The average monthly solar radiation level in California's capital city, Sacramento, of 5.62 kilowatt hours per square meter per day (kWh/m2/day) is approximately 51% greater than the average level of 3.73 kWh/m2/day in an area with historically low levels (WA) and is approximately 15% less than the average level of 6.6 kWh/m2/day in an area with historically high levels (NV). [1]
→ Values listed as 0 (zero) are not available (N/A).
→ California values listed here are based on the capital, Sacramento.
Below is a month-by-month comparison of how average California solar radiation levels compare to average levels in an area with historcially high levels (NV) and one with historically low levels (WA). [1]
→ k/m/d = kWh/m2/day = kilowatt hours per square meter per day.
→ Values listed as 0 (zero) are not available (N/A).
→ California values listed here are based on the capital, Sacramento.
A look at solar installs in California. The chart below visualizes install totals for the top five counties in CA vs. the cumulative install total of rest of CA counties combined.
There are currently at least 0 solar panel installations throughout the state of California right now. [1]
Note: Install totals presented here are those voluntarily contributed from a variety of sources including solar incentive programs, utilities, installers, and the general public. [1] Data for some states is thinner than others.
Residential electricity prices in California averaged 20.45 cents per kilowatthour (¢/kWh) in December 2020, which was approximately 60% more than the overall U.S. average residential electricity rate of 12.80¢/kWh in December. [2]
Vote now: What do you think? Are solar panels & solar power a good choice for residents of the state of California?
Residential natural gas prices in California averaged $14.38 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in November 2020, which was about 48% more than the overall U.S. average residential natural gas rate of $9.73 per Mcf in November. [3]
California ranks 1st among all states in the U.S. with a population of approximately 37,253,956. [4]
To learn more about solar energy and solar power in California, or for additional solar-related resources in CA, visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Nineteen-year-old Edmund Becquerel, a French experimental physicist, discovered the basis of solar energy in 1839.
