Fresno, CA Solar Panels
Solar Power in Fresno
In Fresno, homeowners are discovering that solar energy isn’t just an environmental choice—it’s a smart financial decision. With California electricity prices jumping 56% from 2020 to 2024, many residents are looking for ways to lower their monthly bills.
This guide breaks down what you need to know about solar panels for your home in Fresno, from understanding local sunlight conditions to navigating installation options.
CALIFORNIA by the Numbers
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in Fresno, CA?
Our calculator uses real installation data from Fresno homeowners in neighborhoods like Woodward Park, Fig Garden, and Clovis to show you accurate solar costs. See what your neighbors actually paid based on local pricing and home characteristics.
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Cost
Savings
You can still access the solar tax credit through Palmetto. Talk to us today to find out how.
Key Takeaways
- Fresno receives abundant sunshine year-round with over 270 sunny days annually, making it an ideal location for solar energy production.
- California electricity rates have climbed 40% since 2021 to 31.9¢ per kWh, nearly double the national average of 16.5¢.
- A typical 10 kW solar system in Fresno can save homeowners approximately $103,000 over 25 years with a payback period around 6 years.
Fresno Electricity Prices
Understanding electricity costs in Fresno is essential for homeowners planning their energy future. Let’s look at how California rates have changed recently.
California electricity rates have climbed sharply, rising from 22.8 cents per kWh in 2021 to 31.9 cents per kWh in 2024—a 40% increase in just three years. Meanwhile, the national average sits at just 16.5 cents per kWh.
This growing gap between California and national rates has prompted many Fresno homeowners to explore solar energy. By generating your own electricity, you can reduce your reliance on utility power and protect yourself from future rate increases.
Over a typical 25-year solar panel lifespan, locking in your energy costs today can provide substantial savings. While utility rates continue climbing, your solar panels keep producing electricity at a predictable cost, offering long-term financial stability.
Price of Energy: California vs National Average
Fresno Area Utility Providers
Fresno residents are served primarily by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), which charged an average of 34.0¢ per kilowatt-hour in 2023—more than double the national average of 16.0¢.
California’s electricity rates remain among the nation’s highest due to infrastructure investments, wildfire prevention costs, and the state’s transition to renewable energy sources. PG&E’s rates exceed even California’s state average of 29.50¢ per kWh.
With electricity costs this high, Fresno homeowners using solar can lock in predictable energy expenses. While utility rates continue rising year after year, solar panels generate power at a fixed cost for decades.
Fresno Utilities Electricity Rates
California Solar Incentives
Fresno homeowners have access to several state and local programs designed to reduce the upfront cost of going solar, including property tax exemptions and income-qualified rebates. Explore available solar incentives in California below.
California offers property tax exemptions that protect you from increased taxes when your home value rises due to solar installation. Additionally, income-qualified programs like DAC-SASH and the Equity Fund provide substantial rebates—up to $3 per watt—for eligible Fresno residents in disadvantaged communities.
These incentives change regularly, so it’s important to research current programs and act promptly. Understanding what’s available now helps you make an informed decision about solar for your Fresno home.
| Incentive | Type | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property Tax Exemption | State tax exemption | Any increase in value to your home tied to installing solar panels will not be taxed. | Learn More |
| Disadvantaged Communities Single-Family Affordable Solar Homes (DAC-SASH) Program | State program | If you meet key criteria on being in a disadvantaged community you will receive a generous incentive to install solar of $3 per watt. This can add up to $15,000 for a small system of kW. | Learn More |
| Equity Fund | State program | If you meet certain criteria, California is offering rebates that help bring some of the original Net Metering benefits to lower income communities that missed out when CA switched to NEM3.0 | Learn More |
California’s Property Tax Exemption for solar energy systems protects homeowners from paying additional property taxes when they install solar panels. Normally, home improvements that increase your property’s value result in higher property tax bills. However, this state tax exemption ensures that any added value from your solar installation is excluded from your property tax assessment. This means you can enjoy the benefits of increased home value without the burden of increased annual property taxes.
The financial benefit varies based on your home’s location and the size of your solar system, but it can result in significant savings over time. For example, if your solar installation adds $20,000 to your home’s value and your property tax rate is 1%, you would save approximately $200 per year in property taxes. Over the typical 25-year lifespan of a solar system, this exemption could save you thousands of dollars. The exemption applies to both purchased and leased solar systems on residential properties in California, and it remains in effect for as long as you own the system. There is currently no expiration date for this program, making it a reliable long-term benefit for California homeowners considering solar energy.
The Disadvantaged Communities Single-Family Affordable Solar Homes (DAC-SASH) Program is a California state initiative designed to make solar energy accessible to homeowners in disadvantaged communities. This program provides upfront financial incentives to help offset the cost of installing a solar energy system, making clean energy more affordable for qualifying households.
Eligible homeowners can receive up to $3 per watt in capacity-based incentives. For example, a typical 5-kilowatt solar system could qualify for up to $15,000 in upfront incentives. To qualify, you must own and live in your home, receive electrical service from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), or San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), and be enrolled in or eligible for the CARE or FERA income-qualified utility bill assistance programs. Additionally, your property must be located in a designated disadvantaged community (DAC) area.
If you think you might qualify for this program, you can check your eligibility and apply through GRID Alternatives, the organization that administers DAC-SASH. This incentive can be combined with other available programs to further reduce the cost of going solar, making it an excellent opportunity for eligible homeowners to access clean, renewable energy while lowering their electricity bills.
The Equity Fund is a battery storage incentive program created in 2022 under Assembly Bill 209, providing $630 million in funding to help low-income California homeowners afford energy storage systems. This program operates through the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) and offers rebates based on your battery’s storage capacity, with rates ranging from $150 to $1,000 per kilowatt-hour depending on your specific circumstances.
To qualify for the Equity Fund, you must be enrolled in California’s CARE or FERA utility discount programs, live in a designated Disadvantaged Community, or reside in a California Tribal community. The highest rebate rates of $850 or $1,000 per kilowatt-hour are available if you’re enrolled in DAC-SASH, CARE, or FERA programs, or if you live in California tribal areas, fire-affected zones, high fire-risk areas, or regions with frequent power outages. As an added benefit, CARE program participants receive approximately 35% off their electric bills, while FERA participants receive about 18% off. Your electric service must be provided by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), or San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to participate in this program.
Net Billing in California is a program that credits you for the excess solar energy your system sends to the electric grid. Unlike traditional net metering where exports were valued at retail rates, Net Billing (also called “NEM 3”) credits your account based on the time of day you export energy and the utility’s avoided cost at that specific hour. This means the value of your solar exports changes throughout the day, with higher credits typically during peak demand hours when electricity is most valuable to the grid.
The financial benefit varies significantly by utility and time of export. For the three major investor-owned utilities (PG&E, SCE, and SDGE), Net Billing began April 15, 2023, and uses hourly export rates determined by each utility’s Avoided Cost Calculator. Export credits are generally lower than retail electricity rates, ranging from a few cents to higher values during peak times. Any unused credits remaining at your annual anniversary month are paid out at approximately 3-5 cents per kWh. Imperial Irrigation District offers monthly settlement at $0.0698/kWh, while SMUD credits exports at 7.4 cents per kWh with monthly settlement. LADWP customers still enjoy traditional 1:1 net metering as a municipal utility.
New solar customers applying after April 15, 2023 automatically fall under Net Billing. However, if you submitted a complete interconnection application by April 14, 2023, you may be grandfathered under the previous NEM 2.0 program—but only if you don’t increase your system size at all or decrease it by more than 20%. Because Net Billing values exports at lower rates than traditional net metering, pairing your solar system with battery storage can help you maximize savings by storing energy to use during expensive peak hours rather than exporting it to the grid.
Ready to start saving with solar?
Speak with a Palmetto solar expert to find out exactly how much you can save with California incentives.
Get a Free QuoteFresno Solar Irradiance
Solar panel production varies throughout the year based on daylight hours, weather patterns, and sun intensity. Understanding how seasons affect your solar system helps set realistic expectations for your investment.
Fresno’s Mediterranean climate delivers abundant sunshine year-round, with minimal fog and over 270 sunny days annually. Even winter months produce strong solar energy, making Fresno excellent for solar production.
Solar Production in Fresno by Month
What Can Your Solar System Power?
Summer Production (July)
In July, your 10 kW system could power:
- 3.6 average homes (15 kWh/day per home)
- or Run central AC for 18 hours AND power all other appliances
- or Fully charge 5.4 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles
Winter Production (December)
In December, your 10 kW system could power:
- 2 average homes (15 kWh/day per home)
- or Keep your home heating system running for 15 hours
- or Fully charge 3 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles
Annual Production
Over a year, your 10 kW system could:
- Offset 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions
- or Equal the environmental benefit of planting 175 trees
- or Save approximately $4,234 in electricity costs
Want to know exactly how much solar can power your home?
Get a personalized solar analysis based on your actual home, energy usage, and roof characteristics.
Get My Custom EstimateSolar Panel Systems in Fresno
We’ve mapped every solar installation across Fresno to help you explore the clean energy movement in your community. Click any hexagon to see how many neighbors in that area have already made the switch to solar power.
Leasing Solar Panels
Fresno homeowners served by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) have access to Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) through Palmetto. With a PPA, you pay only for the electricity your solar panels produce at a set rate per kilowatt-hour—typically lower than PG&E’s current rates.
Unlike purchasing a system outright, a PPA means no large upfront investment, no maintenance responsibilities, and no repair costs. Palmetto owns and maintains the system while you enjoy predictable energy costs and immediate savings on your utility bills.
Want to explore whether a PPA or purchasing makes sense for your home? Learn more about buying versus leasing solar or discover how LightReach makes solar accessible without the investment.
Go solar without the investment
With LightReach, there are no investment costs to recoup, loan payments to manage, or maintenance needs to take on. As soon as your panels are active, your solar savings are too!
Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, solar makes excellent sense in Fresno. With over 270 sunny days annually and California electricity rates at 31.9¢ per kWh—nearly double the national average—solar panels offer substantial savings for Fresno homeowners.
A typical system can save approximately $103,000 over 25 years with a payback period around 6 years. Fresno’s abundant sunshine and high electricity costs create ideal conditions for solar investment.
Fresno homeowners served by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) operate under California’s Net Billing program (also called NEM 3), which began April 15, 2023. Unlike traditional net metering, Net Billing credits your excess solar energy at hourly rates based on the utility’s avoided costs—typically lower than retail electricity rates.
Export credits vary by time of day, with higher values during peak demand hours. Any unused credits remaining at your annual anniversary month are paid out at approximately 3-5 cents per kWh. Because export rates are lower than retail rates, pairing solar with battery storage helps maximize your savings.
Yes, solar panels increase home value in Fresno. Research from Zillow shows solar panels increase home value by 4.1% on average across the United States. For a median-priced Fresno home, this translates to thousands of dollars in added value.
Additionally, California’s Property Tax Exemption protects you from paying higher property taxes on this increased value. Your solar investment enhances your home’s worth while keeping your annual tax bills unchanged.
Solar installation costs in Fresno vary by home size. Based on actual Palmetto installations, a small home (up to 2,000 sq ft) averages $15,088 for a 5.01 kW system, a medium home (2,000-3,000 sq ft) costs $19,414 for 6.72 kW, and a large home (over 3,000 sq ft) runs $24,677 for 8.80 kW.
These prices reflect the final cost after accounting for current market conditions. With Fresno’s electricity rates at 31.9¢ per kWh, most systems pay for themselves in 6-7 years through utility bill savings.
Yes, solar is financially worth it in Fresno. With California electricity rates at 31.9¢ per kWh—nearly double the national average—a typical solar system saves homeowners approximately $103,000 over 25 years with a payback period around 6 years.
Fresno’s abundant sunshine (over 270 sunny days annually) maximizes solar production year-round. Combined with high utility rates and available incentives like property tax exemptions, solar panels provide strong long-term financial returns while protecting against future rate increases.
At Palmetto, we’re proud to serve Fresno homeowners with quality solar installations backed by our extensive experience. We’ve completed over 7,123 installations across California since 2020, bringing reliable solar solutions to communities throughout the state.
We offer competitive financing options and work with trusted local installation partners to ensure your solar system is installed professionally and efficiently. Our national expertise combined with local focus means you get the support you need throughout your solar journey.