Sunprint
PG&E
- Solar rate you move toE-ELEC
- Export credit, averageAbout 5.2¢ a kWh
- Bonus credit0.88¢ a kWh sent out, 9 years
- Saved per kWh the panels makeAbout 19¢
California homeowners
What's solar worth on a California roof in 2026?
Enter your ZIP, pick your utility and add last month's bill. Your estimate uses your utility's 2026 rates and its credits for solar power you send back, and you can ask for a quote from one verified local installer.
- Free
- No sign-up
- 24 California utilities
- About a minute
Every solar kWh has two prices
Under net billing (often called NEM 3.0), power your home uses as the panels make it saves what you'd pay the utility. Power sent to the grid earns an export credit, a fraction of that. In our model about 42 in 100 solar kWh get used at home.
That's why system size, when you use power, and sometimes a battery matter more in California than in most states.
Used in your home as it's madeSent to the grid
PG&E
SCE
SDG&E
When the grid pays the most
Export credits change every hour of every month. Spring middays, when solar power is plentiful, pay almost nothing; summer evenings pay the most, after most panels have stopped making power.
April
August
- Under 2¢
- 2–8¢
- 8–20¢
- 20¢ and up
Your utility's solar deal
PG&E, SCE and SDG&E put new solar homes on the Solar Billing Plan and a required time-of-use rate. City utilities set their own rules.
SCE
- Solar rate you move toTOU-D-PRIME
- Export credit, averageAbout 6.2¢ a kWh
- Bonus credit1.6¢ a kWh sent out, 9 years
- Saved per kWh the panels makeAbout 17¢
SDG&E
- Solar rate you move toEV-TOU-5
- Export credit, averageAbout 3.5¢ a kWh
- Bonus creditNone at SDG&E
- Saved per kWh the panels makeAbout 23¢
- LADWPNets solar against your use each billing period; leftover power earns its Standard Energy Credit, a few cents a kWh. GuideCheck my LADWP savings →
- SMUDSolar and Storage Rate: every kWh sent to the grid earns 9.6¢ since June 1, 2026. GuideCheck my SMUD savings →
- IIDNet Billing: solar used at home saves 22.30¢ in 2026; every kWh sent to the grid earns 6.98¢, credited monthly. GuideCheck my IID savings →
Three dates that change the math
One has passed, one is weeks away, and one is next year.
- December 31, 2025Federal tax credit endedThe 30% federal credit no longer applies to home systems finished after this date.
- December 31, 2026Property tax exclusion endsA system finished by then stays out of your property tax assessment until the home sells. Later systems don't qualify unless the Legislature extends it.
- December 31, 2027Last year for the nine-year lockHomes that apply for solar by then keep that year's export credits for nine years. The small bonus credit at PG&E and SCE shrinks each year and ends with 2027.
What California law gives you
Your HOA can't ban itRules can't add more than $1,000 or cut output more than 10%, and silence for 45 days means approved.
Permit fees are cappedA city or county can charge at most $450 for a typical home system unless it proves a higher cost.
Three days to cancelA contract signed at home can be canceled until midnight of the third business day, the fifth if you're 65 or older.
A disclosure page up frontEvery solar contract starts with the state's disclosure page: total cost, payments and your right to cancel.
Sun from Eureka to Lancaster
One kW of panels on a south-facing roof makes 1,359 to 1,861 kWh a year in these cities. Your estimate uses the city nearest your ZIP, less 5% to stay conservative.
- Eureka1,359
- San Francisco1,586
- Oakland1,602
- Sacramento1,644
- Fresno1,662
- San Jose1,664
- San Diego1,696
- Los Angeles1,701
- Riverside1,717
- Palm Springs1,789
- El Centro1,804
- Lancaster1,861
Source: NREL PVWatts v8, south-facing roof at a 6/12 pitch, standard losses.
Your California number in about a minute
- Pick your utilityPG&E, SCE, SDG&E, LADWP, SMUD and 19 more, or type your city.
- Enter last month's billPlus your ZIP for local sun. No name or phone number.
- See your yearly savingsWant exact pricing? Request a quote call and we match you with one verified local installer.
Questions California homeowners ask
Brief answers here. The guides go deeper.
Is the estimate a quote?
It's an estimate built from your bill, your utility's rates and the sun where you live. For exact pricing, request a free quote call: a local installer looks at your actual roof, shading and panel layout.
Does this work anywhere in California?
Yes. Pick PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, LADWP, SMUD or one of the other city, district and small utilities. The estimate uses your utility's 2026 rates, its rule for solar power you send back, and the sun nearest your ZIP.
Will I get spam calls after I check my number?
No. Checking your estimate doesn't share your information with anyone. You only get contacted if you choose to request a quote.
What do you do with my information if I request a quote?
It goes to one verified local installer, who uses it to set up your quote call.
What is NEM 3.0?
It's the common name for the Solar Billing Plan, the net billing tariff PG&E, SCE and SDG&E use for homes that applied for solar on or after April 15, 2023. Solar power you use as it's made saves your full price. Power you send to the grid earns hourly export credits set from the CPUC's avoided cost values, usually a few cents per kWh, and homes that apply by the end of 2027 keep their credits for nine years.
Is there still a solar tax credit in California in 2026?
Not a federal one: the 30% federal credit doesn't apply to home systems finished after December 31, 2025. California's property tax exclusion still keeps a new system out of your property tax assessment if it's finished before January 1, 2027.
Do I need a battery with solar in California?
No. Net billing doesn't require one. A battery stores midday solar for the evening, when prices and export credits are highest, so it raises what each kWh you make is worth. Whether it pays for itself depends on its price.
Can my HOA stop me from going solar in California?
No. Civil Code 714 voids rules that prohibit or effectively restrict solar. An HOA can only add reasonable rules that don't raise the cost by more than $1,000 or cut output by more than 10%, and if it doesn't deny your application in writing within 45 days, it's approved.
California solar guides
All California guides →- NEM 3.0, explainedHow net billing credits solar hour by hour, and what the nine-year lock means
- Is solar worth it in California?Payback by utility in 2026, with and without a battery
- California solar incentivesWhat's left after the federal credit ended
- California solar lawsHOAs, permits, contracts and the new-home rule
- Solar and property taxThe exclusion that ends for systems built after 2026
- Check a solar companyThe license lookup and the disclosure page every contract needs
- Cancel a solar contractThree business days, five if you are 65 or older
- Solar batteries in CaliforniaWhen a battery pays under net billing
Run your California numbers
Your utility, your bill and your city's sun. Free, and nothing is shared unless you ask for a quote.