OC Solar is founded in Irvine
Vinnie Curcie launches OC Solar (CSLB #1023627) after five years learning the industry — built to be the licensed, accountable contractor homeowners deserved.
Our story
A solar company built
the way a home should be.
Since 2016, OC Solar has grown from a one-man Irvine startup into one of Southern California's leading solar and battery contractors — by doing the unglamorous things well: honest pricing, real in-house crews, and showing up long after the sale.
10
Years serving SoCal
Founded 2016
50+
MW installed
across Southern California
5,000+
Installs completed
by in-house crews
4.9★
Google rating
400+ reviews · BBB A+
Who we are
From a local installer to a regional leader.
OC Solar began in 2016 with a single conviction: that going solar should feel like working with a craftsman, not surviving a sales pitch. Founder and CEO Vincent “Vinnie” Curcie — raised around construction and in the solar industry since 2011 — set out to build the contractor he wished homeowners could hire: licensed, accountable, and still there long after the system switches on.
Headquartered in Irvine (CSLB #1023627), the company grew the unglamorous way — by doing the work well and standing behind it. We design, permit, install, and service across Southern California, with offices reaching from Orange County to the Inland Empire and San Diego, and crews accountable to one name on every job: ours. Solar and battery storage are our core, and the Tesla Powerwall is among the technologies our customers rely on.
Vinnie Curcie
Founder & CEO
“We get to change people’s lives. We make a difference.”
— Vinnie Curcie, Founder & CEO
Founder & CEO
Vincent "Vinnie" Curcie
Vincent "Vinnie" Curcie founded OC Solar in 2016, and he built it the way a contractor builds a house — from the foundation up. He grew up in Villa Park, California, in a family where construction ran deep; his grandfather was a general contractor. After high school he pursued a professional golf career, and when that path didn't open, he returned to the family trade, working in construction before joining a solar company in 2011 to learn the industry from the inside. Five years later, convinced that homeowners deserved a contractor that actually delivered on its promises, he set out on his own.
From its Irvine headquarters, OC Solar has grown into one of Southern California's leading residential solar installers — still largely a family business, with Curcie as founder, owner, and CEO, his brother Ashton serving as Chief Operating Officer, and other family members in key roles. His ethos has stayed plainspoken: transparency with homeowners, doing the work right the first time, and the conviction that solar, done honestly, changes the lives of the families it serves.
Career highlights
- 5,000+residential installations since 2016
- 100+systems installed a month across the region
- Since 2016building across Southern California — through the shakeout that closed many competitors
- 1 of ~12installers on Tesla's Pro Council, which meets quarterly with Tesla's leadership
- 2023Panasonic Top Residential Installer of the Year — Southern California
- 2023joined the Angi Pro Council
- No. 203Solar Power World 2025 Top Solar Contractor, national ranking
- 2025EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist — Pacific Southwest
- 2026OCBJ Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award
The story so far
From 2016 to today
Every milestone named, dated — and linked straight to the source.
Panasonic Top Residential Installer of the Year
Named Panasonic's top residential installer for the Southern California region — with 2,000+ residential and commercial installations already complete.
Read the announcement on PR Newswire →Founder joins the Angi Pro Council
Vinnie joins Angi's Pro Council, bringing a decade-plus of residential solar experience to the program for homeowners nationwide.
Read the announcement on PR Newswire →A bigger Irvine home base — and the Ducks
A larger headquarters at Irvine's Innovation Office Park — and Official Solar Partner of the Anaheim Ducks, with co-branded promotions at Honda Center.
Read the Irvine Company feature →Top Solar Contractor + EY finalist
Solar Power World names OC Solar a 2025 Top Solar Contractor (No. 203 nationally); Vinnie is an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Pacific Southwest finalist.
See the EY finalist announcement →Growth through a hard year for solar
As many solar companies closed, OC Solar kept growing — crews installing 100+ systems a month across Southern California while competitors went under.
Read the OCBJ story →OCBJ Excellence in Entrepreneurship
The Orange County Business Journal honors Vinnie with its Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award — chosen from nearly 80 nominees countywide.
Read the OCBJ coverage →#1 solar company in California
ConsumerAffairs ranks OC Solar the #1 solar company in California, with national Buyer's Choice Awards for Best Equipment and Best Installation.
See the ConsumerAffairs ranking →5,000+ installations — and counting
Past 5,000 installations and 50+ MW across Southern California since 2016 — and still showing up for every customer after power-on.
Read the OCBJ founder profile →
What we stand for
Our values
Honesty over hype
We'd rather tell you the real timeline and the real math than win a deal with a claim we can't back up.
Accountable end-to-end
One company owns your project from design to power-on — and stands behind it for decades after.
Speed that's real
We're built to move fast — and we publish the numbers to prove it, not just slogans.
Local & here to stay
Irvine roots, Southern California crews, and the stability to honor your warranty.
“Transparency is huge at OC Solar. We try really hard to be a contractor that is ethical and gets things done.”
Recognized & certified
Backed by the names that set the standard.
17certifications & awards — every one named and dated, 16 linked straight to the source.
Powerwall Premier Certified Installer
Tesla · Ongoing
Tesla's highest installer tier for Powerwall.
See the source1 of 12 installers
Tesla Pro Council
Tesla · Ongoing
Founder Vinnie Curcie sits on Tesla's 12-member installer advisory council.
See the source
Solar Roof Premier Certified Installer
Tesla · Ongoing
Tesla's Premier installer tier for the Solar Roof.
See the sourceThe full wall · 14 more credentials
Hover a credential
Refer & earn
Refer a friend.
Get $500.
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.
- 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.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
OC Solar was founded in 2016 by Vincent “Vinnie” Curcie, who serves as Founder & CEO. After years learning the industry, he started the company in Irvine to be the licensed, accountable contractor he believed homeowners deserved — one that still shows up long after the system switches on.
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Licensed, Bonded & Insured · CSLB #1023627