Solar Panel Cost in Tracy, CA (2026): $4.58/W Reported

Tracy homeowners who bought their own solar systems reported a median of $4.58 per watt between January 2025 and May 2026, across 340 systems. The middle half paid $3.62 to $6.13 per watt.

A 5.26 kW system, the median size connected in Tracy in 2025, comes to about $24,100 at that median, or $19,000 to $32,200 across the middle half.

Those are reported costs, not a quote, and no federal credit comes off a Tracy system finished in 2026: 26 U.S.C. §25D does not cover one whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025 (state and federal rules).

Median reported cost: $4.58/W; Tracy addresses, 340 systems
Middle half: $3.62 to $6.13/W; 25th to 75th percentile
Typical 5.26 kW system: $24,100; 5.26 kW × $4.58/W, before any incentive
Same system, middle half: $19,000 to $32,200; size: Tracy addresses, 2025 median

Source: California Distributed Generation Statistics (CPUC), Interconnected Project Sites data set, data through May 31, 2026, checked September 24, 2026. Homeowner-owned, solar-only systems of 1 to 25 kW; leases, PPAs and battery systems are left out (method). The CPUC notes these costs are not verified by the government.

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What a solar permit costs in Tracy

Tracy's published permit fee for a home rooftop system is $450 (residential solar PV system up to 15 kW (flat, State-set)). Above 15 kW: $15 per kW.

That is exactly the $450 limit that Government Code §66015 sets for a home system up to 15 kW.

What Tracy publishes: Tracy's Citywide Master Fee Schedule for fiscal year 2026/27 (Resolution 2026-119, with building fees in effect from July 17, 2026) lists a residential solar PV system up to 15 kW at a flat $450, plus $15 per kW above 15 kW, and marks both as fees set by the State. The City's permit page says the plan check fee is paid before plans are reviewed and the balance of the permit fees when the permit is issued.
How to file: Yes. Tracy takes photovoltaic applications by email at photovoltaic@cityoftracy.org with the plans and also offers an online application submittal process; permit fees are paid through eTRAKiT or in person at City Hall. The City's page does not name SolarAPP+, and the California Energy Commission's SB 379 data lists Tracy's platform as a custom one.
Automated permit platform: None named. Applications by email or online submittal; the CEC SB 379 data (self-reported) lists a custom platform.

Sources: City of Tracy, Permit Process and Fees, checked September 23, 2026; City of Tracy, Citywide Master Fee Schedule FY 2026/27, adopted May 19, 2026 (Resolution 2026-119): fee 26, Solar (PV) Systems, checked September 23, 2026; California Energy Commission, Residential Solar Permitting Program data (SB 379 platform status as self-reported by each jurisdiction; data last updated August 3, 2026), checked September 23, 2026; Gov. Code §66015, checked September 24, 2026. Tracy in the California Solar Cost Index sets this fee beside every other city's.

Solar in Tracy: installs, leases and batteries

Home solar systems connected at Tracy addresses: 1,370 in 2021, 1,669 in 2022, 1,416 in 2023, 791 in 2024 and 777 in 2025. So connections peaked in 2022 and 2025 ran 53% below that peak. Another 287 were connected from January to May 2026.

Of the 777 systems connected in Tracy in 2025, 46% were leased or on a PPA, so a solar company owns them, and 54% belonged to the homeowner. 39% had a battery, less often than the 55% statewide. The median Tracy system was 5.26 kW, and 83 companies connected at least one.

Tracy beside San Joaquin County and Statewide, 2025
	Tracy	San Joaquin County	Statewide
Systems connected in 2025	777	5,805	145,404
Leased or on a PPA	46%	52%	45%
With a battery	39%	40%	55%
Median system size	5.26 kW	5.64 kW	6.15 kW
Median reported cost	$4.58/W (340)	$3.22/W (2,861)	$4.14/W (58,628)
Companies connecting systems	83	203	2,475

Source: CPUC DG Stats, data through May 31, 2026. Counts are home systems given permission to operate each year; a city means the service city on the application.

Your utility: PG&E

Tracy is billed by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). PG&E's average residential rate is 33.7¢/kWh (June 2026 (unchanged since March 2026); rate tracker).

Ava Community Energy supplies generation for many Tracy addresses while PG&E delivers and bills; your bill shows which. Source: Ava Community Energy, Communities We Serve.

Before you compare proposals

The Tracy project checks that change the decision

Tracy charges the State-set $450 for a home system up to 15 kW. Its permit page routes photovoltaic applications to a dedicated email address, and the plan check fee is paid before review begins.

Ask the same three questions

Is the system 15 kW or smaller? Above that, Tracy adds $15 for each kW.
Who emails the application and plans to the City, and who pays the plan check fee that has to be paid before review starts?
Does the savings estimate follow Ava Community Energy's Solar Billing Plan credits and its April true-up, alongside PG&E's own true-up for delivery?

Local checks

A State-set fee in the City schedule

Tracy's 2026/27 Master Fee Schedule lists residential solar up to 15 kW at a flat $450 and $15 per kW above that, and notes that the State sets these fees and they are not raised with the City's inflation adjustment.

Email, then pay in two parts

Photovoltaic applications go to photovoltaic@cityoftracy.org with the plans. The plan check fee is paid before review and the balance at issuance, through eTRAKiT or at City Hall. An owner-builder also files a Property Owner Disclosure Form.

Two true-ups on one bill

Ava Community Energy lists Tracy among the San Joaquin County communities it serves, with Lathrop and Stockton. A Tracy solar bill therefore normally settles generation with Ava and delivery with PG&E, each on its own annual true-up.

Related decisions

Local sources and limits

City of Tracy — Permit Process and Fees — verified 2026-09-23. Photovoltaic applications emailed to photovoltaic@cityoftracy.org with plans; an online application submittal process is also offered; plan check fee paid before review, balance at issuance, through eTRAKiT or in person; owner-builders file a Property Owner Disclosure Form; 2025 California codes apply to submittals from January 1, 2026.
City of Tracy — Citywide Master Fee Schedule FY 2026/27 (Resolution 2026-119, adopted May 19, 2026) — verified 2026-09-23. Fee 26, Solar (PV) Systems (State-mandated fees): residential up to 15 kW $450 flat, $15 per kW above 15 kW; commercial up to 50 kW $1,000; fees set by the State and not subject to the inflationary adjustment. Community and Economic Development fees took effect July 17, 2026.
Ava Community Energy — Communities We Serve — verified 2026-09-23. Names Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Tracy, Union City and unincorporated Alameda County, plus Lathrop, Stockton and unincorporated San Joaquin County.
Ava Community Energy — Solar Billing Plan — verified 2026-09-23. Export credits vary by hour and day; extra $0.01 per kWh on exports for CARE/FERA customers; extra $0.025 per kWh on exports from 3 to 8 pm for other customers; annual true-up each April; balances over $100 paid, smaller ones rolled forward; separate true-ups with Ava (generation) and PG&E (delivery).
California Energy Commission — Residential Solar Permitting Program data (SB 379) — verified 2026-09-23. Self-reported platform status per jurisdiction, data last updated August 3, 2026; the CEC says it does not certify compliance. Rows used: Chico (deadline Sept 2023) and Arcata (deadline Sept 2024), both without a platform; Pasadena, Anaheim, San Jose and Tracy (custom platform); Santa Clarita, Vallejo, Corona and Ontario (Symbium); Escondido, Monterey, Modesto, Mountain View and Huntington Beach (SolarAPP+).

Before you sign

In Tracy the middle half of reported costs spans $3.62 to $6.13 per watt, and roof, panel work, equipment and contract terms explain most of that gap. California Solar Tax and Permit Rules for 2026 covers them, and the tax, lease and disclosure rules a Tracy contract follows.

Frequently asked questions

How much does solar cost in Tracy?

About $24,100 for a 5.26 kW system, at the $4.58 per watt median that Tracy owners reported (340 systems, January 2025 to May 2026; middle half $3.62 to $6.13). Source: CPUC DG Stats. No federal credit applies to a Tracy system finished in 2026.

What does a solar permit cost in Tracy?

$450 for a home rooftop system on Tracy's published schedule (checked September 23, 2026); the state limit is $450 up to 15 kW under Gov. Code §66015.

Which utility serves Tracy?

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Its average residential rate is 33.7¢/kWh, as of June 2026 (unchanged since March 2026).

Sources

California Distributed Generation Statistics (CPUC), Interconnected Project Sites data set, data through May 31, 2026 — checked September 24, 2026
CPUC, California Solar Consumer Protection Guide — checked September 24, 2026
26 U.S.C. §25D(h) and (e)(8)(A), residential clean energy credit — checked September 24, 2026
Tracy solar permitting — City of Tracy, Permit Process and Fees — checked September 23, 2026
City of Tracy, Citywide Master Fee Schedule FY 2026/27, adopted May 19, 2026 (Resolution 2026-119): fee 26, Solar (PV) Systems — checked September 23, 2026
California Energy Commission, Residential Solar Permitting Program data (SB 379 platform status as self-reported by each jurisdiction; data last updated August 3, 2026) — checked September 23, 2026
California Government Code §66015(a), residential solar permit fees — checked September 24, 2026
Ava Community Energy, Communities We Serve — checked September 23, 2026
PG&E average residential rate — CPUC Public Advocates Office, Q2 2026 Electric Rates Report, p.8, 20 — checked November 9, 2026

The tax, contract and permit rules every California city shares, with their statutes: California Solar Tax and Permit Rules for 2026.