Get a federal tax credit for solar energy system

OK, I'm ready to go solar! Had my panel upgraded by Got Light Electric [(see my review) 5 stars] to get ready.

Next thing to do is research. DroneQuote and Energysage were the first outfits I reached out to. Multiple quotes (7 to be exact), some conversations and submitting my LADWP bills to all. Now I heard that 4/15/23 was a deadline date where the electric companies (i.e. So. Cal Edison) would claw back rebates for credits, and everyone I spoke with said yes that is true, so I felt some urgency to this get this done.

After getting the quotes and the multiple communications from these outfits, I went to Yelp to see what my community had to say, Lord, Help me, I'm glad I did (saved over $20K).

A shout out to Paul S. of Torrance. His review turned me on to Cali Energy and Maria, as they were not included in the companies referred to me, and I had not heard of them.I was so impressed with his detailed review, and even though I had not heard of this company, I made a phone call and asked for Maria. She took all my information and told me that my electric company LADWP was not part of the deadline. WOW! I could have just waited to move forward, but I was sold on her honesty! You can't get any better than that! She scheduled her tech to come out to do a detailed job walk within the next couple days. And, boy, I was really impressed with him. He happened to to be a close relative, and I liked that, a close family owned company.

Long story short, after I awarded them the contact, she was able to get the permit in a couple days, and schedule the installation date the very next week. I was thinking several weeks, but that was fast.

Their crew came out and installed all 24 panels in 11 hours, a very long day. Then the final crew came out to finalize the pieces and get ready for inspection. All went well and LADWP came out to install the final roof connection. A week later a LADWP tech come out to remove my old meter and install the new solar meter.

All this took 3 weeks! Maria was in constant communication with me by text (which I prefer) and updated me on all aspects of the installation.

I waited a month to post, so I could see how the system was performing. The Enphase software is spot on, in real time reporting, in all the aspects regrading my consumption and production (software is free). I received my first electrical bill (today) and even through it has been only one month (out of a two month cycle), my bill has decreased 86% (any number you put in can compute the difference). After a full 2 month cycle, LADWP will be owing me money!

Decided to go with Cali Energy for my solar panel installation and it was a great decision. I've been considering solar panels for a bit, but it wasn't until someone showed up at my door (not Cali Energy) and offered their quote over a Zoom call when I became more serious. They gave me a quote but I did the smart thing and got more quotes through EnergySage to compare because that quote was much higher than Cali Energy's and several other companies from EnergySage. As I was looking at the different quotes, what stood out to me with Cali Energy was that they seem more personable, were super responsive, and were very clear up front with everything. A note: Cali Energy wasn't the lowest quote I got, and the main reason was because there were reviews on Yelp and other places. Most of the other companies I got quotes from didn't really have any reviews (yelp, google, etc.) or even a website. You can even see Cali Energy has a 1star review, but if you notice in that review, Cali Energy eventually fixed the issues and to me that is important.
Anyway so throughout the whole process, which can take 1-2 months or more, Cali Energy was very responsive and kept me in the loop. I don't think I went for more than a week without any sort of update, even if it was just an email saying that they're still waiting on the city permit. Any questions were answered promptly. The installation for me took pretty much the entire day (from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm) on a 4.07 kW systm.
I've had my system up now for about 2 weeks now and everything seems to be as expected. There's an app I use which tracks how much energy is created which is super helpful.
I highly recommend Cali Energy for solar panel installation! You won't regret it!

THIS IS THE ONLY REVIEW YOU NEED TO READ. I've been researching and contemplating solar for the past 3 years. I got over 15 quotes from yelp and energysage. Cali-Energy was the 3rd/4th company rated on energy sage and their quote was very competitive with the others.
My experience is mind-blowing. I'm not sure if its different cases with cash or finance deals....but from beginning to end was about 2-3 weeks. I'm talking about design-permit-install-approval-and ON. Their main guy you can tell knows his stuff. They don't mess around and just get straight to the point. Maria @ front office is responsive and is on point as well.
These type of home improvement transactions, you never really know what you are going to get....But I can tell you that I'm 100% satisfied and happy with the results.

The end of Jan 2023 we started our solar journey out of curiosity while researching a re-roof on our house. When we learned about the April 14th NEM 2.0 deadline--panic ensued. City of Santa Monica's Dept of Sustainability directed me to EnergySage which got me 7 ballpark quotes including Cali Energy.
Here's how Cali Energy beat out the other ballparks then 3 final quotes:

• By providing the unique advantage that no one else could/would give: An on-site survey/tech visit to assess and measure our roof.
• This gave us the comfort level to accept a final quote and sign a binding contact knowing there was a certain accuracy superior to the other three final quotes (which gave quotes based on satellite images).
• They had a "no-pressure, we're just here to give you the info you need" sales attitude. (Thank you Alex and Diana!)
• I was a solar-noob on a scary-tight deadline. I learned a lot and fast. Sometimes I emailed Cali Energy 3x a day. They were always kind and patient.
• They were willing to fast-track and rearrange their normal process to get our application into SCE before the NEM deadline.
• I did a deep dive across multiple sites of their reviews-all stellar.
• They included consumption monitoring as a part of the install instead of a hidden extra charge.
• Even though they'd never done work in our city and knowing its reputation for strict construction regulation, they were willing to get a city business license just to do our project.
• They gave us more for our target price of around $3.5/kw

Once we awarded the job, 9 calendar days later we received our very impressive Roof Mount Plans. A few days later it was submitted to the city and SCE for Interconnection Request. ONE MONTH BEFORE NEM DEADLINE! While we waited for SCE's go ahead, we got our new roof put on, took a little construction vacation, then scheduled the solar. We had 3 non-consecutive days of install. The crews were nice and hard-working. (Each day was a different set and size Large, XL or Small, depending on speciality that day.) In fact, they kept working so long we had to make them stop for fear the city inspectors would come down on us all :).
Last week we got our first electricity bill. It was thrilling (delivery charges only $12.38) and disappointing (Nonbypassable charges: $22.03). I've posted an image of the consumption monitoring on our first full day of solar.
It was a very good day when Cali Energy decided they would quote our project. Lucky, lucky us.

Great job with my solar installation. Very friendly and responsive. Prompt call back on all my questions. Very happy with the service, timely installation and clean installation. I would recommend to friends and family.

I reached out to Cali Energy based on their capability of installing a solar panel system on a commercial style flat roof, which my home has.
I was introduced to their consultant, Elery Tan, who walked me through the details of how the rack system would be installed. This gave me great comfort, as I had recently installed a new torch down roof, and I wanted to preserve the integrity of the roofing membrane. Elery also correctly sized my system based on my consumption history, shade analysis, etc. I actually wanted an additional two panels beyond the recommended 34, but Elery said there would be no cost benefit to doing so. That's integrity; recommending NOT selling a customer something they asked for because it doesn't add any benefit.
Elery also introduced me to REC solar panels, which provide an exceptional warranty and guarantee of output; comparable to the best panels on the market, for a competitive price.
The installation team at Cali Energy is top notch. They work extremely efficiently and know exactly what they are doing. My 34 panel system was completed in one day. Although the LADWP inspector requested an additional quick disconnect switch, Cali Energy quickly took care of this and it was then a matter of just a week or so before I received my permission to operate from LADWP.
My system is outperforming expectations and I am currently producing well in excess of my usage, and that's with keeping two electric cars charged, running a pool motor, etc.
I highly recommend Cali Energy if you are considering a solar panel system.

Know that the company is located in LA, and therefore I want to highlight how determinant the team is. I live in San Francisco, and it'd seem to be a complication, but not for them. The communication was excellent throughout the process. They always got back to me quickly and with the answers to all of my questions. It is really hard to find a company that will deliver excellent customer service to the end. It is especially hard when you are dealing with contractors. Fortunately, this company exceeded all of my expectations. I would give more than 5 stars if I could.

This company right here is the reason why I have been in a good mood for the past 3 days. I personally hate construction, and anything construction related, but, this was by far the best expererience ever!
Everything was done in a timely matter as promised.
All the workers were very knowledgable and knew exactly what they were doing.
The area where they were working was kept very clean.
Overall A+++ I would definetly reccomend Cali Energy to everybody!

They are awesome. I needed a level 2 EV charger installed outdoors and they were fast, efficient, friendly, and really good. The charger looks great and I'm more than satisfied on the service.
They will be my go to electricians going forward and I highly recommend that you use them too. A+ quality and service.

I was referred by our next neighbor. Cali Energy had a great communication throughout the process. The system of 30 panels was installed and permitted in 6 weeks by DWP . Arthur full filled his promise by completing the project before the end of the year including electric panel upgrade that other companies wouldn't. They have a great price and great workmanship. I have nothing but good things to say about doing business with Arthur at Cali Energy.

After finally researching and deciding to install solar panels, my friend recommended Cali Energy for the job. She said they made the process so easy, and that they worked so quickly and efficiently to get the job completed. Well, she was not lying. I am so happy that I ultimately chose them for the job. From the very first phone call everything went so smooth. The team was so professional, and most importantly, their technical knowledge was at the highest level. They spent time explaining the process and all of the great benefits of having a solar system to me. They worked hard and finished the job, and I couldn't be more pleased. Very competitive prices. but most importantly a satisfied client. I highly recommended them.

Some wanted projects are put off because a homeowner does not want to take on a home improvement project that seems overwhelming. Solar energy is one of those projects. How do you find a reliable, professional, and competent company to take on the project. It is a considerable amount of money to invest in your home. I wanted to take advantage of the federal tax credits I would get, not to be taken advantage of by a solar company. And I wanted to stop paying such high energy costs on my utility bill. I was fortunate that a friend and I were talking about home improvement projects and I mentioned solar. He recommended Cali Energy as he had solar installed with this company five years ago and was very happy with the company. He said several of his neighbors also ended up using this company. So I started my due dilligence in evaluating the company. It has turned out it was one of the best decisions I have made. Cali Energy lived up to every expectation I had. I should note that It is for purchase only. The company first put up a drone with a heat sensor to determine what my roof looked like and where the optimal placement of the solar panels should be. Elery Tan is the project manager and is worth his weight in gold. He evaluated the energy needs by reviewing 12 months of power usage. I never really had questions as he explains everything. He is meticulous in the workmanship of Cali Energ's crew. They always cleaned up at the end of the day and I always knew what to expect. When you meet and work with Elery, you can understand why I trusted him to do this right. I could not be happier with the results. I have no hesitancy in giving them 5 stars.