Sunland, Los Angeles, CA · December 2025 – January 2026 · LADWP / LADBS
Solar across several roof faces, with a permitted main-breaker de-rate
A hip roof with no single face big enough for the array, so 25 modules went on in small groups; and a main panel that could take the solar breaker only after its main breaker was de-rated under a permit of its own.
This Sunland installation is 25 modules spread in small groups over several faces of a shingle hip roof, each with a SolarEdge optimizer, feeding a SolarEdge inverter with an 11.4 kW power limit. To connect it to the existing main panel, the main breaker was de-rated under a separate electrical permit, which Cali Energy pulled. The array went on in one day in December 2025, and at commissioning in January 2026 all 25 optimizers were reporting and the inverter was in production.
At a glance
- Array
- 25 modules, a SolarEdge optimizer under each
- Inverter
- SolarEdge, power limit 11.4 kW
- Roof
- Composition shingle hip roof, plus a low-slope section
- Panel connection
- Main breaker de-rated under its own permit
- Installed
- 22 December 2025, in one day
- Commissioned
- 22 January 2026, 25 of 25 optimizers reporting
The story
The roof on this house is not one rectangle. It is a hip roof broken into faces of different sizes around its ridges, with a low-slope section as well. No single face could carry 25 modules, so the array was laid out in small groups on the faces that could take them. Each module has its own optimizer, which reduces the losses that come from modules on different faces seeing the sun differently; Enphase vs SolarEdge compares optimizers with microinverters.
On the low-slope section the modules sit on tilt legs, each foot flashed into the roof, while the groups on the shingle faces are mounted flush.
The electrical side needed its own permit. The house's main panel could take the solar breaker only if the main breaker was de-rated: replaced with a lower-rated one, so that the panel's busbar stays within its rating with solar feeding it too. On this project LADBS treated the de-rate as a separate electrical permit from the solar permit, and Cali Energy pulled it. When a de-rate is enough and when a panel upgrade is needed is a separate question for each house.
The modules were delivered to the house on the morning of 22 December and the array went on the same day. Two permits meant two final inspections, and both were booked together; over the holiday week both had to be rebooked, for 26 December.
At commissioning in January the inverter came up in production with 25 of 25 optimizers communicating: every group, on every face, reporting on its own.
How it ran
| Mid-December 2025 | Modules ordered; de-rate permit pulled |
|---|---|
| 22 December 2025 | Modules delivered; array installed the same day |
| 26 December 2025 | Final inspections on both permits rebooked for this date |
| 22 January 2026 | Commissioned: 25 of 25 optimizers communicating |
Two permits, two finals, and a holiday week in the middle.
What we did
- Laid the 25 modules out in groups on the roof faces that could carry them.
- Set the modules on the low-slope section on flashed tilt legs.
- Pulled the separate electrical permit for de-rating the main breaker.
- Installed the array in one day once the modules were delivered.
- Commissioned the system and confirmed every optimizer was reporting.
System specifications
| Modules | 25, in groups across several roof faces |
|---|---|
| Module electronics | SolarEdge optimizer under each module |
| Inverter | SolarEdge, power limit 11.4 kW |
| Main breaker | De-rated under a separate electrical permit |
| Low-slope section | Modules on flashed tilt legs |
| Utility / AHJ | LADWP / LADBS |
Is your project like this one?
- Your roof is broken into many small faces.
- You have been told your main breaker needs to be de-rated for solar.
- Part of your roof is low-slope and part is shingle.
- You live in Sunland, Shadow Hills or Tujunga.
Cali Energy in Sunland
Sunland is a neighborhood inside the City of Los Angeles: permits run through LADBS, interconnection through LADWP.
Sunland and Shadow Hills share a ZIP code at the north-east edge of the City of Los Angeles. Both are inside the city, so the permits are LADBS permits and the grid is LADWP's.
- License and classifications: CSLB #1032379
- Official reference for this process: LADBS — plan review and permitting
- Official reference for this process: LADWP interconnection requirements
Frequently asked questions
Why did this Sunland project need two permits?
Because two different things were done to the house. The solar permit covers the array and its connection; de-rating the main breaker changes the house's electrical service, and on this project LADBS treated it as its own electrical permit. Each permit had its own final inspection, so both finals were booked and rebooked together.
What does de-rating a main breaker do?
It replaces the main breaker with a lower-rated one, so that the panel's busbar is not asked to carry more than its rating once solar is feeding it as well. On this house it let the solar breaker go into the existing panel. Whether a de-rate works for a given house depends on its loads and its panel, and that is a call for a licensed electrician.
Why use optimizers on a roof with many small faces?
Modules on different faces see the sun at different times. With an optimizer under each of the 25 modules, the differences between modules cost less production than they would on a plain string, and the system reports per module, so commissioning could confirm that every one was communicating.
Does Cali Energy install solar in Sunland?
Yes. Sunland is inside the City of Los Angeles, so permits run through LADBS and interconnection through LADWP. Cali Energy installs solar here, including on roofs with many faces, and handles the electrical permits that go with it, such as main breaker de-rates. License CSLB #1032379.
What this would look like on your roof
Planning solar in Sunland? 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.