Mission Hills, Los Angeles, CA · December 2018 – January 2019 · LADWP / LADBS
A new roof, solar on top, and an LADWP rebate reserved first
The roof and the solar went in together in December 2018, each on its own permit. The utility rebate was reserved before the install and approved about seven weeks later.
This Mission Hills project combined a new roof with a 3.748 kW CEC-AC solar system in December 2018, each on its own permit. Cali Energy prepared the plans, took both permits and reserved a rebate from the LADWP Solar Incentive Program on 6 December 2018. After LADWP installed the net meter, the rebate was approved in full on 28 January 2019, calculated on a rated size of 3.520 kW.
At a glance
- System
- 3.748 kW CEC-AC
- Rated size for the rebate
- 3.520 kW (93.9% design factor)
- Rebate reserved
- 6 December 2018
- Rebate approved
- In full, on 28 January 2019
- Roof
- Replaced in the same project, on its own permit
- Installed
- December 2018
The story
This house got a new roof and solar in one project. The plans went out on 3 December 2018 with two permits, one for the roof and one for the solar, and both were installed that month, so the array went onto the new roof rather than an old one. Why that order matters is set out in replacing the roof before solar.
In 2018 LADWP paid a rebate on residential solar through its Solar Incentive Program, and for this house it was reserved before the installation. The reservation was confirmed on 6 December 2018, for a 3.748 kW CEC-AC system, with the rebate set per kilowatt. It came with two deadlines. The installation had to be finished by 6 June 2019, and the payment claim had to be filed within sixty days of LADWP installing the net meter.
The rebate was not simply the system size times the rate. The program applied a design factor, 93.9% for this array, to the CEC-AC rating, and the rebate was calculated on the result: a rated size of 3.520 kW rather than 3.748.
By 22 January 2019 LADWP had installed the net meter, and the program sent its reminder to file the payment claim. The claim went in, and on 28 January 2019 the rebate was approved in full, with the check to be issued within thirty days. Current programs are summarized in LADWP solar and battery incentives, and exports are credited under LADWP net metering.
How it ran
| 3 December 2018 | Plans and two permits: roof and solar |
|---|---|
| 6 December 2018 | LADWP rebate reserved for 3.748 kW CEC-AC |
| December 2018 | New roof and solar installed |
| By 22 January 2019 | LADWP net meter installed |
| 28 January 2019 | Rebate approved in full |
Reserved before the install, approved about seven weeks later.
What we did
- Prepared the plans for the roof and the solar.
- Took both permits, one for the roof and one for the solar.
- Reserved the LADWP rebate before the installation.
- Replaced the roof and installed the solar in December 2018.
- Saw the rebate through to approval after the net meter was in.
System specifications
| System rating | 3.748 kW CEC-AC |
|---|---|
| Rated size for the rebate | 3.520 kW, design factor 93.9% |
| Incentive | LADWP Solar Incentive Program, set per kW |
| Roof | Replaced in the same project |
| Permits | Two: roof and solar |
| Utility / AHJ | LADWP / LADBS |
Is your project like this one?
- Your roof needs replacing and you want solar too.
- You want to know how utility rebates on solar were calculated.
- You are planning a system of three to four kilowatts.
- You are an LADWP customer in Mission Hills.
Cali Energy in Mission Hills
Mission Hills is a neighborhood inside the City of Los Angeles: permits run through LADBS, interconnection through LADWP.
Mission Hills is inside the City of Los Angeles, so LADWP is the utility. In 2018 LADWP paid a rebate on new residential solar through its Solar Incentive Program, reserved before the install and paid after the net meter was in.
- License and classifications: CSLB #1032379
- Official reference for this process: LADWP interconnection requirements
- Official reference for this process: LADBS — plan review and permitting
Frequently asked questions
How was the LADWP rebate on this Mission Hills system calculated?
From a rated size the program worked out, not the CEC-AC rating alone. The system was 3.748 kW CEC-AC, and the program applied a design factor of 93.9% for this array, which gave 3.520 kW. The per-kilowatt rate was applied to that figure; the rebate was reserved on 6 December 2018 and approved in full on 28 January 2019.
What deadlines came with the rebate reservation?
Two. The installation had to be finished by 6 June 2019, six months after the reservation, and the payment claim had to be filed within sixty days of LADWP installing the net meter. Here the meter was in by 22 January 2019, and the rebate was approved on 28 January.
Why were the roof and the solar done together?
So the array went onto a new roof rather than one that would need replacing under it later. The two pieces of work had separate permits, one for the roof and one for the solar, and both were installed in December 2018.
Does Cali Energy do roof and solar together in Mission Hills?
Yes. On this Mission Hills house Cali Energy prepared the plans, took the roof and solar permits, replaced the roof, installed the solar and handled the LADWP rebate through to approval. Permits here run through LADBS and interconnection through LADWP. License CSLB #1032379.
What this would look like on your roof
Planning solar in Mission Hills? Tell us your utility, your roof and what your bill looks like now, and we will model what a system like this would do on your house before you commit to anything.
Or call +1 (323) 844-7777 · Cali Energy, Northridge · CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39) — design, permits, install and electrical under one licensed contractor.
Related
Updated October 2026.