California Energy Savings Blog

At the 2025 California average for home systems of 10 kW or more ($4.26/W), 10 kW is about $42,600 before incentives. By utility, installer and size.

How to work out solar payback in California in 2026: price per watt, self-use versus export credits, fixed charges, the ended tax credit and batteries.

PG&E’s solar calculator sits in its Clean Energy Calculator and uses 12 months of your usage. What it estimates, what it can’t, and how to check a quote.

A replacement solar inverter’s cost depends on type, warranty, labor, permits and whether you add a battery. What to check first and how to read a quote.

Solar supplied 21.3% of California’s 2024 power mix and 23.4% of in-state generation, before counting rooftop systems. What the CEC numbers mean.

The real advantages and drawbacks of home solar in California in 2026: net billing, no federal credit, battery costs, property tax, contracts and roofs.

California law excludes a qualifying active solar energy system from new-construction reassessment. What that covers, what it does not, and when it ends.

California excludes an active solar system from new-construction reassessment until the home sells. Here is what the statute and the sale research actually say.

Everything California homeowners need to know about switching to solar in 2026 — the NEM 3.0 rules, financing options, what it costs, the 5-step process.

Sizing solar for an electric vehicle in California — how much extra capacity you need, what it adds to your system cost, and why EV + solar pays back faster than solar alone.

Solar panels don't produce electricity at night. But a battery or the grid keeps your home running. Here is how it works in California.

Yes — solar panels work on cloudy days at 10-80% of peak output depending on cloud density. Here is what that means for California homes.

Yes — a correctly sized solar + battery system runs a typical California home through the full day, evening, and most outages. Here is what it takes.

There is no single best month. The right time is when the roof, the electricity use, the bids, the permit and the utility application are all ready.

Solar pool heating is not photovoltaic solar. What it does to the swim season, what it cannot do, and how to compare it against a gas heater.

Adding solar capacity to an existing California system is a design, compatibility and approval decision. Start with the records and serving utility process.

Map a California solar project from quote to permission to operate: each approval, inspection and handoff, and who owns it. No statewide week count fits all.

California's four ways to pay for solar compared, cash, loan, lease, PPA, with the actual math for a typical $250/mo household.

A solar leasing company owns the panels and bills you monthly for 20 to 25 years. How few Californians lease now, why tax law changed it, what to check.

A PPA company owns the system and sells you its power per kWh for 20 to 25 years. PPAs were 42% of new California home solar in 2025. What to compare.

A prepaid solar lease swaps monthly payments for one upfront payment. The provider still owns the panels. Costs, sale, buyout and end-of-term checks.

Renters can’t sign a rooftop solar deal, but they can use CPUC 20% bill-discount programs, utility community solar, SOMAH and CARE or FERA. What fits whom.

Prepaid PPAs are surging after the residential tax credit expired. Learn how they work, what they cost vs. buying or leasing, and whether this option fits your situation.

Renting solar panels in California, how solar leases and PPAs actually work, typical monthly costs, who qualifies, and when renting beats owning.

How a California solar PPA works: the $/kWh rate, escalator, term, and what CPUC’s consumer guide requires providers to disclose before you sign.

What Sunrun, Tesla and other providers say about default, UCC-1 filings and repossession — plus your transfer and buyout options in California.

Selling a home with a solar lease or PPA? See how transfer, buyout and end-of-term options work before you list.

No state solar tax credit, and the 30% federal credit ended for systems installed after 2025. What California still offers: SGIP, DAC-SASH, CARE and more.

LADWP lists no rebate on solar you buy. What it offers: Solar Rooftops ($360 to $900 a year), Shared Solar for apartments, SGIP and a feed-in tariff.

PG&E does not pay for rooftop panels. Its solar programs: Solar Billing Plan, Green Saver (full), Solar Choice (on hold), DAC-SASH, SOMAH and SGIP.

SMUD has no solar panel rebate. It pays 9.6¢/kWh for exports, cut its battery incentive to $300/kWh on Sept. 23, 2026, and runs SolarShares.

California’s solar discount programs cut an income-qualified bill 20% with no panels on your roof. Who runs yours: PG&E, SCE, your CCA or your city.

The IRA set a 30% home solar credit through 2032, but federal law ended it for installs completed after 2025. What California homeowners can still use.

Separate utility-bill discounts from solar applications. Check current DAC-SASH eligibility, property requirements and funding with the administrator.

Age alone does not establish eligibility. Check DAC-SASH, bill-discount programs and the terms of private solar offers; the older SASH program is closed.

What the program covers, who administers it, and where a heat pump rebate sits alongside an electrification plan.

Solar and battery incentives by utility: PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, SMUD, LADWP and Roseville. What each pays in 2026, what is closed, and what ended.

The CPUC says solar is “rarely free.” The 4 things a free-solar ad can mean, the no-cost state program for income-qualified homeowners, and SOMAH.

A solar broker can refer you to licensed installers and book appointments, but California rules bar quoting or selling the contract. Questions to ask one.

The CSLB license you need to install solar in California, the registration you need to sell it, and the experience, exam, bond and fees for each.

Free, official solar resources for California homeowners: sunlight and production data, license checks, net billing rules, incentives and market data.

How to get legitimate California solar quotes without sales spam. What a real solar quote should include and what red flags to watch for.

How to size a California solar system by monthly bill, kWh usage, and future loads (EV, AC, pool). Why NEM 3.0 changes optimal sizing.

The federal residential credit no longer applies to expenditures made after 31 December 2025, and the statute dates the expenditure to completion of installation. What that changes about the comparison, and what it leaves alone.

Who can install a Tesla Powerwall in California, how Tesla's certified installer program works, and what drives the installed price.

California gives at least three business days to cancel a home-solicited solar contract, five if you are 65 or older. What the statutes say and how to do it.

California's Solar Rights Act prevents HOAs from unreasonably blocking rooftop solar. Here's what the law says and how to handle pushback.

AB 942 is not law. What its 2025 version proposed for solar on a home sale, and what decides a lease or PPA transfer when you sell.

When an accessory dwelling unit triggers the Energy Code solar requirement, when it does not, and how the unit ends up metered.

Where the complaints actually come from — the sales call, the contract and the fees — and how to tell those apart from the equipment.

Peak hours are 4–9 p.m. on the main PG&E, SCE and SDG&E plans. SMUD peaks 5–8 p.m. weekdays; LADWP 1–5 p.m. See off-peak hours and the cheapest times.

California rates follow your utility, CCA and plan, not your ZIP. Find who serves your address and compare 2026 prices for PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, SMUD, LADWP.

PG&E’s EV2-A off-peak rate is 22.558¢/kWh from midnight to 3 p.m. Compare EV2-A, the separately metered EV-B and E-ELEC, with 2024–2026 price history.

Every PG&E residential rate schedule with its March 1, 2026 prices: E-1, E-TOU-C, E-TOU-D, E-ELEC, EV2-A, EV-B and multifamily plans, plus tariff PDFs.

New SDG&E solar goes on the Solar Billing Plan and EV-TOU-5 rate. See 2026 import prices, what exports earn by hour, and what stays on the monthly bill.

SMUD peak hours are 5–8 p.m. on weekdays. Summer adds mid-peak noon–midnight from June 1 to Sept. 30. See 2026 prices, holidays and when summer ends.

LADWP electric rates for 2026: R-1A tier prices by season, R-1B peak hours, the Power Access Charge and how much rates rose from 2025.

California homes averaged about 16.5 kWh a day in 2024, per EIA. See baseline allowances by utility and the cheapest hours to use power.

PG&E's tiered E-1 plan charges 32.561¢ per kWh in Tier 1 and 40.702¢ in Tier 2 from March 1, 2026. See baseline allowances, history and a sample bill.

EIA: California's residential price was 34.74¢/kWh in June 2026, second only to Hawaii and nearly double the U.S. 18.34¢. State rankings and why.

Every SCE residential rate schedule in one place: Schedule D, TOU-D 4-9PM, 5-8PM and PRIME, CARE, FERA and solar, with June 2026 prices and who qualifies.

PG&E rates fell twice in 2026, to 33.7¢ per kWh, after big increases in 2023 and January 2024. See each change by date, why, and what 2027 may bring.

California utilities pay 0¢ to over $1 per kWh for solar exports, depending on the tariff, hour and month. See 2026 values for PG&E, SCE, SMUD and LADWP.

ChargePoint prices are set by each station owner, plus a ChargePoint fee of $0.25–$0.99 a session. See California display rules and home-charging costs.

LADWP takes 2.5¢ per kWh off EV charging in the Base period if the charger has its own TOU meter. See 2026 prices, the $10 minimum and rebates.

Compare 4–9 PM, 5–8 PM and PRIME, then check the full bill and generation provider before choosing a plan.

Compare E-TOU-C and E-TOU-D peak hours, baseline credits and usage patterns before choosing a rate plan.

Check the effective date and rate plan on your SCE bill. Separate changes in electricity use from changes in price.

Compare June 2026 residential average rates, sample bills, time-of-use plans and the steps to check your own electricity costs.

What a demand charge bills you for rather than how much you used, which California customers pay one, and why a battery acts on it differently from solar.

What the commission decides, which utilities it regulates, and where to read the decisions that move a residential rate.

SDG&E rates rose about 11.4% on January 1, 2026, then fell 2.0% in June. See every change since 2024, TOU-DR1 prices and why San Diego pays the most.

PG&E split some costs into a Base Services Charge in March 2026, around $24 a month for most customers. Check your own rate plan and usage, not an average.

SDG&E peak is 4-9 p.m. every day, weekends included. Off-peak windows plus summer and winter cents per kWh for TOU-DR1, TOU-DR2, TOU-DR-P, EV-TOU-5 and DR.

The CEC sets building energy standards, mandates solar on new homes, and shapes battery rules. How it affects homeowners in 2026.

California rates are among the highest in the country. Here is why PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, and LADWP bills keep climbing, and how to lower yours.

No official average exists, so we priced apartment usage on SDG&E's August 2026 rates: about $225 to $331 a month for 470 to 663 kWh, before taxes.

A pool pump can be a home’s second-largest electric load. What each kilowatt costs a month on PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, SMUD and LADWP rates, and how to cut it.

Behind on PG&E? REACH pays up to $800 after a shutoff notice, LIHEAP up to $1,000 and AMP forgives up to $8,000. Who qualifies, and what to do first.

Starting electric service in California: no home deposit at PG&E, SCE or SDG&E, a $19 LADWP turn-on fee, SMUD deposit rules and first-bill charges.

Lower a PG&E bill by moving use out of 4–9 p.m., picking the right plan, staying near baseline and claiming CARE, FERA or Medical Baseline. 2026 prices.

A PG&E bill has five parts: account summary, service notes, electric, gas and a breakdown. What each line means, how to check the math, and solar bills.

Read an SDG&E bill line by line: the charges breakdown, usage by time period, the Base Services Charge, solar and NEM statements, and codes on a net meter.

California homes averaged $161 a month for electricity in 2024, per EIA, plus about $59 for natural gas. See the numbers by utility and why bills vary.

In 2024 California's power came 34% from natural gas, 21% from solar and 62% from clean sources, per the CEC. Imports, hydro, nuclear and daily use.

No official average exists, so we priced typical apartment usage on PG&E's 2026 rates: about $105 to $191 a month for 250–450 kWh, before taxes.

LADWP bills homes every two months and businesses monthly. See why the bill covers about 60 days, how tiers scale, and 2026 water prices per HCF.

PG&E's income-qualified discounts are CARE (35%+ off electricity) and FERA (18%). See 2026–27 income limits, the lower daily charge and how to apply.

Direct Access lets a business buy power from a competitive supplier, but it is capped and closed to homes. See the 2025 lottery results and how to enroll.

A SMUD bill jumps in summer because weekday prices from noon to midnight rise, 5–8 p.m. hits 37.65¢, and rates rose 3% in 2026. Check each cause.

3rd party electric on a PG&E bill is your community choice provider's generation charge. PG&E still delivers and bills. See the PCIA and a real comparison.

An SCE settlement bill is the yearly statement for NEM solar customers: the year's net energy charges come due, and extra credit pays about 1.8¢/kWh.

PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E are all adding a new monthly fixed charge to your bill. Here's what it is, when it starts, and whether solar still saves you money.

An SCE bill runs high for five reasons: more days, more kWh, summer 4–9 p.m. prices, the Base Services Charge or a missing credit. Check each in order.

The four things that actually change a California electric bill: rate plan, baseline, fixed charges, and usage — plus CARE, FERA, and the Climate Credit.

Compare billing days, daily kWh, rate plan, delivery and the generation line on your SDG&E bill before deciding whether a project belongs in the conversation.

Check kWh per day, billing days, TOU peak use and PG&E’s Base Services Charge (about $24 a month for most customers, per PG&E). 7 causes, in order.

See what makes an LADWP bill jump: water and sanitation charges, an old balance, daily usage and your rate plan.

NEM 2.0 and NEM 3.0 are not the same. California's 2023 tariff change moved export credits to hourly avoided-cost values. Here is the side-by-side comparison.

NEM 3.0 does not apply to LADWP. How LADWP net metering credits your solar, what happens to leftover credit, who qualifies, leases, and interconnection.

PG&E’s Solar Billing Plan is its name for NEM 3.0. Who is on it, the E-ELEC rate, how hourly export credits are priced, the bonus, and how the True-Up works.

How SCE’s Solar Billing Plan (NEM 3.0) works: TOU-D-PRIME prices, export credit rates by year and hour, the bonus, how to read the bill and the True-Up.

SDG&E NEM 2.0 vs the Solar Billing Plan (NEM 3.0): who is on each, the EV-TOU-5 rate, how export credits work, why there is no bonus, and the true-up.

The duck curve is California’s midday dip in net demand as solar floods the grid, then the steep evening ramp. Curtailment, batteries and your bill.

California solar homes pay two rates: a required plan for grid power (E-ELEC, TOU-D-PRIME or EV-TOU-5) and hourly export credits. 2026 figures by utility.

SCE NEM 2.0 lasts 20 years from your PTO date on TOU-D-4-9PM. How it differs from SCE’s Solar Billing Plan (NEM 3.0), what ends it early, and export rates.

High NEM charges usually mean more usage, less solar output, or imports at pricier hours than your exports. How to read the year-to-date figure and fix it.

California’s appeals court upheld NEM 3.0 on remand in March 2026, after a 2025 Supreme Court ruling. The case timeline, and what could still change.

Under NEM 3.0, PG&E pays under 1¢/kWh for an April noon export but about $1.15 at 7 p.m. in August. 2026 export values by hour for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E.

NEM 2.0 expires 20 years after interconnection, so the first accounts end in the mid-2030s. What starts the clock, what ends it early and what comes next.

NEM on a PG&E bill means Net Energy Metering, the solar billing program. What NEM charges are, why you get two statements, and how the True-Up works.

California courts upheld the CPUC’s net billing (NEM 3.0) decision: the 2025 Supreme Court ruling, the 2026 appeal, and what it means for your solar credits.

Net metering and net billing sound similar but pay you very differently. Here's what California's NEM 3.0 Net Billing tariff changed.

NEM 3.0 (the Net Billing Tariff) replaced California net metering in April 2023. Here is what it actually is, how it works, and what it means.

Net metering explained in plain English: how export credits are calculated and the difference between NEM 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and net billing.

Community solar can work for renters or homes without a usable roof. It depends on the subscription charge, bill credit, fees and contract terms.

A solar battery runs key circuits in an outage and stores midday solar for evening use. California cost benchmarks, NEM 3.0 savings and 2026 rebates.

Does solar work during a PG&E PSPS outage? Why grid-tied solar shuts off, how batteries change that, and what you need to survive a blackout.

How to tell if your California roof is suitable for solar. orientation, age, shading, roof material, structural strength.

Solar panels on a flat or low-slope California roof: ballasted vs attached racks, tilt, weight, the membrane, permits and when to re-roof first.

Can you lease your roof for solar panels in California? Who pays homeowners for roof space, what LADWP pays, business roof deals and contract terms to check.

Is California covering its canals with solar panels? What Project Nexus built, the Delta-Mendota floating solar test, the research estimates and the limits.

LADWP rents your roof for a utility-owned solar system: $360 to $900 a year for up to 20 years. Eligibility, roof rules, selling your home and leaving early.

A roof leak after solar goes in: protect the house, document it, give the installer written notice, and escalate to CSLB if it won’t fix its work.

Clay or concrete tile mounts, what breaks tiles, setbacks and a future re-roof, and how solar roof tiles differ as a project. Get these in writing first.

Some California solar programs include a roof replacement at no added cost. Here's how roof-included PPAs and solar financing actually work, what qualifies, and where the catches are.

Grid-tied solar without a battery shuts off during an outage. for safety. Only solar + battery keeps your home powered. Here is how it works and what PSPS means.

What a carport project includes beyond the panels — the structure, the foundations, the trenching — and the scope questions a quote has to answer before two quotes can be compared.

What sets the cost of a solar repair in California: the part that failed, whether a warranty pays for labor, roof access and panel removal. Checklist inside.

What sets the cost to remove and reinstall solar panels for a new roof in California, who may do the work, how leases handle it, and a quote checklist.

Solar panels don't stop working at 25 years — they degrade gradually to ~80-87% of original output. Here is what California homeowners do when warranties expire.

When cleaning changes production and when it does not, what a pressure washer does to a panel warranty, and what to ask a cleaning service.

What a degradation rate means in practice, what the manufacturer warranties actually cover, and how long the inverter is expected to last beside them.

What maintenance a rooftop system actually needs, which parts of it a warranty covers, and where the recurring costs land over the life of the system.

Why pigeons nest under panels, what critter guards and mesh do about it, and what to check before paying for the work.

A plain-English explanation of solar inverters: the main types, how long they last, which brands are reliable, and warranty realities.

Head-to-head comparison of string inverter vs microinverter solar systems. Cost, performance under shade, warranty, rapid shutdown, and repairability.

A solar inspection is not required by California law but typically costs $150 to $350. What a visual check, electrical test, and performance review each cover.

Purchase, loan, PPA, PACE and SBA paperwork compared for the same commercial project, so ownership and payment terms are chosen on documents rather than on a monthly figure.