Autonomy scoreLocal analysis
San Francisco Home autonomy potential in San Francisco (94102)
Here, Low-carbon heating is both the best score and the biggest annual gain for your home.
Annual potential, standard home
$2,684
Four items added up — each one is a separate decision, in whatever order suits you.
Overall score
53 /100
Growing
San Francisco: 53/100 achievable autonomy with a recommended setup.
Solid potential — real, achievable gains in energy, water & food autonomy await.
What you could reach in San Francisco
A typical home in San Francisco can reach about 53% self-sufficiency with a right-sized solar, storage, rainwater and low-carbon heating setup — most of it backed by federal tax credits. The figure sharpens once you enter your own home.
- ≈176 days a year off the grid — keep the fridge, lights, router and heating pump running straight from your own roof and battery, right through a winter outage.
- Rainwater self-reliance — ≈49,640 L harvested from a 100 m² roof covers the garden and toilet flushing, so hosepipe bans stop mattering.
- A real harvest — ≈320 kg of fresh vegetables over a ≈365-day frost-free season takes a genuine bite out of the weekly shop.
- A warm, low-bill winter — insulation plus a right-sized heat pump turns the local climate into low-carbon comfort and shields you from gas-price spikes.
From the most to the least profitable, here
What you could gain
-
Low-carbon heating80/100
~$936/yr
less heating after insulation + heat pump (−5,670 kWh/yr on 90 m², electric heating)
The detail
Realistic outlook
1,810 heating-degree-days: a high-efficiency heat pump is the lowest-carbon way to keep San Francisco warm.
Watch-outs
A heat pump only pays off in a well-insulated envelope — insulate first, then size the unit.
Incentives & tips
Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (§25C): up to $2,000/yr for heat pumps plus credits for insulation; HEEHRA state rebates may stack.
Heating-degree-days (base 18°C) : ≈ 1,810 HDD — Source: PVGIS, hourly ERA5 temperatures 2005–2015 (base 18°C).
-
Food growing70/100
~$896/yr
off the weekly shop — up to ≈320 kg/yr of fresh vegetables from 100 m²
The detail
Realistic outlook
With about 365 frost-free days, a household garden in San Francisco supports up to three planting rotations a year.
Watch-outs
A productive garden needs space, decent soil and a few hours a week — start small and scale up.
Incentives & tips
USDA People's Garden and many municipal community-garden and composting programs support home food production.
Frost-free growing season : ≈ 365 days — Source: PVGIS, hourly ERA5 temperatures 2005–2015 (frost dates).
-
Solar energy41/100
~$653/yr
less electricity with 3 kWp on your roof (≈5,025 kWh/yr)
The detail
Realistic outlook
At 1,675 kWh/kWp per year, San Francisco offers moderate potential for residential rooftop solar.
Watch-outs
Roof orientation, shading and local interconnection rules affect real output — get a site assessment first.
Incentives & tips
Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (IRA §25D): 30% tax credit on solar PV and battery storage through 2032.
Annual PV yield : 1,675 kWh/kWp — Source: PVGIS 5.2 (EU Joint Research Centre), optimal tilt and local horizon.
-
Rainwater41/100
~$199/yr
less mains water with a 5,000 L tank (≈49,640 L/yr harvestable from a 100 m² roof)
The detail
Realistic outlook
584 mm of rain a year makes rooftop rainwater harvesting worthwhile in San Francisco.
Watch-outs
Harvested rain is non-potable by default — keep it separate from drinking water and add a first-flush diverter.
Incentives & tips
Rainwater incentives vary by state — e.g. Texas sales-tax exemption on harvesting equipment, local rebates in Arizona. Check state and city programs.
Average annual rainfall : 584 mm — Source: NASA POWER, MERRA-2 corrected precipitation.
$2,684
Ranked by annual value. The order of the works themselves does not change: insulate before you equip.
Estimate for San Francisco, based on the area's climate and geographic data. Run the full simulation to get your home's real autonomy score — a personalized result and a detailed plan, in 3 minutes.
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Estimate your solar system in San Francisco
Estimate your solar system in San Francisco
Based on a local yield of 1,675 kWh/kWp per year.
Indicative estimate (production = kWp × local yield). Real output depends on roof orientation, shading and your self-consumption rate.
Climate month by month in San Francisco
In San Francisco, a 3 kWp array pitched at 34° and facing 10° west of south — the optimum PVGIS computes for this location — produces about 5,025 kWh a year. May is the strongest month, at about 501 kWh, and December the weakest, at 270 kWh. November to February still bring 25% of the year's output, so the system stays useful all winter and a battery pays its way year-round.
The heating season runs from November to June: 8 months average below 59 °F (15 °C), and January is the coldest at 49 °F (9.7 °C). In a typical year the coldest hours drop to about 41 °F (5 °C), the point a heat pump has to be sized for: mild conditions, the easiest case for any heat pump.
Frost is practically absent from a typical year in San Francisco, so the garden can produce in every season; the limits are summer heat and water, not cold. Days above 86 °F (30 °C) are rare, so summer care is mostly steady watering.
With a mean wind of 8 mph (3.7 m/s) at 10 m, a small rooftop turbine would produce little in San Francisco; the roof is better used for solar. The southern horizon is open (at most 3.8°) in PVGIS's elevation model, so low winter sun reaches roofs unless nearby buildings block it.
Compared with San Jose, 42 miles away, San Francisco has 1% more solar yield, as many frost-free days and a heating need 27% higher. Compared with Los Angeles, 347 miles away, San Francisco has 2% less solar yield, 1 more frost-free day and a heating need 108% higher.
| Month | Mean temperature | Solar output, 3 kWp |
|---|---|---|
| January | 49 °F (9.7 °C) | 315 kWh |
| February | 51 °F (10.5 °C) | 321 kWh |
| March | 52 °F (11.3 °C) | 426 kWh |
| April | 53 °F (11.9 °C) | 489 kWh |
| May | 56 °F (13.3 °C) | 501 kWh |
| June | 59 °F (14.9 °C) | 501 kWh |
| July | 60 °F (15.6 °C) | 501 kWh |
| August | 61 °F (15.9 °C) | 501 kWh |
| September | 61 °F (16.1 °C) | 447 kWh |
| October | 59 °F (15.1 °C) | 420 kWh |
| November | 54 °F (12.4 °C) | 333 kWh |
| December | 50 °F (10.0 °C) | 270 kWh |
Frequently asked questions — San Francisco
How much could solar panels generate in San Francisco?
A well-oriented 3 kWp rooftop array in San Francisco produces about 5,025 kWh a year, worth roughly $653 in self-consumption. A 6 kWp system reaches about 10,050 kWh/yr where the roof allows. Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (IRA §25D): 30% tax credit on solar PV and battery storage through 2032.
Is rainwater harvesting worth it in San Francisco?
Yes. A 60 m² roof in San Francisco can capture about 29,784 litres a year for the garden, WC and washing machine. Keep harvested rain separate from drinking water and fit a first-flush diverter. Rainwater incentives vary by state — e.g. Texas sales-tax exemption on harvesting equipment, local rebates in Arizona. Check state and city programs.
What grants help with low-carbon heating in San Francisco?
Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (§25C): up to $2,000/yr for heat pumps plus credits for insulation; HEEHRA state rebates may stack. Insulate first — a heat pump only pays off in a well-insulated home (1,810 heating-degree-days here), so prioritise the roof and walls before sizing the unit.
How much food can a garden grow in San Francisco?
With about 365 frost-free days, a 100 m² garden in San Francisco yields roughly 320 kg of fresh fruit and vegetables a year — a partial share of a household's needs, not full calorie autonomy. USDA People's Garden and many municipal community-garden and composting programs support home food production.
When is the last frost in San Francisco?
Frost is practically absent from a typical year in San Francisco, so the garden can produce in every season; the limits are summer heat and water, not cold.
How much does solar produce in winter in San Francisco?
December is the weakest month: a 3 kWp array makes about 270 kWh, against 501 kWh in May. November to February add up to 25% of the yearly total.
How this score is calculated
Public climate data (PVGIS with NREL's NSRDB radiation) weighted by how vital each dimension is. The score sharpens once you enter your own home. See the full methodology.
Sources
- Solar energy — Source: PVGIS 5.2 (EU Joint Research Centre), optimal tilt and local horizon.
- Rainwater — Source: NASA POWER, MERRA-2 corrected precipitation.
- Food growing — Source: PVGIS, hourly ERA5 temperatures 2005–2015 (frost dates).
- Low-carbon heating — Source: PVGIS, hourly ERA5 temperatures 2005–2015 (base 18°C).
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