Cali Energy research · Output by system size

How Much Does a 4–12 kW Solar System Produce in Los Angeles? Measured on Two Platforms

Name: Solar output by system size, Los Angeles area
Creator: Cali Energy
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In a year of average sunshine, a 6 kW solar system in the Los Angeles area makes about 8,580 kWh (23 kWh a day), an 8 kW about 11,440 and a 10 kW about 14,300. Those figures come from 257 rooftop systems measured in 2023–2025 (1,430 kWh per kW once adjusted to average sunshine), and systems of every size produced about the same per kW. Covering 1,000 kWh a month takes about 8.4 kW.

Updated October 15, 2026 · Data through December 2025 · Cali Energy research team · CSLB #1032379 · verify license

8,580

kWh a year from a 6 kW system, year of average sunshine

11,440

kWh a year from an 8 kW system

14,300

kWh a year from a 10 kW system

8.4 kW

System size for 1,000 kWh a month

These are planning figures: system size times the output per kW that real roofs delivered. The rate is 1,430 kWh per kW, the 2023–2025 median of 569 system-years on 257 systems monitored by Enphase and SolarEdge, adjusted to a year of average sunshine. 2023–2025 itself was dimmer than usual, and in those years the same systems made 1,386 kWh per kW, about 3% less. The full picture is in real-world solar production in Los Angeles.

Yearly, monthly and daily output by system size

Planning estimates for a year of average sunshine.

Estimated kWh a year by system size — median and middle half

Median roofMiddle half of roofs

System size × measured kWh per kW (median 1,430; whiskers 1,313–1,522, the middle half of roofs).

Solar output by system size in Los Angeles (planning estimate)
System size	kWh a year	Typical range	kWh a month, avg	kWh a day, avg	December	July	Made in 2023–2025*
4 kW	5,720	5,250–6,090	480	16	290	650	5,540
5 kW	7,150	6,560–7,610	600	20	360	810	6,930
6 kW	8,580	7,880–9,130	720	23	430	980	8,320
7 kW	10,010	9,190–10,650	830	27	500	1,140	9,700
8 kW	11,440	10,500–12,180	950	31	570	1,300	11,090
10 kW	14,300	13,130–15,220	1,190	39	710	1,630	13,860
12 kW	17,160	15,760–18,260	1,430	47	860	1,950	16,630
Year of average sunshine: 1,430 kWh per kW; typical range = middle half of roofs (1,313–1,522). December and July use the measured monthly shape. *The same size at the measured 2023–2025 median, 1,386 kWh per kW.

kWh per kW by year, both platforms (CSV)SolarEdge series by system size (CSV)

How to cite: Cali Energy, “How Much Does a 4–12 kW Solar System Produce in Los Angeles?,” updated October 15, 2026, https://cali-energy.com/research/solar-system-size-output-los-angeles. Aggregated data are free to use under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page.

What measured systems of each size produced

Real systems grouped by DC size, each system’s median year in 2023–2025.

Measured systems by size group, 2023–2025
Size group (DC)	Systems	Median size	Median kWh a year	kWh per kW	kWh per kW, middle half
under 5 kW	53	4.2 kW	5,618	1,377	1,274–1,479
5–7 kW	73	5.9 kW	8,147	1,382	1,275–1,457
7–9 kW	52	7.8 kW	11,053	1,380	1,288–1,487
9–12 kW	40	9.9 kW	13,790	1,412	1,291–1,508
12 kW or more	39	14.8 kW	20,015	1,374	1,289–1,460

Per-kW output in every size group sat between 1,374 and 1,412 kWh a year in 2023–2025. A bigger system makes more electricity, not more per panel; what decides output per kW is how the roof faces and what shades it. That is why one planning rate works for every size, and why the range for a given roof matters more than its size.

What size solar system do I need?

Work backward from your monthly or yearly electricity use.

System size to cover a given monthly use (planning estimate)
Use a month	Use a year	Size at median output	Range*	400 W panels, approx.
500 kWh	6,000 kWh	4.2 kW	3.9–4.6 kW	10
750 kWh	9,000 kWh	6.3 kW	5.9–6.9 kW	16
1,000 kWh	12,000 kWh	8.4 kW	7.9–9.1 kW	21
1,200 kWh	14,400 kWh	10.1 kW	9.5–11.0 kW	25
1,500 kWh	18,000 kWh	12.6 kW	11.8–13.7 kW	31
2,000 kWh	24,000 kWh	16.8 kW	15.8–18.3 kW	42
*A sunny, unshaded roof needs the smaller size; a shaded or east/west roof the larger. Use 12 months of usage from your bill, not one month.

Covering 100% of use on paper is not the same as running the house on solar, and it is not always the goal. On SCE’s net billing tariff, exported power earns far less than it costs to buy, so systems are often sized to daytime use plus a battery; LADWP still credits exports at the retail rate. What a 100% system does and does not do is measured in what share of a home’s electricity solar covers; how much homes use is in how much electricity solar homes use, and use tends to grow after going solar: the same homes, year 1 to year 3.

How much one solar panel produces

By panel rating, at the planning rate.

Estimated output per panel in Los Angeles
Panel	kWh a year	kWh a month, avg	kWh a day, avg	December day	July day
350 W	500	42	1.37	0.81	1.84
400 W	572	48	1.57	0.92	2.10
430 W	615	51	1.68	0.99	2.26
450 W	644	54	1.76	1.04	2.36
480 W	686	57	1.88	1.11	2.52
Panel rating (DC watts) × planning kWh per kW. Measured panel by panel on microinverters: how much one panel produces per day.

Methodology

Planning rate: 1,430 kWh per kW of DC capacity a year: the median of 569 complete system-years in 2023–2025 on 257 systems (83 SolarEdge, 174 Enphase), each adjusted to the 2001–2025 average sunshine (NASA POWER). Range: middle half of system-years after the same adjustment.
Monthly shape: Monthly medians of the same system-years, used as each month’s share of the year.
Size groups: Each system’s median year in 2023–2025, grouped by its DC capacity.
Estimates: Rows for 4–12 kW multiply system size by the planning rate. They are planning figures, not measurements of systems of exactly that size; measured size groups are shown separately.
Limits: Roof direction, tilt and shade are not adjusted for. The fleet is weighted toward the San Fernando Valley.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 6 kW solar system produce per day in Los Angeles?

About 23 kWh a day on average over a year of average sunshine: roughly 14 kWh a day in December and 32 in July.

How many kWh does a 10 kW solar system produce per month in LA?

About 1,190 kWh a month on average: about 710 in December and 1,630 in July.

What size solar system do I need for 1,000 kWh a month?

About 8.4 kW, or roughly 21 panels of 400 W, on a typical Los Angeles roof; 7.9–9.1 kW depending on direction and shade.

What size solar system do I need for 2,000 kWh a month?

About 16.8 kW (42 panels of 400 W) at the median rate, 15.8–18.3 kW depending on the roof.

Does a bigger solar system produce more per kW?

No. Measured systems of every size produced 1,374–1,412 kWh per kW a year in 2023–2025. Roof direction and shade matter, not size.

More research

ResearchReal-World Solar Production in Los AngelesMedian 1,386 kWh per kW a year in 2023–2025, 264 systems on two platforms.ResearchHow Much Does One Solar Panel Produce per Day in LA?A 400 W panel makes about 1.56 kWh a day, measured on 3,608 panels with their own microinverters.ResearchHow Much Electricity Do LA Homes With Solar Actually Use?A median 32 kWh a day, measured at the house — month by month and on hot days, in 117 homes.ResearchDo Homes Use More Electricity After Going Solar?The same 79 homes, weather-adjusted: a median 10% more by year 3 than in the first year with solar.

From a table to your roof

These are planning estimates; a design for your house starts from your usage and your roof.

InstallationSolar sized for your roof and usageWe size from 12 months of kWh and your roof’s direction, tilt and shade, not a city average. Terms in writing.Case studyHe sized it from his bill. The answer was in his kilowatt-hours.A Woodland Hills design that changed once annual kWh, not one monthly bill, set the size.Case studySized to the bill, not the roof.A Glassell Park design that started at 26 modules and shipped at 14, because usage decided the size.Case studyNo face was big enough, so it became several arrays.A Granada Hills hip roof split across several roof planes — and what each extra plane costs.

Prepared by Cali Energy, October 15, 2026. Figures describe systems in our monitoring fleet and are not a guarantee of what any specific roof will produce; orientation, tilt, shade, equipment and weather change results. Not engineering, financial or utility advice. See our Content Disclaimer.