State incentive guide · CA

California Solar Incentives & Rebates

A clearer way to compare storage programs, utility rules, and tax treatment.

Back to all incentives

At a glance

Research focus

Battery and utility programs

Utility context

Utility account, export arrangement, and storage eligibility shape the local answer.

Last reviewed

August 30, 2026

The short version

What matters before you sign

California does not have one universal homeowner solar rebate. The strongest current research path is to confirm the utility account, then separately evaluate SGIP, export rules, local permits, and any tax treatment.

Program map

Separate the pieces of the offer

A program can be published and still be conditional for a specific homeowner. Use the status label, current source, and details together.

Federal · Tax credit

Residential Clean Energy Credit

EXPIRED

No federal amount is assumed for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

The IRS determines qualified property, expenses, ownership, and placed-in-service timing.
A tax credit is different from a rebate, REC payment, utility export credit, or financing discount.
Review Form 5695 instructions and your own tax circumstances with a qualified professional.

IRS · Residential Clean Energy Credit

California · Battery rebate

Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)

CONDITIONAL

Potential support for qualifying storage and distributed-energy projects; no amount is assumed.

Customer category, utility territory, equipment, reservation timing, and available funding can change eligibility.
Equity categories may use income and other qualifying criteria.
Confirm the administrator, funding step, application owner, and current equipment rules before subtracting a value.

CPUC · Self-Generation Incentive Program

Utility · Billing/export

Utility billing and export rules

VERIFY CURRENT TERMS

Net billing, interconnection, and storage treatment depend on the customer’s utility and account.

Export compensation is not the same thing as a cash rebate.
Ask the installer to identify the current tariff, rate plan, and interconnection path in writing.
Municipal utilities and investor-owned utilities can use different rules.

CPUC · Solar Consumer Protection Guide

Your comparison checklist