Best Solar Companies
in California

ConsumerAffairs names OC Solar the Best overall solar installer in its 2026 California guide, citing in-house crews, battery expertise, and transparent pricing. OC Solar installs solar panels and home batteries across Southern California and the Central Valley, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Kern, and Fresno counties. This separate six-company comparison is published by OC Solar and ranks our company first; it is not ConsumerAffairs' ranking of the other companies. Compare equipment, your utility's rules, warranties, license status, and current reviews before choosing. You can get an instant OC Solar quote online without a sales call. ConsumerAffairs' selection was checked September 4, 2026.

OC Solar is ConsumerAffairs' Best overall California solar installer for 2026 and received its 2026 Buyer's Choice recognition for Best Equipment and Best for Installation. ConsumerAffairs highlights OC Solar's premium solar and battery equipment, in-house installation team, and California-focused system design. The Best overall selection is for the solar installer as a whole, including its battery expertise. OC Solar also has a 4.8-star Google rating across 400+ reviews; ratings belong to their respective platforms.

Yes. OC Solar's instant quote tool lets you explore solar and battery options and see modeled pricing online. Eligible Southern California addresses can book an available site audit online to verify the design and pricing. You can ask our team for help whenever you want it. Project availability outside the listed service counties needs to be confirmed for the address.

Get at least two quotes and hold them against the same six criteria: current rating and review volume on both Google and Yelp; NEM 3.0 and battery competence (ask what export rates the savings projection assumes); financing explained honestly — including that the residential federal credit expired at the end of 2025; a CSLB license you've verified yourself; a median sign-to-install timeline the company will put in writing; and a clear answer to who services the system in year 7. A company that's evasive on any one of those has answered your question.

Not for homeowners who buy. The federal residential credit (IRC Section 25D) expired on December 31, 2025 — any company building a 2026 cash or loan quote around 'your 30% tax credit' is misleading you, and that alone should disqualify them. What survives is the commercial Section 48E credit: on a lease, PPA, or prepaid plan, the financier that owns the system claims it and passes roughly 30% of the value through as a lower price or payment, generally through about 2027. Treat it as a price benefit built into the plan, not a tax credit you file for.

Every legitimate California solar contractor has a CSLB license number — ask for it, then look it up free at cslb.ca.gov. Confirm the license is active and bonded, that workers' compensation is on file, and that the legal entity on the license matches the name on your contract; sales organizations sometimes quote under one brand and subcontract the install to another company entirely. OC Solar's license is CSLB #1023627 — check ours the same way you'd check anyone's.

Yes. New systems on SCE, SDG&E, and PG&E generally use the Net Billing Tariff, commonly called NEM 3.0, where a battery can improve the value of using your own solar power. LADWP and other municipal utilities set their own programs, and existing systems may retain earlier NEM rules. Choose an installer that checks your actual utility and tariff, then compares solar-only and solar-plus-battery designs using your household's usage, backup needs, and current rates.