Independent information and referral site. Not a utility, contractor or government agency. Figures link to their sources. How we make money
California solar decisions
Solar Installers and Companies in San Mateo: 2025 Counts and Licenses
Utility records show 274 home solar systems connected in San Mateo in 2025. Sunrun was the installer of record on 41 of them, followed by Bright Ops (35) and Tesla Energy Operations Inc (31). The table lists each company's CSLB license number. It is a count from public records, not a ranking or endorsement: check each license and get at least three quotes.
California Rate Relief is a private solar referral service.
Key facts
- Permit route
- SolarAPP+, then Online Permit Center
- Contractor needs a San Mateo business license
- City of San Mateochecked Sep 23, 2026
- Supplies the generation
- WestLight Energy
- Formerly Peninsula Clean Energy
- WestLight Energychecked Sep 23, 2026
- Delivers the power
- PG&E
- Wires, meter and the monthly statement
- California Energy Commissionchecked Sep 23, 2026
- 2024 solar permits
- 333
- 47% with storage, 31% issued online
- California Energy Commission (SB 379 reports)checked Sep 23, 2026
Installers who connected the most home solar systems in San Mateo in 2025
| Installer (name as reported) | Systems in 2025 | Jan 2024 to May 2026 | CSLB license |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrun | 41 | 111 | 750184 check |
| Bright Ops | 35 | 52 | 1020761 check |
| Tesla Energy Operations Inc | 31 | 72 | 888104 check |
| Rockin Roofers | 15 | 31 | 991938 check |
| Solar Optimum Design & Electrical | 10 | 19 | 972228 check |
| Semper Solaris | 7 | 17 | 978152 check |
| Your Energy Solutions | 5 | 14 | 928652 check |
| Bright Energy Group LLC | 5 | 6 | 1080822 check |
Counts from utility records, not a ranking or endorsement. Check each license's status and complaint history on the CSLB's Check a License page (checked Sept. 24, 2026).
Source: California Distributed Generation Statistics (CPUC), Interconnected Project Sites data set, data through May 31, 2026 (checked Sept. 24, 2026).
Home solar in San Mateo by the numbers
PG&E approved 274 home solar systems in San Mateo in 2025, from 74 installers; the top three were named on 39% of them. The busiest year since 2021 was 2022, with 521 (2025: -47%). Another 160 were approved from January through May 2026.
2025 mix: 28% leased or on a power purchase agreement, 72% owned by the household; 57% with a battery; median size 5.9 kW DC. San Mateo County: 28% leased or PPA, 55% with a battery, median 6.8 kW.
| Year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems connected | 282 | 521 | 520 | 230 | 274 |
Hiring a solar company in San Mateo
Solar companies that install in San Mateo file residential rooftop jobs through SolarAPP+, and the City adds two local gates first: the contractor needs an active San Mateo business license and must ask to be put on the City's SolarAPP+ eligibility list. PG&E delivers your power and WestLight Energy, formerly Peninsula Clean Energy, supplies it. Compare at least three written proposals from companies that clear those gates.
Start with your San Mateo electricity bill
A San Mateo installer will be designing around two companies: PG&E, which delivers the power and sends the statement, and WestLight Energy, the county's community choice provider, which renamed itself from Peninsula Clean Energy and supplies generation for most homes. Ask each bidder to build its design on your own account, with WestLight's generation side and PG&E's delivery side shown separately.
What the City asks of a San Mateo installer
San Mateo's SolarAPP+ page is written for installers, and it sets the order. The contractor registers with SolarAPP+ and submits the design; SolarAPP+ checks it for code compliance and returns approved plans, and SolarAPP+ charges its own processing fee. Before using that approval in San Mateo, the contractor must have an active City business license and must email the City to be added to its SolarAPP+ eligibility list. It then completes the SolarAPP+ approved inspection checklist, applies for the permit in the City's Online Permit Center, pays the City's permit fee and schedules the inspection.
Those two local gates are a quick way to tell a company that works in San Mateo from one that is only selling here. Ask each bidder for its San Mateo business license number and whether it is already on the City's SolarAPP+ list. A company that has to set both up for your job may still be a fine choice, but its timeline will be longer.
Why the WestLight Energy name matters on a proposal
Peninsula Clean Energy now operates as WestLight Energy and says its service and rates have not changed; it serves San Mateo County and Los Banos. Your PG&E statement carries WestLight's generation charges alongside PG&E's delivery charges, and WestLight's solar customers see their accrued charges on that same monthly bill.
A proposal that still names Peninsula Clean Energy is not wrong, just dated. One that models only PG&E generation is modeling a company that does not supply most San Mateo homes, so ask the bidder to rebuild it on your actual enrollment. For what you pay each month now and how solar changes it, see the San Mateo bills and rates page linked above.
What a San Mateo quote needs to explain
| Check | Ask each bidder |
|---|---|
| City eligibility | Confirm the company holds an active San Mateo business license and is on the City's SolarAPP+ eligibility list. |
| Permit steps | Name who submits to SolarAPP+, completes the inspection checklist, applies in the Online Permit Center and meets the inspector. |
| Account modeling | Show WestLight Energy generation and PG&E delivery separately, using your enrollment. |
| Contract and service | Name the contracting business, its CSLB license, the installation crew and who handles service calls. |
Related San Mateo project questions
Use these guides to prepare the specific questions a written bid needs to answer.
A comparison to ask for
Two San Mateo bidders can describe the same roof very differently. Ask both for the same deliverables: the module and inverter models, a roof layout with every obstruction marked, the monthly production estimate, the battery's usable kWh and backed-up circuits, and the name of the business that will hold the San Mateo business license and the permit. Compare those line by line before you look at anything else.
Verify the company behind the San Mateo quote
Match the business name and license number on each San Mateo proposal to the CSLB record, then use our contractor verification steps, the quote comparison guide and the PPA, loan, lease and cash comparison. What you pay the utility today is on the San Mateo rates and bills page.
Permit fees and the filing route are on the San Mateo solar cost and permit page.
San Mateo solar quote questions
Which solar companies can pull a permit in San Mateo?
A company using the City's SolarAPP+ route needs an active San Mateo business license and must ask to be added to the City's SolarAPP+ eligibility list. It must also hold a California contractor license that covers solar, which you can check at the CSLB. This page does not rank or recommend installers.
Is Peninsula Clean Energy still the provider in San Mateo?
Peninsula Clean Energy is now called WestLight Energy. It says its service and rates stayed the same, and it serves San Mateo County and Los Banos.
How do I compare solar installers in San Mateo?
Get at least three written proposals for the same roof and the same account, then compare the equipment, the production estimate, the battery scope, the permit responsibilities and the service terms. The checklist on this page lists what each proposal should state.
How many solar permits does San Mateo issue?
The City reported 333 residential solar permits to the California Energy Commission for 2024, up from 73 in 2023. Of the 2024 permits, 158 included battery storage and 104, about 31%, were issued online; the rest went through the City's regular review. Ask each bidder which route your design will take.
Who handles solar permits outside the city limits?
Homes in unincorporated San Mateo County are permitted by the County of San Mateo, which issues residential solar and battery permits automatically through Symbium. The county-wide page linked below lists the permit office for each city.
Before you sign anything in San Mateo
Two of the contract terms that most often change what a quote really costs.
Ask for a competing quote
Start with the utility on your bill and what you pay in a typical month. Contact details come after that. Submitting does not guarantee that a provider will quote your project.
California Rate Relief is a referral service. We are not a licensed contractor. California Rate Relief is compensated by a solar provider when a homeowner we refer signs an agreement. How we make money
Before you send anything
- What this is
- California Rate Relief is a private referral service. It is not a contractor, does not install or finance anything, and is not a utility, a government agency or an assistance program.
- What happens after the form
- Your project details are recorded for referral to a solar provider. The provider decides whether it can help and what it can offer; availability, design and price are determined after its own review.
- How you are contacted
- Read the consent wording before submitting. Your inquiry includes contact details for follow-up about the project; a provider decides whether it can serve it.
- Using the site without submitting
- The calculators, bill comparisons and checklists on this site work without contact details, and nothing on this page requires a submission.