California Solar For Your Home

With a lot of sunshine and great state rebates, California is one of the best states in which you can go solar.

In California, home solar power makes sense. Utility electricity prices are high, sunshine is abundant, and state incentives abound. California homeowners already pay 16.5 cents for electricity — much higher than the national average — and this price will only continue to increase. Residential electricity rates in California increased about 6.7% on average per year from 1971 to 2001, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.  Homeowners across the state are beginning to realize that something needs to change and that, with SunRun, it can change.  "Our utility's rates just kept going up, and we knew that solar could solve the problem," said one solar homeowner, "Going solar is all about reducing energy costs, and SunRun offers the easiest, most affordable way to do it."

If you’re paying more than $100 per month for electricity, a California home solar system is an especially great way to save money. Because most California utilities charge for electricity by tiers, this means that the more power you use, the higher the rate you get charged per unit of power. It’s like getting bumped into a higher tax bracket when you earn more money. For example, if your utility is PG&E, you’ll pay around 11.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for your first chunk of power. For an additional amount of power, you’ll pay 13 cents per kWh, and 26 cents for the next chunk of power, etc.

But, when you go solar in California, you won’t need to pull as much energy from the grid. By using less electricity from the grid, you’ll stop using your most expensive power first and your overall average electricity rate will drop a great deal. This means that replacing around 50% of your electricity with home solar could eliminate about 70% of your entire electricity bill. If just 10% of Californians went solar, they would collectively save nearly $70 billion over 20 years and would create about 180,000 jobs.

California Solar With SunRun

For homeowners, SunRun is putting California home solar within reach.  Watch ABC-30's coverage of the Sierra Sky Park Community turned SunRun home solar community in Fresno, California. 

With SunRun, you can get started with your own California solar system for as low as $0. SunRun offers two flexible plans that allow you to take control of their electricity costs while meeting your CA solar needs: SunRun Power Plan and SunRun Total Solar. With the SunRun Power Plan, you can lock in a fixed, low rate for home solar power, which means you’ll start saving immediately. In California, SunRun’s Power Plans are solar power purchase agreements (except for LADWP-serviced areas, where the SunRun Power Plan is offered as a solar lease). SunRun Total Solar allows you to pay for your next 20 years of California home solar power in advance and skip the monthly bill.

Available in California since 2007, SunRun makes owning a California home solar system a piece of cake. Because SunRun owns your home solar panels, you don’t have to worry about installation, maintenance, repairs, or monitoring— SunRun’s got it covered. For a low upfront cost, you get quality home solar panels and installation by a top California solar expert. SunRun then keeps watch over your home solar system and is the first to know if there is a problem. With a money-back performance guarantee and full home solar insurance, your California solar panels are in good hands with SunRun.

California Solar Rebates

Your CA solar rebates vary depending on your utility. The California Solar Initiative (CSI) determines the California home solar rebates for homeowners in areas serviced by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). For other areas, municipal utilities, such as SMUD and LADWP, have their own solar rebate programs. The amount of your CA solar rebate is based on your home solar system’s performance, which also depends on your system’s size. In addition to these rebates, there is a 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit.

But, these rebates are declining over time! The California Solar Initiative program planned to give out $3.2 billion to solar rebates over ten years, from 2007 to 2017, but the funds are being used up more quickly than expected. What this means is that the longer you wait to go solar, the greater the chances are that your rebates will decrease or disappear altogether. Now is the best time to go solar in California.

More Information About Solar California

• Hear more from SunRun customers in California, including those who went solar in Clovis, solar in San Luis Obispo, solar in Simi Valley, and solar in Irvine!
• Not in California? Read about SunRun solar in Massachusetts, solar in Arizona, solar in New Jersey, solar in Colorado, and solar in Pennsylvania.
• Contact SunRun to find a solar solution for your home.