Is solar worth it in San Francisco in 2026?
A roof in San Francisco produces about 1,628 kWh a year per kW of panels. For a home with a $150 monthly bill, a 3.3 kW system costs about $10,973 at California's median price and pays for itself in roughly 11.7 years, with no federal tax credit. That is 3% less sun than Los Angeles, the city on our California page.
1,628kWh per kW a year
Source: PVGIS, NSRDB data
33.3¢per kWh
Source: EIA, 2026 year to date
$3.30per watt
Source: Berkeley Lab
Calculator · 2026 data, no federal tax credit
How long would solar take to pay for itself?
Simple payback
11.7 years
- System size
- 3.3 kW
- Installed cost
- $10,973
- Savings, year one
- $936
- Net over 25 years
- $11,075
Sized to cover your yearly use at today's price. Panels lose 0.5% a year; prices held flat. Method
How San Francisco homes get paid for solar
Export rules are set at the state and utility level, not by the city. San Francisco is under California's net billing: Since April 15, 2023, new solar customers of PG&E, SCE and SDG&E get hourly avoided-cost credits for exports, usually below the retail rate, under the CPUC Net Billing Tariff. The full rules, incentives and sources are on theCalifornia page.
Why the city matters
Two things change from one city to another in the same state: the sun, which sets how many panels you need, and the utility, which sets what exported power is worth. San Francisco gets 1,628 kWh per kW a year on a south-facing roof at a 20° tilt, so covering a year of use for a $150 bill at 33.3¢ takes about 3.3 kW, roughly 9 panels of 400 W. Electricity prices in the calculator are the California residential average; your utility's rate can be higher or lower, so put your own bill in.
Other California cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento.
Method: how we calculate payback. Compare all states in theranking or size a system with the panel calculator.