Energy costs
Compare a solar agreement with your current bill.
CALIFORNIA / SOLAR + STORAGE + SUPPORTA better energy
Illustrative home energy photographyA better energy
plan starts here.
Understand the funding. Explore the programs.
See what a more resilient home could look like.
MORE THAN PANELS ON A ROOF
One place to understand your options.
Backup planning
Configure storage for the loads that matter.
Grid participation
Explore compensation for eligible contributions.
Predictability
Understand the rate, term and escalation.
Local generation
Produce energy close to where you use it.
A resilient home
Plan around your household’s real needs.
THE COMPLETE PICTUREUnderstand what
Understand what
pays for the project.
No upfront payment is a financing structure. The written offer explains the ongoing cost and who receives each benefit.
Provider economics
A provider-owned solar offer may combine its financing and applicable business tax treatment.
Ownership and current law determine the details.Eligible incentives
Approved state storage or solar support can reduce eligible project costs.
Administrator approval and available funding apply.Your energy agreement
The provider finances the remaining project costs under the written offer. Your payments follow its terms.
Confirm rates, escalation, upgrades and transfer terms.What “$0 upfront” can mean
Some qualified offers do not require an initial installation payment. Your home may still pay for electricity, utility service, financed upgrades or other contract items. Compare the full cost over the agreement.
What the original figures mean
Grid Stability’s source page used 30–70% tax-credit and 50–70% project-funding examples. Those figures are not a current guaranteed funding stack. Homeowner tax-credit rules changed after 2025; provider projects require their own review.
CONNECTED HOME ENERGY
Virtual Power Plants
Share a little power. Support a stronger grid.
Your battery. Part of a bigger network.
A Virtual Power Plant coordinates compatible home batteries. When the grid needs help, participating batteries can supply a measured contribution under a defined program. Your home’s backup reserve and event settings determine what can be shared.
- A compatible solar-and-storage or battery system joins a utility or aggregator program.
- The program calls an event when demand or grid conditions justify it.
- Your system contributes energy within its settings and program rules.
- The administrator measures eligible contribution and calculates compensation.
What homeowners can gain
Grid participation can add value to a home energy system.
- Event-based or seasonal compensation, where offered.
- A defined backup reserve for your household.
- More control over how and when your battery participates.
- A way to support local grid reliability.
A useful way to picture it
Your battery is like a household water tank. You choose how much to keep for your family. A program may pay you to share some of the remainder when the neighborhood needs support. The actual controls depend on your equipment and enrollment.
Before an event
Review the notification, event window, expected battery behavior and your reserve. Some programs provide advance notice; timing varies.
During the event
The battery may discharge to support the grid, subject to available energy and reserve settings. Follow the app’s event and opt-out controls.
After the event
The battery returns to its normal operating mode. Review recorded contribution and any follow-up payment information.
You remain involved
Check these controls in the actual equipment app.
- Backup reserve: choose the energy retained for your household.
- One-event opt-out: confirm whether and how you can skip an event.
- Participation pause: verify the suspension and re-enrollment rules.
- Outage behavior: confirm transfer equipment, protected circuits, and reserve priorities.
Understand the payment model
Tesla’s published PG&E ELRP example compensates $2 for an additional eligible kWh above typical behavior. This is one specific program, not a universal VPP rate. Enrollment, season, baseline measurement and payout rules matter.
$2/kWhPublished PG&E ELRP example
$16Example: 8 eligible kWh × $2
VariableAnnual results depend on actual events
How payouts work
The administrator validates eligible event contribution and applies its payment schedule. Check seasonal settlement, validation delays, payment method and dispute procedures in your agreement. The original page’s $100–$450 annual range is an illustration; it is not a current guaranteed payment.
Before you enroll
Check the exact program available at your address.
- Participating utility, service territory and aggregator.
- Approved battery model, internet connection and firmware.
- Required tariff, interconnection approval and metering.
- Compatibility with other demand-response or incentive enrollment.
- Your household’s essential-load and backup-reserve needs.
SOLAR + STORAGE FINANCING
Solar funding & PPAs
Understand the agreement behind the installation.
A different way to buy electricity
In a Power Purchase Agreement, a provider owns the solar equipment and you purchase the energy it produces under a contract. A qualified offer may have no upfront installation payment, while energy payments and other obligations continue.
Three pieces of the funding picture
The original Grid Stability page described provider tax benefits, state incentives and partner financing. A real project needs a written breakdown for each applicable source.
- Provider economics: provider-owned projects may have tax and financing rules that differ from homeowner purchases.
- State incentives: approved battery or solar incentives may reduce eligible project costs.
- Provider or partner funding: confirm the balance, any home upgrades, and what you repay through the agreement.
What changed in the tax rules
The homeowner Residential Clean Energy Credit does not apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2025. The original page’s 30–70% tax-credit and 50–70% project-funding figures should not be used as a current household promise.
A property-specific review
Eligibility normally considers more than one number.
- Homeownership and authority to approve the installation.
- Electricity use and a suitable service territory.
- Roof condition, sun exposure and electrical capacity.
- Provider credit and underwriting criteria, where applicable.
- The current offer, equipment, incentive rules and project economics.
Home upgrades
Some offers may include roofing or electrical work. Ask whether the work is included, financed, excluded or a separate homeowner cost. An advertised example does not establish the terms for your home.
Compare the contract, line by line
Ask for the full agreement before deciding.
- Starting electricity rate and annual escalator.
- Contract length, usage assumptions and any minimum payments.
- Equipment ownership, maintenance and monitoring.
- Backup circuits, battery capacity and reserve controls.
- Roof penetrations, roof replacement and electrical upgrades.
- Transfer on home sale, buyer qualification and buyout options.
- Warranty terms, production commitments and exclusions.
Your utility still has a role
A PPA does not usually remove your utility account. Grid imports, fixed charges, export compensation and interconnection remain governed by the applicable tariff.
BATTERY + SOLAR INCENTIVES
SGIP battery incentives
Explore support for energy storage.
Support for eligible storage projects
SGIP provides incentives for qualifying storage and paired solar projects. Current application pathways and available budgets are set by the program administrators. The Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget is an important low-income pathway.
Understand the budget names
The original page described General, Equity, and Equity Resiliency categories. These labels explain why support differs by household, but they do not establish which budgets are accepting a new application today.
- Check the current administrator budget status.
- Confirm whether standalone storage or paired solar is eligible.
- Verify whether your category has open funds, a reservation or a waitlist.
- Review any installation deadline and operating or enrollment requirements.
What can affect your pathway
Your household and project must meet the applicable budget rules.
- Income and qualifying assistance-program documentation.
- Utility service address and administrator territory.
- Medical needs, electric well pumps, wildfire exposure or prior shutoffs where a category requires them.
- Equipment eligibility, system sizing and installation requirements.
- The current application and reservation process.
Medical Baseline is a separate application
Medical enrollment or fire-risk location does not automatically secure a free battery. Ask the administrator to verify each criterion and the actual incentive amount.
A practical application sequence
Work with an eligible developer or administrator.
- Identify the right administrator and open budget.
- Collect address, household, utility and project documents.
- Confirm incentive amount, homeowner costs and required enrollment.
- Submit or reserve funding through the applicable process.
- Complete approved installation, inspection and claim requirements.
Think of it as targeted cost support
An incentive can reduce the eligible cost of storage. Its value and timing depend on approval; it should not be treated as cash already secured for the project.
COMMUNITY SOLAR ACCESS
DAC-SASH
Solar access for eligible communities.
Solar access for qualifying homeowners
DAC-SASH supports eligible low-income homeowners in designated disadvantaged communities. Program approval, available funding, installer requirements and current enrollment determine what can be provided.
What the pathway can include
Eligible projects may receive supported solar equipment and installation. Confirm household costs and all project conditions with the administrator.
Availability matters
The original page highlighted limited spots and waitlists. Check current status rather than assuming a project can proceed immediately.
Check the address and household criteria
An income or neighborhood label alone is not a final eligibility decision.
- You own and occupy a qualifying home.
- The address is in the program’s eligible area.
- Your household satisfies the current income or assistance criteria.
- Your roof, electrical service and proposed system qualify.
Move from screening to confirmation
Ask the program administrator about address screening, application documents, installation partners and any queue.
If you rent
Rooftop changes normally require owner approval. Explore utility bill assistance and multifamily solar pathways such as SOMAH.
MONTHLY BILL ASSISTANCE
CARE & FERA
Help with the bill you already pay.
CARE
CPUC guidance describes a 30–35% electricity discount for eligible customers of larger regulated electric utilities. Your bill components, utility and current rules determine the actual result.
FERA
FERA offers an 18% electricity discount to eligible households of three or more whose income falls within its current band.
Help with the bill you already pay
These are utility assistance programs, separate from a solar or battery contract. Renters and homeowners can qualify. Review how discounts and fixed charges appear on your current tariff.
Current household rules apply
Use your utility’s current application and income table.
- Residential account and eligible service territory.
- Household size and total household income.
- Enrollment in another qualifying assistance program, where accepted.
- Renewal and verification requirements.
Combining benefits
Bill assistance can be relevant to other program screening. Confirm each application separately; enrollment is not a guarantee of solar or storage funding.
Apply directly through your utility
Check current documentation, income limits and renewal dates. Keep household information current and ask how the discount is applied.
HEALTH + ELECTRICITY SUPPORT
Medical Baseline
Support for electricity-dependent health needs.
Extra allowance for qualifying health needs
Medical Baseline can provide an additional lower-rate electricity allowance and utility notifications for qualifying medical needs. It is not an income-based solar program.
What it does and does not do
The original page connected medical needs with backup-power support. Those are related planning topics, but Medical Baseline does not guarantee uninterrupted service, priority restoration, protection from every shutoff, or battery funding.
Work with your utility and clinician
Qualifying devices, conditions and certification requirements depend on the utility.
- Electricity-dependent medical equipment.
- Certain conditions requiring additional heating or cooling.
- Certification by an eligible medical professional under the utility’s process.
- Current account, contact and renewal information.
Plan beyond the application
Build a household plan that works if the utility supply is interrupted.
- List each essential device, its watts and daily runtime.
- Ask the clinician about safe alternatives and evacuation thresholds.
- Confirm which circuits a battery supports and for how long.
- Maintain medications, contact lists and backup charging.
- Apply separately for any battery or resiliency incentive.
SOLAR + BATTERY VALUE
Net billing & battery value
Use more of the energy you make.
Keep more of the energy you make
Solar billing and export compensation depend on your utility, tariff and interconnection date. Under newer net-billing arrangements, export value can be different from the retail cost of imported electricity.
A simple daily pattern
Your roof can make electricity while household demand is low. Storage can move some of that production into an evening when your home needs power. The financial value depends on your actual tariff and usage.
01 / DAYTIMEGenerate
Solar supplies household loads. Extra energy may charge a battery or export under your tariff.
02 / EVENINGUse stored energy
A configured battery can serve the home after solar output falls, preserving the chosen backup reserve.
03 / OUTAGEProtect selected loads
Backup depends on islanding equipment, connected circuits and available charge.
In plain language
Think of solar as a small power plant on the roof and a battery as a way to change when you use its output. That does not guarantee a particular export credit, bill reduction or outage runtime.
Use a property-specific model
Compare solar production with the timing of your actual use.
- Current tariff and legacy NEM or net-billing status.
- Import rates, export values and fixed charges.
- Evening load, battery losses and capacity degradation.
- Reserve settings, backup circuits and expected runtime.
- System cost or PPA payments and contract escalation.
FROM FIRST QUESTION TO ACTIVATIONYour project.
Your project.
A clear sequence.
Know the milestones, the responsible parties and the questions to ask before you sign.
Discover
Use your bill, household needs, service territory and property details to identify a possible fit.
Review
Request an itemized design, equipment list, funding breakdown and full agreement.
Approve
Complete applicable program screening, permits, utility review and financing steps.
Install
Qualified installers complete the work and required inspections.
Activate
Utility permission to operate, commissioning, monitoring and backup configuration complete the setup.
Review the protection package
The source offer described a 25-year energy protection package. Treat that as a term to verify in the actual provider agreement, with separate coverage periods and exclusions for each item.
- Equipment, battery and workmanship coverage
- Production commitment and its exclusions
- Monitoring, service and maintenance responsibility
- Roof penetrations, roofing work and electrical upgrades
- Home-sale transfer and buyer qualification
- Buyout options, end-of-term choices and removal
SIDE BY SIDEDifferent needs.
Different needs.
Different pathways.
Compare the purpose, who may qualify, and what the benefit actually means.
ProgramPurposeWho may qualifyBenefit / cost
Each program has its own eligibility, budget and agreement. Combining programs requires confirmation. Open a row to inspect the details.
THE QUESTIONS THAT MATTER
Before you decide.
Clear answers about backup, contracts, incentives and your next step.
Will a VPP drain my backup battery?
Review the program and device settings. Participating systems may retain a configured reserve and allow opt-outs, but the amount available in an outage depends on charge, load, equipment and actual event behavior. Confirm it in your agreement and app.
What is the federal Investment Tax Credit?
Solar tax treatment depends on ownership, timing and applicable law. The homeowner clean-energy credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Provider-owned projects have different rules. Ask the provider and a tax adviser which benefits apply to a specific project.
How is a PPA different from my utility?
You buy solar-generated electricity from a system owned by a provider, under its contract. Your utility normally still handles grid service, billing for imported energy and other tariff charges. Compare the PPA rate, escalator, term and transfer rules.
Can CARE or FERA work with solar?
Bill assistance and solar screening are separate. Ask the utility and program administrator how your tariff, household eligibility and proposed installation interact. Do not assume one enrollment guarantees another.
How do I check whether my community qualifies?
Start with the specific program’s eligible-area rules. CalEnviroScreen provides environmental and community information, but a map label alone is not a final program decision. The administrator should verify the address.
What if I rent?
You may still qualify for CARE, FERA, Medical Baseline and other utility support. Rooftop changes normally require owner approval. Ask about multifamily pathways such as SOMAH.
How can incentives and a PPA work together?
An approved incentive may reduce eligible project costs within a provider-owned offer. Ask for a written funding breakdown, who receives each incentive, how it changes your payments, and any participation obligations.
How long will these programs be available?
Rules, budgets, enrollment windows and tax law can change. Check current official sources and request written confirmation before you rely on an advertised incentive or sign a contract.