Solar Panel Cost in California
What would solar cost on your California home? It depends on the roof, the shade, your usage and your utility's rules. Call for real numbers from an independent provider.
Call to see if your home qualifies(877) 565-3409Home Solar Line connects you with an independent solar provider. We don't sell or install anything ourselves. Calls may be recorded.
- Free call
- No forms to fill out
- Independent local providers
- No obligation
Who this is for
Check all five before you call:
- You own the home (not renting)
- It's a single-family house or townhouse
- The roof gets full sun or only light shade
- Your power bill is over $100 a month
- The home doesn't already have solar panels
Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.
What happens when you call
- Answer a few quick questionsDo you own the home, how much is your power bill, how sunny is the roof.
- Get connectedIf your home fits, you're put through to an independent solar provider who serves your area.
- Talk it through, then decideThey look at your roof and usage and explain options. No obligation to buy.
What solar costs depend on in California
In California the question is less "does solar work here" and more "how should a system be sized and paired with storage under current utility rules."
There's no single price for solar in California. Your roof, shade, usage and utility decide what a system costs and what it can save.
What moves the price of solar in California
Your utility and its export credit
Rooftop customers of the big investor-owned utilities moved to a net billing tariff in 2023, which credits power sent back to the grid at lower rates than the old net metering did. That is a big reason many California quotes now include a battery, and why sizing the system to your own usage matters.
Sun and seasons
Most of the state gets long, dry, sunny stretches, though coastal fog and inland heat change how much a given roof produces.
Equipment for California weather
The issues that most often change the equipment or the mounting in California are heat and fire-season power shutoffs. Ask what the quote includes for them.
Your roof
Clay and concrete tile roofs are common in much of California. Mounting on tile takes different hardware and more care than on asphalt shingle, so ask how the installer handles tile.
Who delivers your power
Many California communities buy their power through a community choice aggregator (CCA). The big utility still delivers the power and handles the solar interconnection, but the CCA can have its own credit for exported power.
The usual cost factors
- Roof size, direction and pitch, and how much of it is shaded.
- How much power the house uses in a year, which sets the system size.
- Panel and inverter choices, and whether you add a battery.
- Roof condition, electrical panel upgrades, permits and interconnection.
- Whether you pay cash, take a loan, or sign a lease or PPA.
Have this handy when you call
- A recent bill from your utility, or a rough idea of your monthly amount in summer and winter
- The rough age of your roof and what it's made of
- Whether trees or buildings shade the roof during the day
- Whether you are in an HOA
- Your ZIP code
Ready to find out if your home is a fit?
One free call. Tell a provider about your roof and your bills, and decide from there.
Who this is for
Check all five before you call:
- You own the home (not renting)
- It's a single-family house or townhouse
- The roof gets full sun or only light shade
- Your power bill is over $100 a month
- The home doesn't already have solar panels
Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.
Questions
How is extra solar power credited in California?
Rooftop customers of the big investor-owned utilities moved to a net billing tariff in 2023, which credits power sent back to the grid at lower rates than the old net metering did. That is a big reason many California quotes now include a battery, and why sizing the system to your own usage matters.
Which utilities serve homes in California?
PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and municipal utilities such as LADWP and SMUD. PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and municipal utilities such as LADWP and SMUD each set their own rates and rules for homes with solar, overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Are you a solar company?
No. Home Solar Line is a free phone line that connects homeowners with independent solar providers. We don't sell, design or install systems, and we don't set prices.
Does the call cost anything?
No. The call is free, and there's no obligation to buy anything from the provider you talk to.
Who qualifies?
Homeowners in a single-family house or townhouse with a roof that gets full or mostly full sun, a power bill over $100 a month, and no solar panels already. If that's not you, the provider won't be able to help.