Solar panels in Los Angeles
A 6 kWp home system in Los Angeles is modelled to produce about 10,196 kWh a year, or 1,699 kWh per installed kWp, from PVGIS climate data at the city's coordinates. Los Angeles homes are served by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), which applies its own Net Energy Metering Rider. The page lists 3 local rules, each checked against its official source. Compared with the United States reference point on our country page, Los Angeles produces 20% more per kWp. Worldwide it ranks 2nd of the 41 cities we cover. On our model, the system saves about USD 1,241 in year one and pays back in 16.4 years.
Month by month in Los Angeles
Modelled output of a 6 kWp system at 35° facing south (towards the equator), from PVGIS climate data (PVGIS-ERA5, 2005 to 2023).
| Month | kWh | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 744 | 7.3% |
| February | 756 | 7.4% |
| March | 893 | 8.8% |
| April | 910 | 8.9% |
| May | 909 | 8.9% |
| June | 894 | 8.8% |
| July | 915 | 9.0% |
| August | 948 | 9.3% |
| September | 902 | 8.8% |
| October | 871 | 8.5% |
| November | 762 | 7.5% |
| December | 692 | 6.8% |
- Best month: August (948 kWh). Weakest: December (692 kWh), a 1.4x difference.
- April, July, August produce 27.2% of the year; January, February, December produce 21.5%.
- Year-to-year variation: about 238 kWh (2.3%, one standard deviation).
- Sunlight reaching the panels: 2,338 kWh per m² a year.
Local rules and support in Los Angeles
Rules set by the city or its region, on top of the national scheme. Each one was checked against the official source on the date shown.
- City of Los Angeles (LADWP)
LADWP, not a CPUC utility, sets solar export terms
Los Angeles homes are served by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), which applies its own Net Energy Metering Rider. Customers who own and operate a solar system of not more than one megawatt on their premises, primarily to offset their own use, can take service under it.
Source: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, EV / NEM / REO Rates (checked 2026-09-25)
- City of Los Angeles (LADWP)
LADWP net energy metering credits
Under LADWP net metering, if you export more than you import in a billing period, the excess is credited at the applicable rate schedule energy price and carried forward to later bills. Any credit balance left when you stop service is set to zero with no cash payout.
Source: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, EV / NEM / REO Rates (Solar / NEM Rate) (checked 2026-09-25)
- City of Los Angeles (LADWP)
LADWP Solar Rooftops programme
LADWP runs a Solar Rooftops programme aimed at qualified residential customers who may not be able to afford installing panels themselves.
Source: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Solar Programs (checked 2026-09-25)
How Los Angeles compares
Los Angeles ranks 2 of 4 for yield among the cities we model in the United States, and 2 of 41 across every country on Solar Figures. Within one country the prices are the same, so a payback gap between these cities comes from sunshine alone.
| City | kWh per kWp / yr | Payback (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 1,742 | 23.0 yrs |
| Los Angeles | 1,699 | 16.4 yrs |
| New York | 1,350 | 5.8 yrs |
| Houston | 1,341 | 25+ yrs |
| National reference point (country page) | 1,416 | 20.1 yrs |
Closest yield abroad: Perth (1,618 kWh per kWp), Seville (1,597 kWh per kWp), Valencia (1,563 kWh per kWp).
What moves the payback in Los Angeles
Power you use yourself is worth the retail price ($0.177 per kWh); power you export earns $0.10. So the share you use at home, by running appliances in daylight or adding a battery, changes the payback. The system cost stays the same in every row (a battery would add to it).
| Used at home | Year-1 savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | $1,164 | 18.0 yrs |
| 30% (our default) | $1,241 | 16.4 yrs |
| 50% | $1,396 | 14.0 yrs |
| 70% | $1,550 | 12.3 yrs |
- Net system cost after incentives: $16,500 for 6 kWp.
- Incentive modelled: No federal residential capital incentive in 2026 (§25D 30% credit expired 31 Dec 2025, OBBB PL 119-21). State credits (NY 25% cap $5k, AZ 25% cap $1k) modelled in US_STATE_DEFAULTS..
- 25-year net savings at our default: $26,994.
Best panel angle in Los Angeles
At latitude 34.05°N, PVGIS finds the fixed tilt and direction that maximise yearly output. Our figures use a common 35° roof; the table shows what the optimum adds.
| Setup | Tilt | Facing | kWh per kWp / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard roof (used on this page) | 35° | south | 1,699 |
| PVGIS optimum | 32° | south (181°) | 1,701 |
The optimum adds 0.1% a year over the standard roof in Los Angeles. Most of a roof's value comes from its direction: a roof facing away from the equator loses far more than a few degrees of tilt.
See the full the United States picture on our United States solar page, or the national incentives in our United States solar guide.
Sources and method
Figures computed 2026-09-25 for a 6 kWp system, 35° tilt, 14% system losses, terrain shading on. An estimate, not a quote: your installer's quote will be exact.
- PVGIS 5.3 PVcalc (PVGIS-ERA5), European Commission JRC (checked 2026-09-25)
- the United States tariff and incentive inputs (see DATA_SOURCES.md) (checked 2026-06-21)
- the United States tariff and incentive inputs (see DATA_SOURCES.md) (checked 2026-06-21)
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: EV / NEM / REO Rates (checked 2026-09-25)
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: Solar Programs (checked 2026-09-25)
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