CALI-GRAF
Cali-Graf FAQ for Solar Installers and Sales Reps
These are the questions solar installers and sales reps ask most about Cali-Graf, the free design and proposal app built by Cali Energy. Each answer starts with a straight answer and links to the help-center article where the detail lives and is kept current.
How to use this page
The answers are grouped in the order a new user runs into them: cost and access, what the app calculates, what goes on the proposal, your data, and getting unstuck. If you are new to Cali-Graf, the overview of what Cali-Graf is and the step-by-step walkthrough of one calculation give the bigger picture first; a manager bringing on a new rep can use the first-week onboarding plan.
| Topic | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Price | Free — no subscription, card or trial; daily fair-use limits |
| Utilities | LADWP and SCE, including Clean Power Alliance supply |
| Federal tax credit | Not subtracted — the 30% credit (25D) ended for systems placed in service after 2025 |
| Permit plans | No — design, financial modeling and proposals only |
| Your brand | Only your business card is on the proposal; no logo upload yet |
| Team accounts | Not yet — one Google account per person |
| Your customers | Private to your account; Cali Energy never sees or contacts them |
Is Cali-Graf right for this job?
Cali-Graf is built for residential rooftop solar in LADWP and SCE territory. A quick look at the job tells you how it fits:
| The job | In Cali-Graf |
|---|---|
| Single-family home on LADWP or SCE (including Clean Power Alliance), panels on the roof — a garage or ADU on the same lot included | The full workflow: design, bill, savings, proposal |
| Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena or another city utility; SDG&E or PG&E | Roof design and system size |
| A special rate or discount — LADWP R-1B, EZ-SAVE or Lifeline; SCE FERA, Medical Baseline or all-electric baseline; a non-default CPA plan | Calculated on the standard plan (CARE is supported) |
| Commercial or ground-mount work, additions to an existing system, permit plan sets | Outside the app — quote those your usual way |
The current scope is kept in the help center's What Cali-Graf doesn't do yet.
How accurate the bill math is
Accuracy is the question behind most others. Checked against real utility bills, Cali-Graf's engine:
| Part | Result |
|---|---|
| LADWP bills, recalculated from their own usage | Within ±3 cents |
| LADWP solar credit on real bills of homes with solar | Within 2 cents |
| SCE bills on the customer's plan | Most to the cent |
| Which utility serves the home | Right for 99% of homes |
| SCE and Clean Power Alliance rate tables | Match the printed tariff sheets |
How it's checked, and which inputs move an estimate most, is in how accurate Cali-Graf is.
Run it on a real roof: design, bill and proposal in one place, free.
Frequently asked
Is Cali-Graf really free?
Yes. The roof editor, the bill calculation and the proposal PDF are free, with no trial period, no credit card and no paid plan to upgrade to. If optional paid features are ever added, Cali-Graf says you will hear about them in advance and won't be charged without agreeing. Details: Is Cali-Graf free?
What are the daily limits?
Each account has daily limits on new houses, calculations and PDFs, because every new house costs real money in Google map and roof data. Cali-Graf doesn't publish the exact numbers but says normal work stays well within them, and reopening a house you recently opened doesn't count. If you reach a limit, houses you already opened keep working; if your work regularly needs more, write to calisolargroup@gmail.com.
How do I sign in?
With any Google account — Gmail or Google Workspace. There is no Cali-Graf password; the first sign-in creates the account, and Cali-Graf receives only your name, email and profile photo. On your own computer you stay signed in for 30 days after your last use. Details: Sign in with Google
Do I need to install anything? Does it work on a phone?
Nothing to install: Cali-Graf runs in Safari or Chrome on a computer, tablet or phone, and the same calculations appear on every device. On a phone the calculator sections sit in a row you swipe, and Calculate and Save PDF both work; tracing complex roofs is faster on a computer or tablet. Details: Phone and tablet
Can my team share one account?
Not yet. There are no shared team accounts, and calculations can't be moved between accounts. Each person signs in with their own Google account and sees only their own calculations — and sharing one account to get around the daily limits isn't allowed.
Which utilities and homes does Cali-Graf support?
Bills are calculated for LADWP and SCE homes, including homes whose generation comes from Clean Power Alliance (on the city's default plan). Cali-Graf is built for single-family homes; a garage or ADU roof on the same lot is fine. For Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and other city utilities, SDG&E or PG&E you can design the roof, but Calculate won't run. Details: Supported utilities and areas
Does it model NEM 3.0 and batteries?
Yes. For SCE homes, bills follow the customer's time-of-use plan with hourly export credits under the Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0), and a battery is simulated hour by hour in the operating mode you choose. For LADWP homes, solar is netted one to one inside each two-month period, so a battery usually doesn't change the bill — Cali-Graf says when its value is backup power rather than savings. Details: Battery operating modes
How accurate are the bill calculations?
Recalculated from their own usage, real LADWP bills come out within ±3 cents and most SCE bills match to the cent. Present the results as estimates — the proposal says so too. Details: How accurate are the numbers.
Does Cali-Graf include the 30% federal tax credit?
No. The IRS states that the Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D) isn't available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, so Cali-Graf subtracts no federal credit from the price, payback or savings, and the proposal doesn't mention one. Background: the end of the 30% solar tax credit.
Can it apply SGIP or local rebates?
Not yet. Leave rebates out of the price, or lower the price by the rebate yourself and tell the customer. Background on battery incentives: SGIP battery incentives in 2026.
Does Cali-Graf make permit plan sets, single-line diagrams or string sizing?
No. Cali-Graf is a design and sales tool, not engineering or permit design, and it doesn't replace a site visit. For a quick voltage check outside the app, the Cali-Graf directory has a free string sizing calculator.
Whose brand is on the proposal?
Yours. The proposal carries only your business card — name, company, license, phone and email — on the cover, in the footer of every sheet and on the signature line. Cali-Graf adds no logo or name of its own, and there's nothing about Cali Energy on your proposals. Details: Your brand on the proposal and Business card
Can I add my logo or my own payment schedule?
Not yet. Your company name prints as text, and the payment schedule follows Cali-Graf's standard layout. Both are on the public list of what Cali-Graf doesn't do yet.
Can I offer financing in the proposal?
Every account can make cash proposals. Loan programs appear only for companies whose lender is set up in Cali-Graf; for those, the proposal shows the monthly payment next to the bill with solar. Details: Cash or loan
Can I show the customer two or three options?
Yes. Make a copy creates Option 2, Option 3 and so on for the same customer — for example with a battery, another panel or a smaller system. Each option has its own roof copy, results and PDF, and the approval line names the option. Details: Compare options for one customer
Can Cali Energy see my customers?
No. Your calculations and customer details are visible only in your account; Cali Energy's sales team sees nothing, your data is never used to market Cali Energy's solar or roofing services, and your customers are never contacted. Under California privacy law, Cali-Graf processes homeowner details as your service provider. Details: Who can see your calculations
What data does Cali-Graf keep, and how do I delete it?
It keeps your account basics, defaults and business card, and each calculation's address, usage, roof, equipment, price and proposal records until you delete them. A deleted calculation stays in Trash for 30 days and can be restored; deleting your account removes everything at once, with server logs and backups gone within 90 days. Details: What data Cali-Graf stores, Move to Trash and restore, Delete your account
Calculate won't run — what now?
Read the message under the button: it names the first thing to fix, such as a roof without panels or a missing bill. Calculate runs once the home is on a supported utility, the roof has panels, the year of usage is complete and the equipment matches. Every on-screen message is listed with its fix in Fix a problem; for anything else, write to calisolargroup@gmail.com.
Related reading
Sources & methodology
Product facts on this page come from Cali-Graf's own help center and the pages linked below; figures in examples come from the stated inputs. Features, limits and supported utilities change; each was verified October 16, 2026.
- Cali-Graf Help — Is Cali-Graf free?
- Cali-Graf Help — Sign in with Google
- Cali-Graf Help — Phone and tablet
- Cali-Graf Help — Supported utilities and areas
- Cali-Graf Help — What Cali-Graf doesn't do yet
- Cali-Graf Help — Battery operating modes
- Cali-Graf Help — How accurate are the numbers
- Cali-Graf Help — Federal tax credit
- Cali-Graf Help — Your brand on the proposal
- Cali-Graf Help — Business card
- Cali-Graf Help — Cash or loan
- Cali-Graf Help — Compare options for one customer
- Cali-Graf Help — Who can see your calculations
- Cali-Graf Help — What data Cali-Graf stores
- Cali-Graf Help — Delete your account
- Cali-Graf Help — Calculate doesn't work
- IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit
Answered enough? Try it on your next customer
Sign in with Google, take the five-minute tour on the demo home, then run a real roof: design, LADWP or SCE bill, proposal under your name. Free, with daily fair-use limits.
Prepared by Cali Energy, October 16, 2026. This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, financial, engineering, or utility advice. Rates, incentives, codes, permit requirements, equipment specifications, prices, and program terms may change; figures and timelines are estimates, not guarantees. Confirm current requirements with the applicable utility, AHJ, program administrator, manufacturer, or a licensed professional. See our Content Disclaimer. Cali Energy · 19201 Parthenia St, Unit E, Northridge, CA 91324 · CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39)