Published August 14, 2026 · 5 min read
By Andy Valdez, Marketing & Sales Coordinator
A decade in California solar is more than just a milestone; it’s a story of constant evolution. Over the last ten years, our state’s energy landscape has experienced seismic shifts. We’ve watched technology transform, energy policies rewrite the rules, and countless solar companies come and go.
Yet through every market change and industry transition, OC Solar hasn’t just adapted. We’ve steadily grown alongside the communities we serve.
This week, as we officially mark 10 years in business, we are taking a moment to look back on our journey. From our humble beginnings as a local startup to becoming one of SoCal’s most trusted home energy partners. Here is a look at how far we’ve come and where we’re headed next.
From a Bedroom in Orange to Innovation Park
OC Solar didn’t start with a sprawling office or fleet of installation crews. In 2016, founder and CEO Vince Curcie launched the business right out of his bedroom in Orange, California. In those early days, our small team wore every hat imaginable, building our reputation one homeowner and one installation at a time.
As more homeowners chose OC Solar, the team expanded, new crews were added, and we moved from our CEO’s bedroom to our first office in Orange, eventually establishing our home in Irvine.
Today, OC Solar has served over 6,500 homeowners throughout Southern California. That growth was built through installations, referrals, employees, industry partnerships, and customers who trusted a local company with their homes.
10 Years of Change in California Solar
The economics of solar look vastly different today than they did in 2016. Equipment costs have dropped, battery storage has become central to energy independence, and flexible financing models, like the OC Solar Energy Agreement and Prepaid Plan, give homeowners far more freedom than traditional cash or loans.
Government solar policies have transformed too. The state moved from NEM 1.0 to NEM 2.0 and then to NEM 3.0. Federal incentives shifted with the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit becoming unavailable after December 31, 2025. OC Solar has adapted through every stage.
10 Years by the Numbers
Since 2016, OC Solar has reached some incredible milestones:
- 6,500+ Southern California homeowners helped
- 65+ Megawatts of solar power installed
- 4,500+ home battery systems installed
- Top Industry Awards, including #1 Installer in California by ConsumerAffairs, 4x Top Solar Contractor, and Panasonic Residential Installer of the Year 2024
- Elite Partnerships & Certifications, including official partnerships with the Anaheim Ducks, Tesla, Enphase, SolarEdge, and more
Beyond the statistics, every single number represents a family who trusted us with an important investment in their home.
The Industry Changed. Our Values Didn’t.
While our operations have grown significantly over the last decade, our foundation hasn't changed. Customer service, transparency, accountability, quality workmanship, and environmentalism are still central to how we operate.
Growth has never changed the expectation that we give homeowners: honest guidance, taking responsibility from start to finish, doing the work right, and standing behind it after installation. Those values helped turn a bedroom-based operation into the company we are today, and they will continue to guide where we go next.
The technology will keep changing. The way we treat our customers will not.
Here’s to the Next 10 Years
Ten years would not have been possible without our customers, employees, partners, and the Southern California communities that have supported us.
To everyone who has trusted OC Solar, worked alongside us, recommended us, or followed our journey: thank you.
We are proud of how far we have come since that bedroom in Orange, and we cannot wait to see where the next 10 years take us.
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