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Home › Solar › California › Modesto › PG&E

PG&E Solar Cost & Savings in Modesto, CA

Estimate residential solar production, installed cost and utility-specific electricity value using transparent 2026 planning assumptions.

Federal residential solar credit in 2026: $0. Utility compensation is modeled separately from the import electricity rate.
Planning solar yield1,685 kWh/kW
Installed-cost benchmark$2.50/W
Solar Billing Plan / Net Billing TariffProgram-specific credit
State residential benchmark33.61¢/kWh
PG&E lists Modesto in its electric service territory. Verify your exact electric utility by service address before using this planning result.
utility solar model

Build your PG&E solar scenario

PG&E lists Modesto in its electric service territory.. Import pricing and export compensation are kept separate.

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Until the hourly engine is wired, show retail-value ceiling and explicitly state that Solar Billing Plan export credits are not modeled as a flat rate.

Export / credit program

Solar Billing Plan / Net Billing Tariff

Export credits vary by hour, day type, month and customer vintage. A single flat export rate would be misleading.

Compensation modelhourly avoided cost credit
Modeling statushourly required
Service areaNorthern and Central California
Import-rate boundary

Why import and export rules stay separate

California Solar Billing Plan customers use time-varying import rates; exact savings depend on when grid energy is consumed.

Self-consumed solar can avoid purchases at the applicable import tariff. Exported solar follows the utility's separate compensation program.

export economics

PG&E solar export economics

Export economicsHourly export schedule required
Model statushourly export schedule required
Flat export assumptionNot used
Last source check2026-09-29

PG&E Solar Billing Plan export credits depend on when energy is exported. PG&E publishes hourly/daily/monthly 2023–2026 export credit values and Solar Billing Plan customers use time-of-use pricing. A single annual export rate would not reproduce the tariff.

Program: Solar Billing Plan / Net Billing Tariff · sources checked 2026-09-29.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Solar Billing PlanPacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) export pricing

Methodology & sources

  • Annual production = system size × 1,685 kWh/kW planning benchmark.
  • Installed cost = system size × entered $/W benchmark.
  • Federal residential credit is not subtracted in 2026.
  • Utility compensation is only calculated where the published program can be represented without inventing an hourly or tariff-specific value.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Solar Billing PlanPacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) export pricingNREL PVWattsSolar utility methodologyCost benchmark

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Solar Cost in Modesto, CACalifornia Solar Cost CalculatorPG&E electricity ratesGeneric solar calculator
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Why PG&E remains guarded

PG&E Solar Billing Plan export credits vary with the time electricity is sent to the grid. PG&E publishes 2023–2026 hourly, daily and monthly credit values. CalcuRiver therefore keeps the simple annual city calculator guarded instead of replacing that schedule with one flat export rate.

Index policy: This city-specific page is indexable, while exact tariff savings remain guarded.

Official source: PG&E solar / export pricing documentation · verified 2026-09-30.

methodology & sources

Modesto × PG&E methodology

Location input

Modesto uses 1,685 kWh/kW-year and 2.50 $/W planning assumptions.

Utility input

PG&E model status: hourly export schedule required.

Electricity context

33.61¢/kWh California residential benchmark for 2026-07.

Index / precision policy

Guarded/indexable variant: policy context is shown, but the page does not claim an exact calculator result.

Methodology: Solar utility model · CalcuRiver methodology.

why this estimate changes

Why this solar estimate changes

Solar value is driven by local production, installed cost, the retail value of electricity you avoid buying, and the compensation you receive for exported energy. CalcuRiver does not assume export credits equal the retail rate unless that utility program is explicitly verified.

Core logic: self-used solar offsets retail purchases; exported solar is valued only under a verified export-compensation rule.

Methodology & source policy

Continue this cost analysis

Preserve the same state and utility context when moving from solar savings to storage and electricity costs.

PG&E rate detailsReview the underlying utility tariff and effective-date context.California home battery economicsEstimate storage value in the same state.California electricity ratesCompare the electricity benchmark behind this solar result.