Solar can be hard to compare when every quote tells a different story. Learn how the pieces work, then talk with Weston about your electricity bill, your roof and what you want from solar.
After your free consultation, Weston will use your information to build a free personalized Solar Savings Guide with estimated scenarios and the assumptions behind them.
Free 20–30 minute phone or video consultation. Free guide after the meeting. No obligation to buy.
Your guide is designed to help answer:
A smaller utility bill is not the same as a lower total cost. Compare any system payment and applicable ongoing costs with the electricity you would still buy. An estimate is a planning tool, not a guarantee.
Panels generate electricity during daylight. Inverters convert it into a form your home can use. The home, optional battery and grid work together to match supply and demand.
Panels generate electricity during daylight. Production depends on equipment, system size, roof orientation, shading and weather.
Panels produce direct-current electricity. An inverter converts it into alternating-current electricity your home can use.
Your home can use solar electricity as it is produced. When your home needs more than the system supplies, the grid can provide the difference. Extra solar electricity may go to the grid under your utility’s rules.
A battery stores energy for later use, including during higher-priced hours. A system designed for backup may power selected loads during an outage. Cost, usable capacity, settings and backup needs matter; adding a battery is not automatically the best financial choice.
For new PG&E, Southern California Edison and SDG&E solar customers, the Net Billing Tariff—also called the Solar Billing Plan and commonly “NEM 3.0”—generally applies to interconnection applications submitted from April 15, 2023.
Your home uses available solar electricity first. Exports earn credits based on their value at the time they reach the grid. Those credits are usually lower than the retail price of electricity you buy, although some hours can have higher values. It is not a promise of one exported unit canceling one purchased unit at the same price.
A battery may help you use more of your own solar later. Your guide considers whether that benefit justifies its additional cost. Existing NEM systems, municipal utilities and Community Choice Aggregators need separate review.
For a new residential Solar Billing Plan comparison, verify your actual tariff and charges:
We do not use a single California electricity price to predict your result. Solar does not remove every utility charge.
Compare equipment and installation, roof or electrical work, battery options, payment terms, remaining utility charges and maintenance or replacement assumptions. A quote should explain what is included and what is not.
The federal 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for new expenditures after December 31, 2025. A new homeowner-owned system installed in 2026 does not qualify for that credit under current law. Paying before the deadline does not qualify an installation completed after it.
We do not subtract a 30% homeowner credit from a new 2026 estimate. An unused credit from an earlier eligible project is a separate question for a qualified tax professional. A third-party system owner’s possible business incentives are not a homeowner Section 25D credit.
California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) supports qualifying storage and some paired solar-and-storage projects. Certain support targets eligible low-income households. Program rules, budgets and funding availability vary; the relevant administrator must verify eligibility and availability. No rebate is assumed until confirmed.
A purchase, loan, lease and power purchase agreement are different commitments. Compare total payments, ownership, any escalator, maintenance responsibilities, warranties and what happens if you sell the home. Availability and terms depend on the actual provider and agreement.
Requesting a guide does not sign an installation or financing agreement.
Solar Weston is an independent consultant working with a licensed installer partner. Leads come to Weston; he runs the free consultation and builds the free personalized Solar Savings Guide. The installer partner performs the installation.
Straight answers to common solar questions. An estimate is not a guaranteed result.
Solar panels turn sunlight into direct-current electricity. An inverter converts it into alternating-current electricity your home can use. Your home uses available solar energy, and your utility supplies electricity when your system is not meeting your needs.
NEM 3.0 is a common name for California’s Net Billing Tariff, which PG&E, SCE and SDG&E call the Solar Billing Plan. It generally applies to new interconnection applications submitted from April 15, 2023. Electricity exported to the grid earns time-varying credits that are usually lower than the retail price of electricity you buy; existing solar systems and other utilities can have different rules.
A battery can store solar energy for later use and reduce electricity purchases during higher-priced hours. Whether it is worth the extra cost depends on your usage, rate plan, equipment cost and backup goals. Solar Weston will compare scenarios rather than assume every home needs a battery.
Ordinary grid-connected solar systems generally shut down during an outage for safety. Backup requires a system designed and configured for it, including suitable inverter, storage and controls. Which appliances can run, and for how long, depends on the design, battery charge and electricity use.
A new homeowner-owned solar or battery installation completed in 2026 does not qualify for the Section 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit under current law. The credit ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025, and paying in advance does not qualify an installation completed after that date. Ask a tax professional about any unused credit from an earlier eligible project.
No. California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program has eligibility rules and changing funding availability. Some solar-and-storage support targets eligible low-income households. The relevant program administrator must confirm your eligibility and whether funds are available; a rebate is not assumed in your estimate.
Yes, a grid-connected home normally continues receiving a utility bill. Electricity purchases, applicable fixed or base service charges, taxes and other charges can remain. Solar does not guarantee a zero bill, and any loan, lease or power-purchase payment is separate from remaining utility costs.
A useful estimate needs your actual energy usage, electricity provider and rate plan, roof conditions, system proposal and payment terms. Your guide will show assumptions and compare estimated total costs, including remaining utility charges. It is an estimate, not a savings guarantee.
It is a free 20–30 minute phone or video conversation with Weston about your home, bill and goals. After the consultation, Weston uses the available information to build your free personalized guide with estimated scenarios and clear assumptions. It is not an instant calculator, an engineering design or a commitment to buy.
Tell Weston your current provider and whether you already have solar. Existing NEM status, municipal utility rules and Community Choice Aggregator pricing need separate review before changes are evaluated. The PG&E, SCE and SDG&E explanation on this page should not be assumed to apply to every California home.
Start with a free consultation and the details from your own home. Weston will explain what can be estimated, what still needs checking and what your options mean. Both the consultation and personalized guide are free. No obligation to buy.
Policy information checked November 9, 2026; programs and rates can change.