Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated June 2024
Year after year, more Los Angeles residents adopt rooftop solar panels to add value to their property and lower their carbon footprint. Going solar helps cut your utility bills and shrink your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a trustworthy installation company first. That’s why, after reviewing and analyzing installers, we assembled a guide to the most reliable solar companies in Los Angeles. These providers consistently deliver dependable quality service.
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Today's Homeowner looks at dozens of datapoints on solar companies to come up with our data-driven rankings. It's not possible for a company to pay for preferential treatment in our rankings. We look at the following key factors in determining who should top our list:
Adopting solar power lets homeowners cut utility bills while helping the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using clean energy. If you’re evaluating if you want to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
Hiring a licensed solar installer is critical. This ensures that the work is done correctly using current best installation practices. There are five different classifications of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. To earn licensure, a contractor must take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman, and pass written exams.
Check review sites like Google Reviews, TrustPilot, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see feedback from past customers about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have no reviews or mostly negative ones.
Contact three to five solar companies to get free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly explain all costs and specify the exact solar components included. By comparing multiple quotes, you can identify the option that best fits your budget.
High-quality solar installations should have robust workmanship and performance warranties. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation issues like cracks in the panels, poor alignment, or poor wiring. The output warranty ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong guarantees reflect a solar provider's confidence in its installations.
Going solar can help reduce your energy expenses. Be sure to evaluate these aspects when judging the cost and value of solar panels.
The average Los Angeles homeowner will spend around $6,920 on a home solar system after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Los Angeles cost roughly $3,470 per kilowatt, with the average residential solar system being 2.8 kilowatts. An estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for permit fees, preliminary work, and labor, and will account for your system's capacity, panel type, and size. Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels in order to reduce upfront costs.
Incentive Amount:
Eligible products can be financed for up to 25 years, depending on the useful life of the eligible product.
Minimum financing: $5,000
The financing may not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the market value of the property, up to the first seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) of the property’s market value, and ten percent (10%) of the remaining value of the Property above seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) minus any PACE assessment on the propertyThe total amount of any annual property taxes and assessments shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the property's fair market value, determined at the time program financing is approved.
Incentive Type: PACE Financing
Incentive Amount:
Locally determined
Incentive Amount:
For projects 30 kW or larger, 50% of incentive will be received up-front; 50% will be received based on actual kWh production over the first 5 years. For projects under 30kW, 100% of the incentive will be paid up front.
Incentives will step down over time. See below for incentive amounts.
Incentive Amount:
Step 1 Incentive Rates (contact utility to determine current incentive levels):
Single Family Residential Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $29.85 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: Funding has been exhausted
Commercial/Multifamily Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $20.19 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: $0.42 per estimated kWh displaced *** Note, funding has been exhausted in this category for SCE and PG&E
Solar Pool heating: $5.00 per estimated therm displaced
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household system or appliance that uses electricity. In the smallest case, you can use a solar water heating system.
With home solar panels, you can save money on your energy bill, lower your property's emissions, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
It depends on your home's location and what type of panels you're installing. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have a lengthy window to install your panels, though they won't reach peak performance until summer arrives.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Los Angeles, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 7.7 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
Net metering is a power purchasing policy that allows solar energy system owners to be compensated for the amount of energy they put back into the grid. It's available in most states and is a great way to reduce energy costs.
Although solar energy is an ideal option for many, it might not be ideal for homeowners in wet, dark areas. In these cases, you could consider other forms of renewable energy, such as wind or geothermal power, as a primary source. It is also important to speak to a qualified installer to determine if their solar system is compatible with the climate and environment of your area. Even if you choose a different form of renewable energy altogether, you'll still help the environment and could still qualify for distributed generation or other money-saving programs.
