- About the CSI
- Program FAQs
- Cash Back for Solar
- Eligibility
- How the Process Works
- How to Apply
- Documents and Handbooks
- Rebate Amounts and Decreases (program structure) 2007
- Contact Us
- Find Your Utility
- Solar 101
- Federal Tax Credits
- How Photovoltaics and Efficiency Can Save you Money
- Nonresidential Solar
- Solar for Low-Income Housing
- Solar Thermal Systems
How the Incentive Process Works
For your existing home and all nonresidential facilities, when you decide to go solar, a solar installer typically will contact a California Solar Incentive program administrator on your behalf to apply for an incentive and arrange for your system to be interconnected to your utility company's power grid. The installer may also apply for local permits, if applicable.
The program administrator will provide you or your installer with an incentive application form. After the program administrator receives your completed application, it will reserve funds based on the size of your solar project. These funds will be reserved for periods of time indicated in each program, by which time you must provide adequate proof of progress towards installing your system. The administrator will require you to provide documentation to show that you are moving forward with the project.
For the current step in the incentive process that rebates are in, please go to: California Solar Initiative Statewide Trigger Point Tracker - www.csi-trigger.com.
When your system is installed, you or your installer will contact the administrator for permission to connect your system to your utility company's grid. Once your system is approved, you will provide proof of payment to the program administrator and receive your incentive!
A Note about RECs: As the owner of a renewable distributed generation facility, you are the owner of Renewable Energy Credits, or RECs, associated with the production of renewable energy by your facility. A "renewable energy credit" includes all renewable and environmental attributes associated with the production of electricity from an eligible renewable energy resource, subject to certain statutory exceptions. The California Energy Commission maintains an accounting system that records and issues certificates of proof that one unit of electricity was generated and delivered by an eligible renewable energy resource. In short, a REC represents the environmental value of the energy produced by your renewable energy system.
As the owner of a renewable distributed generation facility, you own the RECs for the electricity you generate, and you have the right to decide to keep or sell your RECs. Receipt of California solar incentives does not require transfer or sale of your RECs. RECs may or may not have monetary value in the future in California, depending on numerous factors, including policy and market factors. For more information on the potential value of RECs, you may visit Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory or Solar Energy Industries Association. (Please note: These sites are examples of possible information sources. The CPUC does not endorse or necessarily agree with the information on these sites.). It is your decision whether to sell or transfer your RECs. Be sure to read all of the terms of your installation contract to see if it requires you to sell or transfer your RECs as a condition of installation. As the owner of your RECs, you do not need to agree to any contract language that requires you to sell or transfer your RECs as a condition of installation. Also please keep in mind that other restrictions or requirements may apply.