Los Angeles County is the largest solar market in the US by volume. City of LA homeowners use LADWP (municipal utility, not under CPUC NEM 3.0); suburban LA is SCE territory. SCE rates of $0.25–$0.45/kWh under NEM 3.0 make battery + solar the optimal configuration. Pasadena, Glendale, and Burbank have their own municipal utilities with different programs — confirm your utility before installation.
Los Angeles County is the largest solar market in the US by volume. City of LA homeowners use LADWP (municipal utility, not under CPUC NEM 3.0); suburban LA is SCE territory. SCE rates of $0.25–$0.45/kWh under NEM 3.0 make battery + solar the optimal configuration. Pasadena, Glendale, and Burbank have their own municipal utilities with different programs — confirm your utility before installation.
Utility: SCE / LADWP. Average monthly bill: $155–$250/month.
Note: California has no state solar income tax credit. The federal 30% ITC is the primary tax incentive.
No — California does not have a state income tax credit for residential solar. The federal 30% ITC is the primary tax incentive, plus CA's permanent property tax exclusion and SGIP battery incentive.
Under NEM 3.0 (effective April 2023 for new installations), exported solar earns ~$0.02–$0.08/kWh instead of the full retail rate. Battery storage is now essential — store excess production and use it at night during peak rate hours instead of exporting at low rates.
The Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) provides per-kWh incentives for battery storage in California — up to $1,000/kWh for qualifying low-income or high fire risk customers. Your installer applies through SCE / LADWP on your behalf.