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California solar decisions
Solar Companies in Stockton, CA: Who Installed the Most Systems in 2025
Utility records show 2,432 home solar systems connected in Stockton in 2025. Sunrun was the installer of record on 901 of them, followed by Sonray Construction (220) and Bright Ops (212). 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+, auto-issued
- Licensed contractors; main-dwelling rooftop systems
- City of Stocktonchecked Sep 23, 2026
- Supplies the generation
- Ava Community Energy
- Default since April 2025; PG&E delivers and bills
- City of Stocktonchecked Sep 23, 2026
- Ava export bonus
- +$0.025/kWh, 3 to 8 p.m.
- Solar Billing Plan customers not on CARE or FERA
- Ava Community Energychecked Sep 23, 2026
Installers who connected the most home solar systems in Stockton in 2025
| Installer (name as reported) | Systems in 2025 | Jan 2024 to May 2026 | CSLB license |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrun | 901 | 2,002 | 750184 check |
| Sonray Construction | 220 | 448 | 922628 check |
| Bright Ops | 212 | 379 | 1020761 check |
| Tesla Energy Operations Inc | 83 | 156 | 888104 check |
| V3 Electric Inc | 68 | 174 | 1000573 check |
| Grid Alternatives | 64 | 161 | 867533 check |
| G A F Energy LLC | 64 | 143 | 1062345 check |
| Senga Energy LLC | 50 | 145 | 1033247 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 Stockton by the numbers
PG&E approved 2,432 home solar systems in Stockton in 2025, from 137 installers; the top three were named on 55% of them. The busiest year since 2021 was 2022, with 3,756 (2025: -35%). Another 713 were approved from January through May 2026.
2025 mix: 64% leased or on a power purchase agreement, 36% owned by the household; 52% with a battery; median size 6.05 kW DC. San Joaquin County: 52% leased or PPA, 40% with a battery, median 5.64 kW.
| Year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems connected | 2,355 | 3,756 | 3,474 | 2,402 | 2,432 |
Hiring a solar company in Stockton
Solar companies in Stockton get an auto-issued permit for most home rooftop systems through SolarAPP+, which the City calls its Residential Solar One Stop, then file the over-the-counter photovoltaic permit in its Accela portal. Since April 2025 Ava Community Energy has supplied Stockton's generation by default, with PG&E delivering it. Compare at least three written bids built on your current Ava and PG&E bill.
Stockton's Residential Solar One Stop
Stockton's Building and Life Safety division, at 501 W. Weber Avenue, runs automated solar permits in three steps. First, eligibility: the panels go on the rooftop of the main dwelling, the structure is permitted and residential, the system is not ballasted or building-integrated, and the applicant is a licensed contractor. Second, the contractor submits the design to SolarAPP+ with its license information and pays SolarAPP+'s processing fee. Third, it logs into the City of Stockton Accela Citizen Portal, selects Over-the-Counter Permits and then OTC - Photovoltaic, enters the SolarAPP+ approval number and uploads the approval document.
The permit is then issued automatically. Because the process relies on the contractor's license and SolarAPP+ registration, it also tells you something about who you are hiring: a contractor that cannot use it on a standard roof should explain why.
What a Stockton quote needs to explain
| Check | Ask each bidder |
|---|---|
| Generation provider | Check whether your bill shows Ava or PG&E generation and model that provider's solar rules. |
| SolarAPP+ eligibility | Confirm panels go on the main dwelling's permitted roof and are not ballasted or building-integrated. |
| City permit filing | Say who files the OTC photovoltaic permit in the City's Accela Citizen Portal and books the inspection. |
| Contract and service | Name the contracting business, its CSLB license and who handles service calls after installation. |
Related Stockton project questions
Use these guides to prepare the specific questions a written bid needs to answer.
A comparison to ask for
If your Stockton bill changed in 2025, compare bids against your new statement, not an older one. A home that moved to Ava has Ava generation charges and PG&E delivery charges, and a system installed now follows Ava's Solar Billing Plan rules, including the E-ELEC rate Ava requires, so a PG&E-only model is out of date.
Verify the company behind the Stockton quote
Match the business name and license number on each Stockton 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 Stockton rates and bills page.
Permit fees and the filing route are on the Stockton solar cost and permit page.
Stockton solar quote questions
Is Stockton served by Ava Community Energy?
Yes. Ava became Stockton's default generation provider in April 2025; PG&E still delivers the power and sends the bill. Customers who opted out stay with PG&E for generation.
How do I get a solar permit in Stockton?
A licensed contractor submits the design to SolarAPP+, then applies in the City of Stockton Accela Citizen Portal under over-the-counter permits, OTC - Photovoltaic, entering the SolarAPP+ approval number, and the permit is auto-issued.
Which solar projects qualify for Stockton's automated permit?
Rooftop systems on the main dwelling of a permitted residential structure that meet SolarAPP+'s eligibility checklist. Ballasted and building-integrated systems do not qualify, and only licensed contractors can apply.
What is the best solar company in Stockton?
This site does not rank them, and no public source does in a way that fits one roof. Narrow the field to companies with a CSLB license covering solar that know the City's automated permit and model Ava's generation credits alongside PG&E's delivery charges, then compare at least three written bids for the same system.
Which Stockton solar companies offer leases?
Ask each bidder whether it offers a lease or power purchase agreement as well as cash and loan prices, all priced on the same system. The CSLB describes a lease as fixed monthly payments for a set term, typically 20 years, often with an escalator clause, and warns that selling the home during the term can be harder. Under a lease or PPA the company, not you, gets the tax benefits.
How many solar permits does Stockton issue?
The City reported 4,362 residential solar permits to the California Energy Commission for 2024, up from 3,224 in 2023. In 2024, 2,047 included battery storage and 2,278, about 52%, were issued online.
Before you sign anything in Stockton
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
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