Skip to content
RayValueSolar math for your home

Solar payback in Escondido, CA

Below: electricity rates for Escondido, how much sun a solar array gets here, and example payback for a few illustrative bills.

Electricity rates near Escondido

We use San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) as the likely utility for Escondido. Check your bill to confirm yours. Other utilities in the state are listed for comparison.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) (likely utility for this city)
ItemRate
Average residential rate$0.455/kWh
Average export credit$0.05/kWh
Fixed monthly charge$24.13

Source: utility rate page, read 2026-10-22.

Export credit source: export credit report, read 2026-10-22. CPUC 2025 Senate Bill 695 Report (Sept 30, 2025), p.42 text and footnote 127: 2024 ACC values for 2025 locked-in export rates, the average of generation and delivery rates across all hours, rounded, for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. One statewide figure applied to all three utilities; an all-hours average, not weighted to solar production hours; the report does not state whether the ACC Plus adder is included.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)
ItemRate
Average residential rate$0.337/kWh
Average export credit$0.05/kWh
Fixed monthly charge$24.13

Source: utility rate page, read 2026-10-22.

Export credit source: export credit report, read 2026-10-22. CPUC 2025 Senate Bill 695 Report (Sept 30, 2025), p.42 text and footnote 127: 2024 ACC values for 2025 locked-in export rates, the average of generation and delivery rates across all hours, rounded, for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. One statewide figure applied to all three utilities; an all-hours average, not weighted to solar production hours; the report does not state whether the ACC Plus adder is included.

Southern California Edison (SCE)
ItemRate
Average residential rate$0.345/kWh
Average export credit$0.05/kWh
Fixed monthly charge$24.03

Source: utility rate page, read 2026-10-25.

Export credit source: export credit report, read 2026-10-22. CPUC 2025 Senate Bill 695 Report (Sept 30, 2025), p.42 text and footnote 127: 2024 ACC values for 2025 locked-in export rates, the average of generation and delivery rates across all hours, rounded, for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. One statewide figure applied to all three utilities; an all-hours average, not weighted to solar production hours; the report does not state whether the ACC Plus adder is included.

How much sun Escondido gets

Estimated output of 1 kW of rooftop solar, month by month, from NREL PVWatts weather data: about 1,574 kWh per year. Real output depends on your roof, shading and equipment.

Estimated monthly solar output per kW installed in EscondidoJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Estimated monthly solar output per kW installed in Escondido (kWh)
MonthkWh per kW
Jan109
Feb107
Mar133
Apr146
May146
Jun147
Jul159
Aug156
Sep136
Oct127
Nov104
Dec105

Rooftop solar in Escondido makes about 1,574 kWh per kW a year, the 9th most of the 30 California cities on RayValue (they range from 1,416 to 1,711, a 21% spread). More sun means more power from the same panels, which shortens payback.

Homes in Escondido

Homes (housing units)
52,239
Lived in by their owner
53.4% of occupied homes
Detached single-family houses
51.1% of homes
Median year built
1981
Median value of owner-occupied homes
$714,500

Rooftop solar is usually the homeowner's decision, and it is simplest on a house with a roof of its own. In Escondido, 53.4% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner and 51.1% of all homes are detached single-family houses. Condos, townhomes and apartments usually need approval from the building or association first.

Half of Escondido's homes were built before 1981. Panels last decades, so if your roof is near the end of its life, ask installers whether to replace it before they install.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Escondido city, read on 2026-11-02. See the Census table. Estimates have a margin of error.

Example payback in Escondido

These use illustrative example bills, not averages for Escondido. They show a solar-only system (no battery, some shading) at the likely utility's rates, with no federal tax credit. Your own numbers will differ; use the calculator for yours.

Monthly billSystem sizeInstalled costPayback (years)
$1001.1–1.3 kW$3,200–$4,8006–12.5 (likely 8.5)
$2002.7–2.9 kW$7,400–$11,2006–12.5 (likely 8.5)
$3504.9–5.5 kW$13,800–$20,7006–12.5 (likely 8.5)

Get quotes or run your numbers

Compare free quotes from up to 3 local installers, or enter your ZIP and monthly bill to get a payback range for your home.