Solar in California

California homeowners¹ are switching to solar power for their electricity needs because it just makes sense. California rebates for solar electric systems are good, utility power prices are high, and there are plenty of sunny days to maximize solar energy production.

SunRun in California

SunRun is putting solar within reach for California homeowners.

With SunRun Power Plan, you can lock in a fixed, low rate for solar power for as little as $1,000 down, which means you'll start saving right away.

If you'd prefer to eliminate your monthly bill, choose SunRun Total Solar and pay for your next 18 years of solar power using cash or home equity to go solar. Both plans come with SunRun's premium service benefits, Full System Management.

SunRun's California plans are power purchase agreements.

California Solar Power Rebates

The rebate for solar electric systems is provided by the California Solar Initiative (CSI) for homeowners in areas serviced by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Many municipal utilities like SMUD and LADWP have separate solar rebate programs.

Read more about the California solar rebate program and how quickly the money for solar is disappearing.

Electricity Prices in California

California homeowners already pay 16.5 cents for electricity - which is higher than the national average - and it will only go up from here. Residential electricity rates in California increased about 6.7% per year on average from 1971 to 2001, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.

Solar power is an especially great way to save money in California if you pay more than $100 per month for electricity, on average.

This is partly because of the way that most California utilities charge for electricity. The more power you use, the higher the rate you get charged per unit of power - a kilowatt-hour (kWh). It's like getting bumped into a higher tax bracket when you earn more money.

So, if your utility is PG&E, for example, you'll pay around 11.5 cents per kWh for your first chunk of power, 13 cents per kWh for the next chunk, and then it jumps up to 26, 38, and 44 cents per kWh for the next 3 chunks. It's a similar story if your utility is SCE or SDG&E.

When you use solar power, you need less energy from the grid. Because you stop using the most expensive power first, your overall average electricity rate drops a lot. It's like putting yourself in a lower tax bracket. This means that replacing, say, 50% of your electricity with solar could eliminate 70% of your bill.

Fun Facts About Solar Power in California

• If just 10% of Californians went solar, they would collectively save nearly $70 billion over 18 years and would create about 180,000 jobs.
• You'll get 23 million web search results for "California solar installers." SunRun only works with six. Read about our partners in California.

1. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Pasadena Water & Power (PWP), and Banning Electric Utility customers only.

More Information

• Contact SunRun to find a solar solution for your home.
• Hear more from SunRun customers in California.
• Not in California? Read about solar in Massachusetts and solar in Arizona.