Thirteen cities helped the California residential solar market grow 80% so far this year, according to a new report from SunRun.
According to the report, the top cities reflect solar adoption in median-income communities rather than in the wealthiest areas of the state.
The high-growth cities were evaluated by percent growth through May 31 as compared to the same time frame last year. While solar adoption continues to surge in traditional solar hot beds like Fresno and Bakersfield, new solar leaders like Santa Clarita, Castaic and Palmdale are also leading the charge.
The top California cities for home solar installations were as follows:
- Santa Clarita
- Castaic
- Palmdale
- Clovis
- Pleasanton
- Temecula
- Visalia
- Yucaipa
- Apple Valley
- Fresno
- Canyon Country
- Murrieta
- Lancaster
‘This list shows undeniable solar growth in a diverse range of cities, debunking the common misconception that solar is only for the wealthy,’ notes Stephen Torres, founder and managing director of PV Solar Report. ‘Key to this diversification is third-party-owned solar, which makes solar affordable for a wider range of homeowners.’
The average for median annual household income across all 13 high-growth cities was approximately $57,000 – a far cry from wealthy coastal cities like Malibu, which has a median annual household income of $160,000, according to the latest U.S. census data.
