Is the 30% federal solar tax credit gone?

For homeowners who buy with cash or a loan, yes — the federal residential credit (IRC §25D) expired December 31, 2025. The 30% value still exists on $0-down lease/PPA plans, where the financing company claims the commercial §48E credit and passes the savings to you as a lower payment (through about 2027). Anyone advertising a 30% homeowner tax credit in 2026 is out of date.

How long does it take to go solar with OC Solar?

Install itself is usually 1–2 days. Our median is about 30 days from signing to install and about 60 days from signing to Permission to Operate — total time depends on city permitting and utility interconnection, which we manage end-to-end and report on weekly. We'll give you a realistic timeline up front — no surprises.

Do I need a battery, or just solar panels?

In California's NEM 3.0 environment, a battery is what makes solar pencil for most homes — it stores your cheap daytime solar to offset expensive evening rates and keeps your home powered during outages. We'll size the right combination for your usage.

What happens if my solar company goes out of business?

Your manufacturer warranties (Tesla, Enphase, Q CELLS, REC) are tied to the equipment and survive regardless of any installer. With OC Solar you also get an established company (founded in 2016) that grew while competitors closed, plus independently-backed workmanship coverage — so your protection isn't dependent on us being here, even though we plan to be.

What areas does OC Solar serve?

We're headquartered in Irvine and serve Orange County and broader Southern California from eight offices, including Los Angeles, Ontario, Temecula, San Diego, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Palm Springs.

Is my roof a good fit for solar?

Most Southern California roofs are. We model your actual roof, shading, and usage in Aurora before recommending anything — never a copy-paste layout. Complex or partially shaded roofs usually just call for the right inverter architecture, not a smaller system. And if your roof is near the end of its life, we'll tell you honestly and can replace it first as an Owens Corning Roofing Preferred Contractor.

Does OC Solar offer financing?

Yes — several paths: pay cash for the lowest lifetime cost, own it with a $0-down solar loan (ENFIN or GoodLeap), go $0-down with a lease/PPA through LightReach by Palmetto, or — if credit is a concern — a prepaid plan through Participate Energy with no credit check. On lease, PPA, and prepaid plans the financier claims the commercial §48E credit and passes roughly 30% of value through as lower pricing.

What services does OC Solar offer besides solar panels?

Battery storage (Tesla Powerwall 3 and Enphase IQ Battery), the Tesla Solar Roof as a Tesla Premier Certified installer, premium shingle roofing as an Owens Corning Roofing Preferred Contractor, Level 2 EV charger installation, commercial and multifamily solar, and repair service for existing systems — plus heat pumps coordinated through licensed HVAC partners.

A premium Southern California home with a Tesla solar roof and Powerwall at dusk, installed by OC Solar

Winner — ConsumerAffairs #1 Solar Company in CaliforniaOwn your power.For the next 25 years.

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Explore the hardware

4.9★ Google (400+)BBB A+50+ MW installedAnaheim Ducks Partner

No spam, no sold leads — a real OC Solar advisor reviews every request.

How it works

Step 1 · Sunlight

It starts with the sun.

All-black, high-efficiency panels soak up Southern California sunshine from dawn to dusk.

Step 2 · Clean power

Power, made on your roof.

Your inverter turns that sunlight into the everyday electricity your home already runs on.

Step 3 · Storage

Bank it in a Powerwall.

Store the extra for outage backup — and to keep the lights on after the sun goes down.

Step 4 · Independence

Your home, day and night.

Live on your own clean power around the clock. The grid becomes your backup, not your bill.

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One accountable company

Everything your home needs

Solar, storage, Tesla Solar Roof, and repairs from a single licensed contractor — one point of contact, one warranty.

Solar

Premium panels engineered for California's NEM 3.

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Battery & Storage

Tesla Powerwall & Enphase batteries store your daytime solar to power the expensive 4–9 PM peak — and keep the lights on in an outage.

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Tesla Solar Roof

A beautiful roof that is the solar.

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Roofing

Premium architectural shingle re-roofs from an Owens Corning Roofing Preferred Contractor — planned together with your solar.

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Solar Repair & Service

Any-brand diagnostics and repair backed by thousands of service visits — including rescue for systems orphaned by closed installers.

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Financing

$0-down lease/PPA, ownership loans, cash, and no-credit-check options — with honest, current 2026 incentive guidance.

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All services →

Golden-hour sunburst over an OC Solar rooftop array, terracotta roofs and hills beyond — installer's-eye view

Our work

See the work up close.

Real installs on real Southern California roofs, designed and built from our Irvine headquarters.

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Proof you can see

Powering homes across Southern California

Every dot is one real OC Solar project or service call — thousands of them, blanketing Orange County, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Ventura County, San Diego, and the desert. Hover any dot for the project type, area, and year — chances are we've already powered a home near you.

6,373projects & service calls
across SoCal and beyond

Per our company records as of June 2026 — every project and service call we've taken on, excluding cancellations. Each dot is one real record (a couple dozen without a mappable location count toward the total but aren't shown); positions are approximated to the neighborhood to protect customer privacy.

Irvine HQ Solar project Service callEach dot = one real record

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Hover a dot for project details

Our process

From signed to solar — with no surprises

01
Design & Sign
Days 1–3OC Solar
02
Permits & Approvals
≈ 2–4 weeks*Utility / City (we manage it)
03
Install Day
1–2 daysOC Solar
04
Inspection
≈ 1–2 weeks*Utility / City (we manage it)
05
Power On (PTO)
varies by utility*Utility / City (we manage it)

Hover a step

Median: 30 days to install · 60 days to power-on

See the full process →

Anaheim Ducks · Official Partner

Proud Partner of the Anaheim Ducks.

The same Orange County that fills Honda Center trusts OC Solar to power its homes.

Go solar, get a jersey →Featured on NHL.com →

Honest financing

Three ways to go solar — pick what fits

From no-credit-check plans to $0-down PPAs to full ownership. We name our partners, disclose the terms, and never quote a tax credit that no longer exists.

Prepaid Agreement

Monthly loans available

Who maintains: Provider-owned, then transfers to you
Best if: You want to own your system and still capture the federal tax-credit value.

5–6 yr average ROI window · ~20% avg ROI yr 1 (estimates)

Participate Energy · Propel

PPA — $0 Down

One low monthly payment

Who maintains: Provider-owned & maintained (included)
Best if: You want the lowest barrier and no upfront cost.

Avg savings of 10%–50% off yr-1 utility bills (illustrative)

GoodLeap · ENFIN · LightReach

Pay Cash

Pay once, save most

Who maintains: You own the system; OC Solar services it
Best if: You want the lowest lifetime cost and fastest payback.

6–8 yr average ROI window · ~15% avg ROI yr 1 (estimates)

—

Savings and ROI figures are owner-provided projections that assume average utility rates escalating ~5% annually. Estimates only — individual results vary; not a guarantee.

Full terms, partners and current California incentives on the financing page →

What homeowners say

Trusted everywhere homeowners look.

10platforms3,200+verified reviews4.9on Google

Independently rated on Google, Yelp, BBB, EnergySage and more.

400+ reviews

Accredited since 2016

ConsumerAffairs

#1 in California

Best solar company in CA · 2026

451

21 reviews

2026 expert review

20 reviews

52 reviews

296

We respond to every review — good or critical.

Read our Google reviews →

Questions, answered honestly

California solar FAQ (2026)

Drone view of an OC Solar rooftop array on a lakeside Southern California home, palm-lined shore behind

Yes — but the math changed. Under NEM 3.0 utilities pay much less for exported solar, so the value now comes from pairing solar with a battery to power your home during the expensive 4–9 PM peak instead of buying from the grid. With rising utility rates, a solar-plus-battery system typically pays back in about 7–9 years.

A SoCal home with OC Solar at warm dusk, windows lit

Refer & earn

Refer a friend.

Know someone tired of rising utility bills? Send them our way. When your friend or family member goes solar with OC Solar, we'll thank you with $500.

Refer a friend

Leave us a review

1
Send their info
Share your friend's name and a way to reach them — takes a minute.
2
They go solar
We design, install, and power on their system, start to finish.
3
You get $500
Paid after their system is installed. Refer as many as you like.

Or call 949-427-8817 to refer someone. Terms apply.

Powerwall Premier Certified InstallerTesla · OngoingTesla Pro Council — 1 of 12 installersTesla · Ongoing

Solar Roof Premier Certified InstallerTesla · OngoingResidential Installer of the Year — Southern CaliforniaPanasonic · 2024Residential Installer of the Year — Southern CaliforniaPanasonic · 2023Top Residential Installer of the Year — Southern CaliforniaPanasonic · 2022Best of HouzzHouzz · 2022

Top Solar ContractorSolar Power World · 2024Top Solar Contractor — #203 nationallySolar Power World · 2025Entrepreneur Of The Year — Pacific Southwest FinalistEY (Ernst & Young) · 2025Excellence in Entrepreneurship AwardOrange County Business Journal · 2026Super Service AwardAngi · 2024 & 2025

Angi Pro Council — memberAngi · Since 2023

#1 Solar Company in CaliforniaConsumerAffairs · 2026

Buyer's Choice Award — Best Equipment & Best InstallationConsumerAffairs (national) · 2026A+ Accredited BusinessBetter Business Bureau · Since 2017Official Solar Partner of the Anaheim DucksAnaheim Ducks (NHL) — partnership · Ongoing

Powerwall Premier Certified InstallerTesla · OngoingTesla Pro Council — 1 of 12 installersTesla · Ongoing