Solar panels in San Diego, CA

Q: How many solar panels do I need in San Diego?

About 17 panels for an average home. San Diego roofs receive 1,894 usable sun hours per year.

Q: Is solar worth it in San Diego?

At 31.2 cents per kWh and 1,894 sun hours, a typical system pays back in about 8.3 years.

Roofs in San Diego get about 1,894 hours of usable sunlight a year — more than 88% of the cities we've measured. Here's what that means in cost, savings and payback, using real rooftop data rather than a national average.

1,894Sun hours / yr

17Panels typical

$13,566Cost after credit

8.3 yrPayback

Solar is reasonable in San Diego, not spectacular. A 8.3-year payback still beats most savings accounts over the panel's 25-year life, but it is not the slam dunk you'll see advertised.

California no longer pays full price for exported power. Under net billing, power you send to the grid earns about 20% of what you pay to buy it back, rather than the one-for-one credit older net metering gave. Because a system without a battery exports most of what it makes, this lengthens payback substantially — and it is why our figures here are lower than calculators still assuming one-for-one credit. A battery raises the share you use yourself and shortens payback, at the cost of adding $8,000–15,000 to the system.

Check your specific roof in San Diego → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.

What a typical San Diego solar system costs

A 17-panel system (6.8 kW) is about right for an average San Diego home using 10,800 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 10,947 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.

Estimated economics by system size in San Diego, at 31.2¢/kWh after the 30% federal tax credit
System	Size	kWh/yr	Net cost	Saves/yr	Payback
8 panels	3.2 kW	5,152	$6,384	$1,265	5 yrs
12 panels	4.8 kW	7,728	$9,576	$1,426	6.7 yrs
16 panels	6.4 kW	10,303	$12,768	$1,586	8 yrs
20 panels	8 kW	12,879	$15,960	$1,747	9.1 yrs
26 panels	10.4 kW	16,743	$20,748	$1,988	10.4 yrs

Notice that payback barely improves as systems get bigger, and eventually gets worse. That's because you can only save money on electricity you were going to buy anyway. Once a system covers your usage, extra panels mostly generate exports at a much lower rate.

Why San Diego gets 1,894 sun hours

That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across San Diego — it already accounts for shading from trees, chimneys and neighbouring buildings, which is why it's lower than the raw "hours of daylight" figures you'll see elsewhere. An unusually open, unshaded roof in San Diego reaches about 1,973 hours, roughly 4% better than typical.

The numbers behind this page

Typical usable sunlight	1,894 hrs/yr
Unshaded roof	1,973 hrs/yr
Electricity rate (California avg)	31.2¢/kWh
Installed cost assumed	$2.85/W
Panel size assumed	400 W
Federal tax credit	30%
Typical household usage	10,800 kWh/yr
Power used as generated	35%
Paid for exported power	20% of retail
Rooftops sampled here	12
Google imagery from	2023

Nearby cities

Solar panels in Chula VistaCalifornia Solar panels in IrvineCalifornia Solar panels in Santa AnaCalifornia Solar panels in RiversideCalifornia Solar panels in AnaheimCalifornia Solar panels in Long BeachCalifornia

See all of California → statewide sunlight, rates, incentives and every city we've measured.

San Diego solar questions

How many solar panels do I need in San Diego?

About 17 panels for an average home. San Diego roofs get 1,894 usable sun hours a year, so each 400W panel produces roughly 644 kWh annually.

Is solar worth it in San Diego?

At 31.2¢/kWh and 1,894 sun hours, a typical system pays for itself in about 8.3 years and returns roughly $27,099 over 25 years. That is a solid return.

How much do solar panels cost in San Diego?

A 6.8 kW system costs about $19,380 before incentives and $13,566 after the 30% federal tax credit. Prices vary by installer, roof complexity and equipment.

Worth reading before you buy

What your utility pays for exportsChanges payback more than any equipment choice 12 questions to ask before signingIdentical systems vary 30–40% in price How long do panels last?Guide How long until it pays for itself?Guide

Estimates only, generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples and average California electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial advice. Your roof, usage, utility plan and local incentives will change these numbers — get real quotes before buying.