San Diego County
Solar installation in San Diego, CA
Custom-designed solar and battery systems for San Diego homeowners. San Diego Gas & Electric expertise, no high-pressure sales — just a transparent quote.
Solar installation in San Diego pencils out faster than almost anywhere in America, for one blunt reason: SDG&E's bundled residential rate averages about 46¢/kWh — the highest of any major utility in the continental U.S., with summer peaks near 70¢. Under NEM 3.0 exports earn little, so the winning design stores midday production for the expensive evening window instead of selling it back. Geography matters here: coastal neighborhoods like Point Loma and Ocean Beach lose some morning production to the marine layer, while Clairemont, North Park, and inland Rancho Bernardo or Mira Mesa produce nearly valley-grade numbers. The City of San Diego issues instant online permits for residential PV and batteries up to 38.4 kW, so a well-prepared project moves from contract to install quickly. Helios models your actual SDG&E usage hour by hour, and Taylor signs off on every San Diego design.
What solar looks like in San Diego.
Every market has different utility rules, sun resources, and structural realities. Here's what we factor in when designing for San Diego homes.
SDG&E's ~46¢/kWh average rate is the highest of any major U.S. utility — every self-consumed kilowatt-hour is worth more here than anywhere else we work
City of San Diego issues instant online solar permits (PV + battery up to 38.4 kW) through its self-certification program
Coastal marine layer ("May Gray/June Gloom") derates mornings near the beach — inland neighborhoods like Rancho Bernardo produce like a valley city
Why San Diego homeowners choose Helios.
We design and install across San Diego — from Clairemont, North Park, and Point Loma, near Balboa Park, the USS Midway, and Petco Park. Everything from 1950s–60s Clairemont ranch homes and North Park Craftsman and Spanish bungalows to 1980s–2000s stucco-and-tile tracts inland — roof, era, and shading vary block by block.
8+ years across SoCal
500+ installs across 60+ cities — we know SDG&E, your permit office, and local roofs.
Owner signs off on every design
Taylor Crouse, our founder, personally reviews your layout and equipment before anything is ordered.
4.9★ from 152+ homeowners
25-year panel warranty and a 10-year workmanship guarantee on every install.
San Diego's utility: San Diego Gas & Electric
How net metering works for you.
SDG&E operates under NEM 3.0. With the highest electric rates in the country, solar+battery still produces strong returns here.
Production estimate
A typical 8 kW system on a San Diego roof produces approximately 16,352 kWh per year given 5.6 peak sun hours per day. We'll model your exact roof, shade, and azimuth in your free assessment.
Along the coast, the marine layer trims morning output, so panel orientation and system sizing matter more here than they would inland — we design around it rather than assuming inland sun.
* Ballpark estimate. Actual production depends on roof pitch, orientation, shading, and panel choice.
SoCal Solar Index · July 2026
San Diego ranks #7 of 64 Southern California cities for estimated year-1 solar savings — ~$4,090 on a standard 8 kW system at 45.0¢/kWh under SDG&E NEM 3.0.
Source: the SoCal Solar Index — free data on rates, permits, and solar economics for 64 SoCal cities (CC BY 4.0).
Our solar process in San Diego.
- 1
Free home assessment
We pull your SDG&E usage data and model your exact roof, shade, and azimuth — no guesswork, no obligation.
- 2
Custom design & transparent quote
Taylor designs your system and signs off on it personally. You see every line item — panels, inverter, mounting, labor, permitting — before you decide.
- 3
Permitting & install
We pull every San Diego permit, manage the inspection, and handle San Diego Gas & Electric interconnection. Most roofs are done in 1–2 days.
- 4
Powered on & monitored
Most systems are commissioned within 6–10 weeks of signing, with per-panel monitoring so you see exactly what your system produces.
Our promise: a transparent quote with every cost itemized, and a 10-year workmanship guarantee on every San Diego install.
What SoCal homeowners say.
Verified Google reviews — 4.9★ from 152+ Southern California homeowners.
San Diego solar questions, answered.
- How much does solar cost in San Diego?
- Most San Diego homes run roughly $2.40–$3.25 per watt before incentives — about $17,000–$29,000 for a typical 6–9 kW system, plus $13,500–$17,500 for a battery most NEM 3.0 designs want. Against SDG&E rates near 46¢/kWh, solar+battery paybacks here are among the fastest in the country.
- Is solar worth it in San Diego under NEM 3.0?
- Yes — arguably more than anywhere else. NEM 3.0 cut export credits, but the flip side of SDG&E charging the nation's highest rates is that every kilowatt-hour you generate and use yourself is worth ~46¢. With a battery shifting midday solar into the 4–9 PM peak, typical paybacks land around 5–8 years here.
- How fast are solar permits in the City of San Diego?
- Fast — San Diego offers instant online permitting with contractor self-certification for residential PV and storage up to 38.4 kW. Complex roofs, larger systems, or main-panel upgrades take the standard review path. We handle the filing either way, plus SDG&E interconnection.
More services in San Diego
We install on every San Diego roof type
Tile, shingle, flat, metal or slate — mounting and flashing differ on each. See exactly how we keep your specific roof watertight.
Get a transparent San Diego quote.
Free home assessment, no pressure. Includes panel layout, monthly savings projection, payback period, and every line-item cost.