(877) 565-3409

Home Solar in California

Thinking about solar for your California home? One free call gets you to an independent local provider who can look at your roof and bills and tell you whether it makes sense.

Call to see if your home qualifies(877) 565-3409

Home Solar Line connects you with an independent solar provider. We don't sell or install anything ourselves. Calls may be recorded.

  • Free call
  • No forms to fill out
  • Independent local providers
  • No obligation

Who this is for

Check all five before you call:

  • You own the home (not renting)
  • It's a single-family house or townhouse
  • The roof gets full sun or only light shade
  • Your power bill is over $100 a month
  • The home doesn't already have solar panels

Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.

What happens when you call

  1. Answer a few quick questionsDo you own the home, how much is your power bill, how sunny is the roof.
  2. Get connectedIf your home fits, you're put through to an independent solar provider who serves your area.
  3. Talk it through, then decideThey look at your roof and usage and explain options. No obligation to buy.

Solar in California

In California the question is less "does solar work here" and more "how should a system be sized and paired with storage under current utility rules."

Most of the state gets long, dry, sunny stretches, though coastal fog and inland heat change how much a given roof produces.

Homes in California are served by utilities including PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and municipal utilities such as LADWP and SMUD. Each sets its own rates and connection rules, so tell the provider which one you use.

Many California communities buy their power through a community choice aggregator (CCA). The big utility still delivers the power and handles the solar interconnection, but the CCA can have its own credit for exported power.

Own a home in California? Call to see if it qualifies.

Call (877) 565-3409

What to know before going solar in California

  • Your utility sets the rules

    PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and municipal utilities such as LADWP and SMUD each set their own rates and rules for homes with solar, overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

  • How extra power is credited

    Rooftop customers of the big investor-owned utilities moved to a net billing tariff in 2023, which credits power sent back to the grid at lower rates than the old net metering did. That is a big reason many California quotes now include a battery, and why sizing the system to your own usage matters. How net metering works.

  • HOAs and local rules

    California's Solar Rights Act limits how far homeowners associations and local rules can restrict rooftop solar. An HOA can set reasonable conditions, but generally can't ban panels outright. Townhouses and HOAs.

  • Checking a provider

    California contractors, including solar contractors, hold a license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), and you can look up any license number on the CSLB website.

  • Roofs and housing

    Clay and concrete tile roofs are common in much of California. Mounting on tile takes different hardware and more care than on asphalt shingle, so ask how the installer handles tile.

  • Weather to plan for

    In California, the site issues that come up most are heat and fire-season power shutoffs. Installing solar in California.

How home solar works, in short

  • Panels on your roof make power from daylight, and an inverter turns it into the power your home uses.
  • Your home uses solar power first. Extra goes to the grid or a battery, credited under your utility's rules.
  • At night and on cloudy days you draw from the grid as usual, so you still get a (usually smaller) power bill.
  • Cost depends on the roof, shade, usage, equipment and whether you buy, finance or lease.

How installation works · What affects cost · Comparing quotes

Ready to find out if your home is a fit?

One free call. Tell a provider about your roof and your bills, and decide from there.

Who this is for

Check all five before you call:

  • You own the home (not renting)
  • It's a single-family house or townhouse
  • The roof gets full sun or only light shade
  • Your power bill is over $100 a month
  • The home doesn't already have solar panels

Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.

Call to see if your home qualifies(877) 565-3409

Solar guides for California

Areas we take calls from in California

Show 601 cities and towns

Questions

How is extra solar power credited in California?

Rooftop customers of the big investor-owned utilities moved to a net billing tariff in 2023, which credits power sent back to the grid at lower rates than the old net metering did. That is a big reason many California quotes now include a battery, and why sizing the system to your own usage matters.

Can an HOA stop me from adding solar in California?

California's Solar Rights Act limits how far homeowners associations and local rules can restrict rooftop solar. An HOA can set reasonable conditions, but generally can't ban panels outright. The details and exceptions matter, so read your covenants too.

Which utilities serve homes in California?

PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and municipal utilities such as LADWP and SMUD. PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and municipal utilities such as LADWP and SMUD each set their own rates and rules for homes with solar, overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

How do I check a solar provider in California?

California contractors, including solar contractors, hold a license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), and you can look up any license number on the CSLB website. Also ask for proof of insurance before signing anything.

Are you a solar company?

No. Home Solar Line is a free phone line that connects homeowners with independent solar providers. We don't sell, design or install systems, and we don't set prices.

Does the call cost anything?

No. The call is free, and there's no obligation to buy anything from the provider you talk to.

Who qualifies?

Homeowners in a single-family house or townhouse with a roof that gets full or mostly full sun, a power bill over $100 a month, and no solar panels already. If that's not you, the provider won't be able to help.

Other states

Call now: (877) 565-3409