California house uses roughly 6,792 kWh a year. Covering ninety percent of that needs about 3.9 kW of panels, which costs $11,438 installed at the national average price per watt, and produces about 6,113 kWh a year.
Those savings pass the cost of the system in year 6. Over 25 years you save $66,274 against a grid bill that would have totalled $78,752, leaving you $54,836 ahead. Panels are generally warranted for 25 years and keep working after that at reduced output.
One thing every figure above assumes: no federal tax credit. The 30 percent credit ended on December 31, 2025. If a salesperson or a calculator shows you a shorter payback, check whether they have quietly subtracted a credit that no longer exists.
Common questions
- How much do solar panels cost in California?
- A system big enough for a typical California home is around 3.9 kW, which is about 10 panels. At the national average of $2.90 a watt that is $11,438 installed. Because the 30 percent federal tax credit ended on December 31, 2025, that is also what you pay: there is no longer a credit to subtract.
- Is solar worth it in California in 2026?
- Yes, on these figures. Electricity in California costs 31.8 cents a kWh and a kilowatt of panels makes about 1,550 kWh a year here, so the system pays for itself in about 6 years and is ahead by $54,836 over 25. That is with no federal credit at all.
- Is there still a solar tax credit in California?
- Not a federal one. Section 25D, the 30 percent residential credit, ended on December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill, with no phase down. State and utility programs are separate and some still run, so check with your own utility before you sign. Any calculator still showing you 30 percent off is about three years optimistic on payback.
- How many solar panels does a California home need?
- About 10 panels, taking a modern 400 watt panel. That comes from a house using 6,792 kWh a year and each kilowatt of panels producing 1,550 kWh a year in California.