Solar panels have been seen as an expensive affair for the longest time. For a while, the technology was very new, which made it costly and unrealistic for most practical uses. Not anymore, because that reality has changed. The price of solar panels has fallen dramatically since 2010.
"The big vision 10 years down the road is that there'll be solar panels on house after house after house," said Cailey Underhill, advocacy and development director at Solar Rights Alliance, a California solar advocacy group. "Everyone who wants it will be able to get it," Underhill said. She also said that expanding community solar and battery usage in California will help the state hit its clean energy goals.
In addition to federal policies to make solar cheaper, California has state-level incentives that could make the clean energy switch even cheaper. Although California's newer net metering policy is lackluster, you can avail of a property tax exemption on the added value of a solar panel system. You also have the Self-Generation Incentives Program, which allows homeowners to receive a rebate on solar battery costs.
San Diego specifically has even cheaper solar costing overall. It's one of the cheaper states to get solar energy, and you may also have access to extra incentives and tax credits that can make the process even cheaper. Here are the best solar panel companies operating within San Diego.
Best national solar panel companies in San Diego
You've got a wide variety of choices when it comes to going solar. Here are some top national solar companies we've reviewed at CNET that operate in San Diego.
Palmetto Solar
Best overall
Solar panels are typically low maintenance equipment, but they're also unfamiliar. If you want to reap the benefits of solar but will have a bit more peace of mind if someone else is making sure it's working, Palmetto might be a good fit for you. Just remember to add the cost of Palmetto's monitoring service in to your payback period calculations.
NRG Clean Power
Best in California and Texas
NRG Clean Power brings one of the solar industry's most confident approaches to its work, offering a price match and 40-year warranty. NRG Clean Power is a solid bet as long as you live in Texas and California. NRG Clean Power does not offer leases or power purchase agreements, but it does provide solar panel cleaning and roofing services as well as a reliable equipment menu.
SunPower Solar
Best solar panels
If you're looking for top-of-the-line solar panels, SunPower is your best choice. But don't write it off if you're looking for a less flashy installation that will get the job done. This year it started installing Qcells panels, which should make an installation from the longest-tenured company on our list available to more people.
Elevation
Whole home approach
Elevation's focus on your home's energy efficiency isn't the norm in the industry. If you're planning on addressing energy efficiency first, working with Elevation allows you to keep the whole process with one company. Elevation's solar equipment comes from well-established and well-regarded companies. Elevation's warranties on workmanship and weatherization could be a bit longer.
Freedom Forever
Best for cash customers
Include Freedom Forever in your search if you want the backing of a national company that installs a wide variety of the most popular solar equipment available. Freedom Forever also extends a couple of products that take some of the pain and risk out of going solar, like a production guarantee and an escrow option with cash purchases. Online reviews say customer satisfaction has been low of late, though the company says that's changing.
Tesla Solar
Most affordable
Tesla's solar branch seems to be the least loved of Elon Musk's ventures. Even Tesla's Solar Roof seems to get more love.
If price is the thing you won't budge on, consider Tesla. By all accounts, Tesla installs quality panels and makes the closest thing there is to a household name in solar storage: the Powerwall.
Where you might miss out is customer service. Discussion online seems to suggest Tesla's service is a bit of a gamble.
Momentum Solar
All in-house installers
Momentum installs in 11 states without using subcontractors. While using in-house installers doesn't guarantee a better experience, it does suggest you're likely to get a more uniform experience from Momentum. The fact that Momentum backs its installations with a 25-year workmanship warranty hints at a strong belief in its crews' ability. If Momentum is part of your search, consider the warranties against leaks that other companies offer. Momentum's is five years, which isn't the best.
San Diego solar panel incentives and rebates
The cost of solar panels may be decreasing, but there are still ways to take advantage of programs that can help you save even more money, especially in California. Federal, state and local authorities offer tax incentives and rebates that can help you save money on solar panel installation. Many are aimed at residential situations, there are also a variety of incentives for those building commercial properties, which incentivize clean energy and can even expedite city processes.
San Diego solar incentives
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| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| Disadvantaged Communities - Single-Family Solar Homes | DAC-SASH provides no-cost rooftop solar installations to California households that meet set income qualifications. |
| Property tax exclusion | Consumers who install solar energy systems before 2024 are excluded from paying increased property taxes. |
| Net metering programs | California offers net metering programs, which let consumers sell back to the grid any extra solar energy generated by their system. Californians connecting their solar system to the grid after April 15, 2023, will be under net energy metering 3.0, which sets reimbursements for power lower than previously. |
| Self-Generation Incentives Program | SGIP provides rebates to homes and businesses that install energy storage systems, such as solar batteries. |
Cost of solar panels in San Diego
How much going solar will cost you depends a lot on what kind of system you get.
Often, solar costs are expressed as a price per watt, with system sizes ranging in kilowatts. Costs range from around $10,000 to upward of $20,000 depending on the size, and can be affected by tax credits and incentives, the condition or situation of your specific roof, installation materials and more.
The typical solar panel system is 5kW, and the price per watt in California is $3.21, according to data from FindEnergy.com. That'll take you to a total of $11,235 for an average Californian solar panel system, after a 30% federal tax credit.
That price goes up if you want to include a solar battery, which provides you with protection from blackouts and could allow you to disconnect from the grid completely. Most batteries start around $10,000, although smaller ones can cost $5,000 or less, but a complete storage system can be significantly more expensive, depending on your needs.
Average cost of solar panels in California
| Typical system size (kW) | Price per watt | Total installed cost | Cost after 30% federal tax credit | |
| California | 5 | $3.21 | $16,020 | $11,235 |
| National average | 8.2 | $3.6 | $29,520 | $20,664 |
Below, you'll find an infographic that displays the average total cash price, cost per watt and system size for a typical solar panel system in your state, according to data from FindEnergy.com. The prices shown don't account for rebates from tax credits or state incentives. Certain states don't have any FindEnergy solar data and are grayed out on the map.
How to determine which solar company in San Diego is best for me
You've decided to pursue solar energy: you've done your research, ballparked the costs and you're ready to shop. The next part should be easy, right? Not so fast. Underhill said determining your installer, how many panels you'll need and other specifics of your installation can be "the most challenging part" of adopting solar power. Her organization doesn't recommend specific installers, but they do have some tips.
"We always, always suggest that people get three bids," she said. "Just like anything, any other major purchase. You would wanna look at a variety of options and choose the one that's right for you. We definitely want to make sure people know that they should be looking at multiple bids."
She also suggests checking out the certifications of installers you're considering, reaching out to organizations like the Solar Rights Alliance for resources and research needs, and good old-fashioned asking your neighbors for recommendations.
Installation factors to keep in mind
Before you even reach out to an installer, it's a good idea to get an idea of the other factors that will affect solar panel installation. Is your roof an odd one? Do you want to get a system with a battery to store extra energy? Will those trees on your property block out the sun?
Keep these factors in mind when shopping for solar:
How to pay for solar panels in San Diego
Like most large expenses, you can pay for solar panels in a variety of ways. Before you commit to buying panels for your home, research how to pay for them. Whether you're using your savings, taking out a loan or going with the preferred method for your installers, here are the options you can expect:
Cash: If you can afford to pay for your solar panels in cash, it would be ideal to do so. Not many people have $10,000 or more ready to spend, but if you do, you'll save yourself some extra costs in the form of interest and fees. That means your solar panels will pay for themselves with a lower energy bill even faster.
Solar loan: A variety of companies offer solar-specific loans. Often, these may be offered by the company that is going to install your solar panels. This may be a good option for someone looking for a one-stop-shop, where you can purchase, finance and schedule installation from the same company.
Other types of loans: As is the case with purchasing cars, appliances or other costly investments, you can find credit in the form of personal loans, home equity loans, home equity lines of credit and more. If your installer doesn't work with a lender themselves and you don't have the cash on hand, these can be a good option to finance your solar expenses.
Lease or power purchase agreement: Like buying a car, leasing your solar panels is an option, although it may not be the best idea. Rather than paying anything upfront, a lease would allow a third-party company to install panels on your roof. You would then pay monthly to lease the panels. Ultimately, this will likely wind up costing you more. A power purchase agreement is similar, but instead of paying a flat leasing fee, you'll buy power from the solar company on a per-kilowatt-hour basis, as you would from the power company.
How we found the best solar companies
The companies we listed above as "the best" are curated from CNET's best solar companies list. Companies making the best list are scored on the equipment, warranties and customer service they offer. Then, we make sure these recommendations are available in your state. You can read a full breakdown of how we review solar companies here.
Companies listed under the local installers were chosen in a less rigorous way. We chose them because they offered something unique or notable to customers in the state, they seemed well-regarded by internet reviewers or because they were one of the few installers we could find information on in the state.
Whether we've completed a full review on a company or not, it's always a good idea to get multiple quotes from different installers before choosing a company.
Solar panel FAQs
What are the advantages of solar panels?
One reason many people choose solar energy is the environmental impact. Because solar is a renewable energy source and its use does not damage the environment, it's an option for those looking to mitigate the effects of fossil fuels.
"A lot of people go solar because they see that they can have an impact on environmental factors," Underhill said. "By doing so, they can help contribute to clean energy and help move away from some of these fossil fuels."
In addition to those concerns, solar panels can save you money on electric costs in the long run and can serve as a precautionary measure against power grid failure -- the sun doesn't stop shining.
How long does it take to pay off solar panels?
Because there are so many variables to solar panel costs, there is no one answer for how long it will take to pay off a solar panel installation. Factors like your state of residence, installation costs and incentives can all change your overall cost. On average, it will take anywhere between six and 12 years to pay off your solar panels.
What are solar panels made of?
The simple answer is that solar panels are made of sand. That's right, the two most common types of household solar panels -- monocrystalline and polycrystalline -- both start with sand that has a high silicon dioxide content being heated and purified to form blocks called ingots. That sand is eventually processed into silicon, which makes up most of a solar panel.