Cost of Solar Index for Each California Region - A Solar to the People Study

News provided by

Mar 24, 2016, 12:45 ET

SAN DIEGO, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As residential solar continues its explosive growth in California, homeowners considering solar confront a persistent question: How much does solar actually cost?

To help homeowners navigate the confusing home solar market, Solar to the People has released a study detailing the average cost of solar in regions across California.

Cost of Solar in California by Region - A Solar to the People Study

Average cost of installing solar in California in 2015, after incentives, lowest to highest:

1) Central Coast - $16,212	8) San Bernardino / Inland Empire - $19,115
2) San Francisco Bay Area - $17,038	9) Sacramento - $19,302
3) North Coast - $17,451	10) Central Sierra - $19,700
4) Los Angeles / Ventura Counties - $18,040	11) Central Valley - $20,612
5) Sonoma / Napa / Solano Counties - $18,240	12) Redding and Shasta / Cascades - $20,698
6) San Diego County - $18,540	State Average - $18,675
7) Orange County - $18,866

Key study findings:

- The average cost of purchasing home solar in California in 2015 was $18,675, after incentives.

- This average cost equates to $3,395 / kW (kilowatt) installed, after incentives.

- The average size of home installations across the state in 2015 was 5.5 kW.

- Despite paying the most for solar overall, the Redding and Shasta / Cascades area paid the lowest per kW installed, at $3,178 / kW, after incentives.

- Interestingly, this trend was reversed for the Central Coast – which despite being the area with the lowest average cost of going solar paid the highest cost per kW installed, at $3,712 / kW, after incentives.

This study aims to provide transparency for California homeowners who are considering making the switch, by helping shed light on the average cost of solar in their region. The study also looks at average size and cost per installed kilowatt (kW) of residential solar.

Data was obtained from the new net energy metering interconnection data set published by the California Solar Statistics website, the official reporting site for the California Solar Initiative.

About Solar to the People – Solar to the People is a solar information website that provides clear, independent information on solar for homeowners, solar installers and policymakers.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347816

SOURCE Solar to the People