Solar with Burbank Water & Power — a municipal utility with its own net billing
Burbank runs its own electric utility, so neither LADWP’s rules nor the state’s NEM 3.0 apply here. BWP credits exported power on a net billing basis that varies by time of day and season, caps system size against your past usage, and offers a battery storage rebate. Here is what that means for a Burbank project, and what we file for you.
Get a free solar estimateWhat makes Burbank different
Burbank Water & Power is a municipal utility, so the state’s NEM 3.0 decision does not govern it — BWP writes its own rules. And unlike LADWP next door, BWP has moved to net billing rather than classic net metering: per its own solar FAQ, exported energy earns a credit whose value varies, “depending on the time of day and season it is sent to the grid. It is worth more during peak hours during the summer, and less during off-peak hours.”
Two consequences follow. Self-consumption and storage carry more weight here than on LADWP, because midday export is not credited at retail. And the bill never goes to zero: BWP notes there are fixed charges that pay for “poles, conductors, and administration” regardless of how much you generate.
The Burbank rules worth knowing before you design a system
| Rule | What it means for your project |
|---|---|
| System sizing cap | For permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026, a system may not exceed 150% of your previous 12 months of usage. Twelve months of history is therefore not a nicety — it sets your ceiling. |
| Small-system exemption | Systems of 10 kW CEC-AC and under are exempt from sizing review, which covers a large share of Burbank homes. |
| Grandfathering | Per BWP, a customer who applied for a permit before January 1, 2026 is grandfathered on the NEM 1.0 rate, and all grandfathering ends January 1, 2046. Adding battery storage does not end it; adding panels to increase system capacity does, as can a change of ownership outside immediate family. Like-for-like component replacement does not. |
| Battery storage | BWP runs a battery storage rebate to encourage storage installation. Terms and availability come from BWP — confirm before counting on it. |
| Export credit | Time- and season-varying, worth most in summer peak hours. This is what tilts the design toward using or storing your production. |
Source: BWP — Solar FAQs, checked August 31, 2026. Program terms belong to BWP and change on their schedule.
How a Burbank project runs
| # | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Usage history first | We pull twelve months of consumption before drawing anything — under the 150% rule that history defines the largest system you may install. |
| 02 | Design and written quote | Equipment, layout and milestone pricing, with storage evaluated on its merits rather than assumed. |
| 03 | City permits | Plans to Burbank building and electrical review, plus fire department where required. |
| 04 | BWP interconnection | Application and service-requirement questions go through BWP’s solar and storage channel — filed and followed up by us. |
| 05 | Installation and inspection | Built to the approved plans, then signed off by the city. |
| 06 | BWP connection and permission to operate | Per BWP, generation appears on your bill once the system “has been tested and successfully connected to BWP’s electric grid by our field crews.” Final payment is due here — not before. |
Our Burbank work, in numbers
How we count: one record per job folder tied to a service address in Burbank. Utility is assigned by city, not verified per address from a bill or interconnection record. Snapshot taken August 31, 2026 — download the breakdown (CSV).
Three Burbank projects
9.72 kW on a flat roof — Burbank, 2025
24 Q CELLS 405 W panels with Enphase IQ8M microinverters. Flat roofs are common on Burbank homes and outbuildings, and they change how the array is mounted and flashed.
4.005 kW — Burbank, 2025
Nine Canadian Solar 445 W panels with Enphase IQ8A microinverters. A modest system, sized to the home rather than to the roof — which matters now that BWP reviews system size against past usage.
2.67 kW on a new ADU — Burbank, 2025
Six Canadian Solar panels with Enphase IQ8A on a newly built ADU. Small accessory-dwelling arrays are their own category: the electrical service and the interconnection paperwork both have to match the new unit.
More work in the neighbourhood: all Burbank projects.
Frequently asked
Does Burbank use net metering or net billing?
Net billing. Per BWP’s own solar FAQ, exported energy is credited at a value that varies — worth more during summer peak hours and less off-peak — rather than at a flat retail rate. That is different from LADWP next door, and it is why self-consumption and storage matter more on a Burbank address.
How large a solar system can I install in Burbank?
For permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026, BWP limits a system to 150% of your previous twelve months of usage. Systems of 10 kW CEC-AC and under are exempt from that sizing review. In practice this means your usage history, not your roof area, sets the ceiling — so we pull twelve months before designing.
I installed solar in Burbank years ago — am I grandfathered?
Per BWP, the test is the permit application date: a customer who applied for a permit before January 1, 2026 is grandfathered on the NEM 1.0 rate, and all grandfathering ends January 1, 2046. Adding battery storage does not end that protection, and replacing a component with equivalent equipment does not either — but adding panels to increase system capacity does, as can a change of ownership outside immediate family. Confirm your own status with BWP before changing anything.
Is there a battery rebate in Burbank?
BWP runs a battery storage rebate to encourage storage installation. Availability, amounts and eligibility are set by BWP and change on their schedule — confirm current terms with them before counting on it in your budget.
Will my Burbank bill go to zero with solar?
No. BWP notes that fixed charges remain on the bill to cover utility costs such as poles, conductors and administration, regardless of how much you generate. A well-sized system offsets energy charges, not the whole bill.
Who files the interconnection paperwork with BWP?
We do. The application, the service-requirement questions and the follow-up through BWP’s review are part of our scope, along with the city building and electrical permits.
Related reading
Sources
Burbank program details come from BWP’s own published materials, checked August 31, 2026. Rates, sizing rules and rebates belong to BWP and change on their schedule — confirm current terms before deciding.
Burbank address? Start with twelve months of usage
Under BWP’s sizing rule your consumption history sets the maximum system, so that is where we begin. Send the address and a recent bill — you get a line-item quote and an honest read on whether storage earns its place.
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Prepared by Cali Energy, August 31, 2026. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. BWP sets and changes its own rates, sizing rules, rebates and interconnection requirements; confirm current terms with the utility. See our Content Disclaimer. Cali Energy · 19201 Parthenia St, Unit E, Northridge, CA 91324 · +1 (323) 844-7777 · CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39)