Federal solar credit ended Dec 31, 2025
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Solar costs · Fresno, CA

Solar Panel Cost in Fresno, California

Fact-checked by Sorted & Saved data desk
Updated Data verified Nov 5, 2026

Fresno gets about 1,639 kWh per kW per year[1] from a rooftop solar array, according to NREL's PVWatts model at the city's coordinates. PG&E's residential customers paid an average of 39.62¢ per kWh[2] and used 500 kWh a month[2]. A system sized to that use, about 3.7 kW est.[1,2], costs roughly $10,500 to $14,000 est.[1,2,3] before incentives, and pays back in about 9 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash buyer.

On this page [ 8 ]

Fresno solar at a glance

Output per kW of panels1,639 kWh/yr[1]PVWatts, this city
Sunlight on panels6.04 kWh/m²/day[1]Annual average
PG&E avg. price39.62¢/kWh[2]2024 average, bundled customers
PG&E avg. home use500 kWh/mo[2]2024 average
Typical system3.7 kWCovers 100% of use
Typical price$12,200Estimate, before incentives
Year-1 savings$1,350Estimate
Payback9 yearsEstimate, cash purchase
Estimated monthly output of a 3.7 kW system in Fresno (PVWatts, typical weather year)kWh / month

PG&E credits exports at Hourly avoided-cost credits; we model about 5¢ per kWh (estimate) (Solar Billing Plan (Net Billing Tariff, 'NEM 3.0')). Assumptions: methodology.

How Pacific Gas and Electric Company treats solar

UtilityExport policyExport creditAvg. residential priceMonthly basic charge
PG&ESolar Billing Plan (Net Billing Tariff, 'NEM 3.0')Hourly avoided-cost credits; we model about 5¢ per kWh (estimate)[4]39.62¢ per kWh[2]$24.00[5]

Pacific Gas and Electric Company: Solar Billing Plan (Net Billing Tariff, 'NEM 3.0')

Solar power used at home offsets purchases at the retail rate. Power exported to the grid earns hourly Energy Export Credits based on the CPUC Avoided Cost Calculator, usually below retail. Customers who apply between April 15, 2023 and Dec 31, 2027 lock in a 9-year hourly export price schedule. Bills are paid monthly, and credits roll forward to an annual true-up. Export rates are locked for 9 years from interconnection.

  • Base Services Charge (income-graduated fixed charge): Since March 2026: about $24/month for most customers, $12 for FERA or deed-restricted affordable housing, $6 for CARE. Tariff daily rates (E-1/E-ELEC, effective June 1, 2026): $0.79343 (Tier 3), $0.39688 (Tier 2), $0.19713 (Tier 1). It applies to solar customers and replaces the Minimum Electric Charge.[5]
  • Required rate for new solar customers: Residential NBT customers must take service on E-ELEC and do not need an EV, battery or heat pump to qualify.[6]
  • NEM legacy transfers with the home: PG&E says the 20-year NEM legacy period is tied to the system, not the owner. A buyer inherits the remaining years.[7]

Permits and local programs in Fresno

  • Permitting: The City of Fresno is listed as a SolarAPP+ jurisdiction, so eligible residential solar permits can be approved instantly online.[8]
  • Automated permitting deadline (SB 379): State law required cities over 50,000 people, including Fresno, to offer an online automated solar permitting platform such as SolarAPP+ by September 30, 2023. It covers systems up to 38.4 kW AC and paired batteries.[9]

Fresno solar cost by system size

SystemPrice before incentives[3]After incentiveskWh in year 1[1]Year-1 savings[2][4]Payback (years)
4 kW$13,200$13,2006,560$1,4609
6 kW$19,800$19,8009,830$2,1909
8 kW$26,400$26,40013,110$2,7309
10 kW$33,000$33,00016,390$2,90010
12 kW$39,600$39,60019,670$3,06012

Incentives for Fresno homeowners

Federal · tax creditEnding soon

Business credit for leased and PPA systems (48E)

Claimed by the system owner, not the homeowner; solar must begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be in service by December 31, 2027[10]

If a company owns the panels on your roof (a lease or power purchase agreement), that company may claim the business clean electricity investment credit and can reflect it in your price. You cannot claim it yourself.

Who
Third-party-owned systems (leases and PPAs). Ask the provider whether the price assumes this credit.
Deadline
December 31, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · tax exemptionEnding soon

Active solar energy system new-construction property tax exclusion (Rev. & Tax. Code 73)

Adding an active solar energy system (including storage devices that are part of it) is not treated as 'new construction', so it does not raise the assessed value. Ends January 1, 2027. Systems that qualify before then stay excluded until the property changes hands.[11]

Subd. (i)(2): systems that qualify for an exclusion before January 1, 2027 continue to be excluded until there is a subsequent change in ownership. Subd. (g) says the section applies to lien dates for fiscal years 1999-2000 through 2025-26. The leginfo cross-reference list shows no 2026 chaptered bill amending section 73. The BOE analysis of SB 710 (https://boe.ca.gov/legdiv/pdf/0710sb090525ml.pdf) says 'any solar installation post January 1, 2027 would be considered new construction and would…

Who
Owners who add an active solar energy system to property. The system must qualify before January 1, 2027. The exclusion lasts until the next change in ownership.
Deadline
January 1, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · rebateAvailable

Disadvantaged Communities - Single-family Solar Homes (DAC-SASH)

$3/watt incentive for rooftop solar for income-qualified homeowners in disadvantaged communities[12]

Budget: '$120 million total ($10 million per year 2019 - 2030)'. SDG&E's Solar Billing Plan page still lists DAC-SASH as a current assistance program. I could not confirm current intake on the administrator page (gridalternatives.org returned 403).

Who
Income-qualified (CARE/FERA-eligible) single-family homeowners in CalEnviroScreen disadvantaged communities or San Joaquin Valley pilot communities, in IOU territory. GRID Alternatives administers the program.
Deadline
Program budget is $10 million per year for 2019-2030 ($120 million total).
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · rebateWaitlist

SGIP Residential Solar and Storage Equity (RSSE)

$1.10/Wh for storage plus $3.10/W for solar (current step 6), for low-income households[13]

The CPUC budget table lists RSSE at 'Storage: 1,100' ($/kWh) and 'Solar: 3,100/kW'. Rates and status were confirmed on the SGIP step tracker (https://www.selfgenca.com/home/program_metrics/) as of 11/5/2026, which lists 'Solar $3.10/W' and 'Energy Storage $1.10/Wh' at Step 6. RSSE AB 209: CSE, SCG and LADWP on Waitlist. AB 209 Non-POU: SCE and PG&E on Waitlist. AB 209 POU: SCE 'Open' ($1,000,000 available), PG&E Waitlist. RSSE Ratepayer: Closed in all four IOU territories. The $280M figure is…

Who
Low-income residential customers installing paired solar and storage. The CPUC has authorized $280 million for this budget.
Deadline
Ends when funds run out. As of 11/5/2026 the AB 209 sub-budgets are on waitlist in most administrator territories.
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · rebateAvailable

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH)

Up to $3.50 per AC watt for capacity serving tenants and $1.19 per AC watt for common areas[14]

Activity status comes from https://calsomah.org/ ('175+ apps in 2026, on pace for a post-launch record'). The CPUC page says the budget is 'up to $100 Million annually, collected through June 2026'.

Who
Owners of multifamily affordable housing properties. This is not a program for single-family homeowners.
Deadline
Funding was collected through June 2026. The program reports 175+ applications in 2026. Integrated storage incentives are paused (waitlist) in PG&E and SDG&E territories.
Checked
November 5, 2026
Utility · bill creditEnding soon

PG&E Solar Billing Plan Energy Export Bonus Credit (ACC Plus adder)

Extra credit per exported kWh, locked for 9 years from PTO. Value depends on the year the interconnection application was completed: 2026 = $0.0088/kWh (low-income $0.036). 2027 = $0.0044/kWh (low-income $0.018).[4]

Tariff table 'Adopted Avoided Cost Calculator Plus Adder': Residential 2023 $0.02200, 2024 $0.01760, 2025 $0.01320, 2026 $0.00880, 2027 $0.00440. Residential Low Income: $0.09000, $0.07200, $0.05400, $0.03600, $0.01800. Non-Residential: Not Eligible. PG&E calls this the 'Energy Export Bonus Credit' in customer materials.

Who
New residential PG&E Solar Billing Plan customers. Not available to customers moving over from NEM/NEM2 at the end of their legacy period, buyers of homes with existing systems, non-residential customers, or customers required to add solar (e.g., by the building code).
Deadline
December 31, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026

Every California incentive →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much do solar panels cost in Fresno?

About $12,200 est.[1,2,3] before incentives for a 3.7 kW est.[1,2] system, using California's median installed price of $3.30 per watt est.[3]. Get at least three written quotes; prices for the same system often differ by thousands of dollars.

How does PG&E pay for solar I send to the grid?

Under Solar Billing Plan (Net Billing Tariff, 'NEM 3.0'), PG&E credits exports at Hourly avoided-cost credits; we model about 5¢ per kWh (estimate)[4], well below the retail price, so using your solar power at home is worth more than exporting it.

How long is the payback for solar in Fresno?

Our model estimates about 9 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash purchase, with year-one savings of about $1,350 est.[1,2,4]. Financing, a battery or a different rate plan changes this; the calculator lets you test each.

sources

[ 14 ]

Every number on this page links to one of these sources. Dates show when we last checked each one.

  1. NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)pvwatts.nlr.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  2. EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price 2024, Table 6: Utility bundled retail sales, residentialeia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  3. U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update (Barbose, Darghouth, O'Shaughnessy, Forrester), Berkeley Labeta-publications.lbl.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  4. PG&E: Solar Billing Plan (Net Billing Tariff, 'NEM 3.0')pge.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  5. PG&E residential tariffpge.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  6. PG&E: Required rate for new solar customerspge.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  7. PG&E: NEM legacy transfers with the homepge.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  8. Fresno: Permittinggosolarapp.org · checked Nov 5, 2026
  9. Fresno: Automated permitting deadline (SB 379)leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  10. Public Law 119-21 - Sec. 70513(a) and (g)(5) (48E); Sec. 70512(a) and (l)(4) (45Y)govinfo.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  11. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 73 (as amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 328, SB 710)leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  12. CPUC - Solar in Disadvantaged Communitiescpuc.ca.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  13. CPUC - Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)cpuc.ca.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  14. CPUC - Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Programcpuc.ca.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026

City data last re-checked November 5, 2026.