Balcony solar in El Monte

800 W of panels on a south-facing balcony railing in El Monte produce about 830 kWh a year and save about $141.

Output by orientation and mounting

Yearly output with 800 W of panels and the inverter limited to 800 W.

Railing (vertical) Tilted at 30°

Show as a table

At $0.3258 per kWh you save about $141 in the first year. A kit costing $1,300 pays back in about 9.2 years.

Electricity price: $0.3258 per kWh (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2025-09..2026-08). Source
Assumes a constant base load of 150 W, so 52% of the output is used at home.
Power sent to the grid is not paid for.

Takes effect on January 1, 2027

Up to 1,200 W of inverter output per home.

Certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory, with a certified feature that prevents backfeeding during an outage; meets the National Electrical Code and the California Electrical Code.
Your utility may ask you to register the kit.

Last verified: October 31, 2026