Riverside County gets some of the most sunshine in California — Palm Springs area averages 7.0+ peak sun hours per day. SCE serves most of western Riverside County; IID (Imperial Irrigation District) serves the Coachella Valley. SCE territory under NEM 3.0 makes battery + solar the right approach. Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley have exceptional solar production due to abundant sun and minimal shading.
Riverside County gets some of the most sunshine in California — Palm Springs area averages 7.0+ peak sun hours per day. SCE serves most of western Riverside County; IID (Imperial Irrigation District) serves the Coachella Valley. SCE territory under NEM 3.0 makes battery + solar the right approach. Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley have exceptional solar production due to abundant sun and minimal shading.
Utility: SCE / IID. Average monthly bill: $140–$220/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 / IID on your behalf.