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Solar built for East County heat. We've installed across El Cajon — Fletcher Hills, Bostonia, Rancho San Diego, Granite Hills — since 1996. 30 years, 100% in-house crews, no subcontractors.
Yes — and arguably better than coastal San Diego. El Cajon averages 277 sunny days, sits in one of SDG&E's hottest summer pockets, and gets virtually no marine layer. That combination means higher panel production per kilowatt than Mission Bay or Pacific Beach. Cash payback is typically 6–8 years; bills that ran $400–$600 in August drop to under $50.
Every city in San Diego County has its own permitting authority, microclimate, roof stock, and rate dynamics. Here’s how we approach El Cajon specifically.
El Cajon hits 105°+ in summer. Most installers spec for coastal averages and undersize the system for July–August cooling load. We design around your peak month, not the annual average.
City of El Cajon Building runs faster than San Diego on average — 1–2 weeks plan check is typical. We've worked with their inspectors for two decades and know what they want to see on the structural calcs.
Under NEM 3.0, every kWh you keep onsite is worth ~4× what you export. With East County's late-afternoon heat driving 5–9 p.m. cooling load, a battery is no longer optional. We integrate Powerwall, Enphase, and Franklin WH.
We don't subcontract. Our designer, project manager, and installer are all on the same payroll. That's why our warranty callbacks are rare — when one team owns the whole chain, problems get caught before install.
El Cajon solar pricing is identical to the rest of San Diego County — no travel surcharge for inland addresses. Three system sizes cover almost everything we install in East County. All prices are turnkey: design, permit, install, SDG&E interconnection, 25-year production guarantee.
4–6 kW
1,400–1,800 sq ft
Before incentives
$24.5K–$30K
After Pre-Paid Lease Upfront 30% Discount
$17.2K–$21K
8–12 kW
2,000–2,800 sq ft
Before incentives
$35K–$47K
After Pre-Paid Lease Upfront 30% Discount
$24.5K–$32.9K
14–20 kW
3,000+ sq ft
Before incentives
$52K–$70K
After Pre-Paid Lease Upfront 30% Discount
$36.4K–$49K
Five tracked stages from quote to Permission to Operate. City of El Cajon plan-check is typically the fastest in the county at 1–2 weeks. Total project from signed proposal to system running averages 6–9 weeks in El Cajon.
Roof condition, shade, structure, panel capacity, and your last 12 months of SDG&E bills. Custom proposal in 48 hours.
In-house engineers design your system around your specific roof geometry, El Cajon permit requirements, and NEM 3.0 export math.
We handle plan submission, structural calcs, and inspector coordination directly with City of El Cajon Building Division.
Our in-house crews complete most El Cajon residential installs in a single working day on the roof.
We file the SDG&E interconnection paperwork and walk it through Permission to Operate. Then your meter spins backward.
Every El Cajon neighborhood from Fletcher Hills to Granite Hills. Click any neighborhood to see how we approach solar there.
Hillside homes with mixed roof orientations — careful array layout is the difference between 9 kW and 12 kW production.
Get a Fletcher Hills quote“We love our solar electricity! Dirk and Brad explained all of our options. They took the time to examine several options and help us design a system that was perfect for us.”
Ione Stiegler
Google review · 2016
“San Diego Solar installed solar panels on my residence. The service was fantastic. The owner Dirk first determined how many panels I needed by reviewing my past electric bills. He then provided a simple, straightforward quote.”
Dan Navigato
Google review · 2016
“San Diego Solar goes above and beyond to make sure a quality solar solution is installed — starting with the owner Dirk Hosmer, who personally oversees and works on my entire project.”
Brady Bishop
Google review · 2015
Yes — and arguably better than coastal San Diego for solar production. El Cajon averages 277 sunny days per year (vs. 263 in Chula Vista, 251 in coastal Carlsbad), gets minimal marine layer, and sits in SDG&E's high-rate territory. Production per installed kilowatt runs 5–8% higher in El Cajon than coastal addresses. Payback on cash purchases is typically 6–8 years.
El Cajon pricing matches the rest of San Diego County. A small 4–6 kW system runs $24,500–$30,000 before incentives. A medium 8–12 kW system runs $35,000–$47,000. A large 14–20 kW system runs $52,000–$70,000. Our pre-paid lease takes 30% off the upfront cost. Our prepaid lease can lower upfront cost by 30–40%.
Yes. All residential solar installs in El Cajon require a building permit issued by the City of El Cajon Building Division. We handle plan check, structural calculations, electrical diagrams, and inspector coordination as part of every project. El Cajon plan-check is typically the fastest in San Diego County at 1–2 weeks.
Under NEM 3.0, SDG&E pays roughly 75% less for exported solar energy compared to NEM 2.0. In El Cajon this matters more than coastal areas because peak cooling load runs late into the evening — 5–9 p.m. — when solar production is dropping. A battery captures midday production and discharges into your home during peak hours. We install Tesla Powerwall 3, Enphase IQ, and Franklin WH.
Every El Cajon neighborhood. Fletcher Hills, Bostonia, Rancho San Diego, Granite Hills, Mt Helix, Crest, Singing Hills, Hillsdale, El Cajon Village, and the unincorporated areas just outside city limits. No travel surcharges anywhere in the East County.
Site assessment to Permission to Operate typically runs 6–9 weeks in El Cajon — slightly faster than the county average because the City of El Cajon plan-check is fast. The on-roof installation itself takes 1–3 days. The remaining time is engineering, plan-check, install scheduling, inspection, and SDG&E interconnection.
Yes. Many El Cajon homes — especially Rancho San Diego, Mt Helix, Granite Hills — have concrete or clay tile roofs. Our in-house roofing crew lifts tiles, installs proper flashing, and resets the roof correctly. We don't shortcut this step. Tile installs typically add 1 day to the schedule.
Yes — more so than coastal addresses. El Cajon's summer evening cooling load extends well past sunset. Without a battery, you're paying SDG&E peak rates for the energy your AC pulls between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. With a battery, that energy comes from your panels (stored from midday). We size battery capacity based on your actual 4–9 p.m. usage, not a generic rule.
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