Santa Cruz, CA solar installation & market data
Updated April 22, 2026 By The SolarDNA Data Team
Santa Cruz has 6,363 solar installations across 5 zip codes at a median installed cost of $4.80/W, installations up 4.2% over the trailing twelve months, and an installs-weighted Market Score of 46.
Active installations
6,363
Zip markets
5
Median cost
$4.80/W
12-mo growth
▲ 4.2%
Installers active
357
City Market Score
Great · installs-weighted across 5 zips
Best zip in Santa Cruz scores higher than 79% of U.S. zip markets.
Versus California
How Santa Cruz compares with the state
Installed cost
$0.53/W above
state median $4.26/W
Market score
46 vs 53
California scores 53
Share of state installs
0.28%
of 2.3M tracked statewide
Battery attach
9.7%
state 12.7%
Statewide momentum
▲ 1.1%
residential solar added in California, 12 months through Jul 2026
Statewide market
2.3M systems
30.9% of homes · utility-reported through Jul 2026
Next-12-month outlook: 367–449 installs (midpoint 408)
Trailing-12-month installs carried forward at half the observed growth rate (capped at ±30%), with a ±10% band. Not a forecast of permits or policy.
Growth & pricing
Santa Cruz by year
400 installs in the trailing twelve months vs 384 before
Installations by year
Median installed cost, $/W DC by year
Installer comp set
Who installs in Santa Cruz
Summed across every zip in the city
| # | Installer | Installs | 12-mo | Zips | $/W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALLTERRA SOLAR | 1,731 | 80 | 4 | $4.63 |
| 2 | TESLA | 610 | 10 | 4 | $5.12 |
| 3 | SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES | 543 | 24 | 4 | $5.93 |
| 4 | SUNRUN | 447 | 48 | 3 | $4.46 |
| 5 | SANDBAR SOLAR | 317 | 0 | 4 | $4.30 |
| 6 | RGS ENERGY | 214 | 0 | 4 | $7.01 |
| 7 | DAY ONE SOLAR | 205 | 15 | 3 | $4.49 |
| 8 | SANDBAR | 104 | 53 | 3 | $5.78 |
| 9 | SOLCON SOLAR | 90 | 0 | 3 | $5.48 |
| 10 | SUNPOWER | 81 | 0 | 3 | $4.47 |
| 11 | INDEPENDENT ENERGY SYSTEMS | 70 | 0 | 3 | $8.14 |
| 12 | SEMPER SOLARIS | 64 | 3 | 3 | $5.80 |
| 13 | ECOENERGIES | 54 | 0 | 3 | $8.24 |
| 14 | REC SOLAR COMMERCIAL | 44 | 0 | 3 | $6.72 |
| 15 | AMERICAN SOLAR DIRECT | 41 | 0 | 3 | $5.16 |
| 16 | INFINITY ENERGY | 40 | 0 | 3 | $5.08 |
| 17 | SANTA CRUZ SOLAR | 37 | 0 | 3 | $4.56 |
| 18 | PERRYBUILT CONSTRUCTION | 36 | 3 | 3 | $3.43 |
| 19 | BRIGHT OPS | 36 | 22 | 3 | $4.83 |
| 20 | SUNGEVITY | 35 | 0 | 4 | $3.93 |
| 21 | EXO ENERGY | 34 | 1 | 3 | $4.66 |
| 22 | POCO SOLAR ENERGY | 34 | 4 | 3 | $5.24 |
| 23 | SCUDDER SOLAR | 32 | 0 | 3 | $5.09 |
| 24 | NEXUS ENERGY SYSTEMS | 32 | 12 | 3 | $6.10 |
| 25 | ARROW ENERGY | 28 | 0 | 3 | $3.45 |