California — Solar & EV Charging

California — Solar & EV Charging

Solar Power & EV Charging Solutions in California

Intro

California has the highest electricity rates in the continental U.S. — averaging around $0.28–$0.32/kWh — and some of the strictest wildfire-related outage risk in the country, which is exactly why solar-plus-battery has become the default install here rather than the exception. Charging Solar's turnkey 12kW solar + 24kWh battery system is built for California's grid: it's sized to carry a home through Public Safety Power Shutoffs, pairs well with the state's shift to Net Billing (NEM 3.0), and gets you EV-ready charging capacity without a second contractor. Whether you're comparing the cost of solar panels for your home in California or looking for the best solar panel installer near you, this page covers California-specific incentives, utility providers, and coverage across every county and major city we serve.

Solar & EV Charging Incentives in California

California doesn't offer a flat state tax credit for solar the way some states do, but it has several incentive layers worth stacking:

  • Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0): Since April 2023, new solar systems are compensated for exported power at avoided-cost rates (roughly $0.05–$0.08/kWh) instead of the older retail-rate net metering — a significant cut from NEM 2.0. This is the single biggest reason battery storage has become standard in California: a system like ours that pairs 12kW of solar with 24kWh of storage lets you use your own daytime production during the expensive evening peak instead of exporting it cheaply.
  • Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP): A state battery storage rebate that can offset a meaningful chunk of battery costs, with higher amounts available for households in high fire-risk areas and for income-qualified customers (DAC-SASH).
  • Property tax exclusion: California excludes the added home value from a solar installation from property tax reassessment, so adding a system doesn't raise your property tax bill.
  • Sales tax exemption: Active for qualifying solar equipment purchases.
  • Municipal utility net metering: Customers of municipal utilities like LADWP and SMUD are not subject to NEM 3.0 and generally see more favorable net metering terms than customers of the big investor-owned utilities.
  • EV charger rebates: No statewide flat rebate for home chargers, but more than a dozen individual utilities (Alameda Municipal Power, Anaheim Public Utilities, Silicon Valley Power, and others) offer their own Level 2 charger rebates, generally $150–$1,500 depending on the utility and customer type. CALeVIP (California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project) separately funds public and commercial DC fast-charger installations, sometimes covering up to 100% of project costs for qualifying commercial/public sites.

Incentive programs, funding windows, and rebate amounts change frequently and can vary by utility and county — confirm current eligibility and availability before purchase.

See full pricing and financing details on our Solar Pricing & Financing page.

Power & Utility Providers Serving California

  • Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) — Northern and Central California
  • Southern California Edison (SCE) — Central, Coastal, and Southern California
  • San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) — San Diego and southern Orange County
  • Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) — City of Los Angeles (municipal, not subject to NEM 3.0)
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) — Sacramento and parts of Placer and Yolo counties (municipal, not subject to NEM 3.0)
  • Silicon Valley Power (SVP) — City of Santa Clara (municipal)
  • Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) — City of Alameda (municipal)
  • Anaheim Public Utilities (APU) — City of Anaheim (municipal)
  • Dozens of additional municipal and co-op utilities serve smaller cities statewide

Municipal utility customers generally see lower rates and more favorable net metering than PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E customers — worth checking which category your address falls into before sizing a system.

Residential Solar & EV Charging in California

For a typical 2,000 sq ft California home, our 12kW solar array is sized to comfortably cover most or all annual electricity use, even before adding EV charging load — and the 24kWh battery is built for California's outage patterns, whether that's a summer Public Safety Power Shutoff or a winter storm knocking out a regional feeder. For larger homes (3,000+ sq ft) with higher AC or pool-pump load, the same system still typically covers a strong majority of usage and can be paired with efficiency upgrades to close the gap.

Given California's average residential rate of roughly $0.28–$0.32/kWh, the cost of a solar system for a home here pays back faster than in most of the country — homeowners we've talked to are generally seeing 6–8 year payback windows when self-consumption is maximized with a battery. If you're also planning to charge an EV at home, our system's 12kW output and 24kWh of stored capacity give you enough headroom to run a Level 2 home charger without redesigning your electrical service in most cases.

Learn more about how installation works and see the full system specs and pricing.

Commercial Solar & EV Charging for California Businesses

California businesses — retail centers, office parks, warehouses, and municipal facilities — are increasingly pairing rooftop or parking-canopy solar with on-site battery storage and EV fleet charging, both to manage the state's high commercial electricity rates and to hedge against outage risk. Commercial and public EV charging installs may also qualify for CALeVIP funding, which has covered up to 100% of project costs for qualifying DC fast-charger sites in recent funding windows.

See our Commercial page for full details on commercial-scale installs.

How Installation Works

Charging Solar ships your complete 12kW solar + 24kWh battery kit directly to your California address in 8–10 weeks, then connects you with a local licensed installer partner to handle permitting, interconnection, and setup — including navigating your utility's specific NEM 3.0 or municipal net metering process. Full details are on our How Solar Installation Works page.

California Counties We Serve

Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, Yuba

California Cities We Serve

Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach, Oakland, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Riverside, Stockton, Irvine, Chula Vista, Fremont, San Bernardino, Modesto, Fontana, Oxnard, Moreno Valley, Huntington Beach, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Garden Grove, Oceanside, Rancho Cucamonga, Santa Rosa, Ontario, Elk Grove, Corona, Lancaster, Palmdale, Salinas, Hayward, Pomona, Escondido, Torrance, Sunnyvale, Orange, Fullerton, Pasadena, Thousand Oaks, Visalia, Simi Valley, Concord, Roseville, Victorville, Santa Clara, Vallejo, Berkeley, El Monte, Downey, Costa Mesa, Inglewood, Carlsbad, San Buenaventura (Ventura), Fairfield, West Covina, Murrieta, Temecula, Antioch, Richmond, Norwalk, Burbank, Daly City, Rialto, Santa Maria, El Cajon, San Mateo, Clovis, Compton, Jurupa Valley, Vista, South Gate, Mission Viejo, Vacaville, Carson, Hesperia, Redding, and hundreds of additional cities and towns statewide

California Zip Codes We Serve

92336, 94565, 90011, 90650, 91331, 92335, 90044, 90250, 91342, 90201, 90805, 90280, 92683, 92345, 92503, 93722, 93307, 91911, 92376, 93727, 95747, 95823, 92804, 95076, 92704, 92509, 93550, 93257, 92154, 92563, 92592, 93274, 95630, 93535, 94112, 95035, 94533, 91710, 93033, 91709, 91910, 94544, 91744, 90706, 92126, 92880, 92805, 92553, 91335, 93306, 93065, 93536, 92407, 91730, 92105, 91706, 94568, 94536, 92021, 94509, 90003, 94513, 93230, 95123, 95687, 90255, 91766, 92882, 95206, 90631, 94538, 95624, 94587, 95020, 92630, 94541, 94110, 92115, 92618, 92201, 91402, 92114, 95758, 90037, 92392, 92562, 94080, 91762, 90262, 93906, 92677, 94015, 92507, 93905, 92223, 94501, 94558, 93291, 92404, 93309, 91761, 90026, 94806, 92703, 95051, 90731, 93313, 92530, 95828, 92620

Why Charging Solar

Turnkey 12kW solar + 24kWh battery system, EV-ready, full 1-year component warranty, financing available through Shop Pay Installments. See the full product page and warranty details.

FAQ

How much do solar panels cost in California? Costs vary by home size and system, but California homeowners typically see 6–8 year payback periods thanks to the state's high electricity rates (avg. $0.28–$0.32/kWh), even without a state tax credit, when the system includes battery storage. See our pricing and financing page for exact numbers on the Charging Solar system.

Does California offer solar tax credits or rebates? California doesn't have a flat state tax credit, but it offers the SGIP battery storage rebate, a property tax exclusion for added solar value, a sales tax exemption, and NEM 3.0 net billing for exported power. Municipal utility customers (LADWP, SMUD, and others) get more favorable net metering than customers of the big investor-owned utilities.

Who are the best solar panel installers near me in California? Charging Solar ships your complete system directly and connects you with a local licensed installer partner in your area to handle permitting and setup — see how installation works.

Can I charge an EV with a home solar battery system in California? Yes. The Charging Solar 12kW + 24kWh system is EV-ready, and several California utilities offer additional rebates ($150–$1,500) specifically for Level 2 home charger installation on top of your solar system.

Contact

Ready to get started in California? Reach out below and we'll help you find the right system for your home or business.