State incentives and net metering
Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)
SGIP provides incentives for qualifying distributed energy systems installed on the customer side of the meter, including combined solar and energy storage systems. The residential solar and storage equity part is aimed at low-income households.
CaliforniaStorageLow-incomeSolar plus storage
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Full record for this entry
| Program name | Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Program type | Solar plus storage incentive |
| Administering body | California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) |
| Status as the source states it | The CPUC page states that Residential Solar and Storage Equity incentives were available for reservation beginning June 2, 2025, for low-income residential customers. |
| What it covers | SGIP provides incentives for qualifying distributed energy systems installed on the customer side of the meter, including combined solar and energy storage systems. The residential solar and storage equity part is aimed at low-income households. |
| Incentive amount note | The CPUC states it authorized $280 million for the Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget in SGIP. That is a program budget, not a per-home amount. The CPUC eligibility table lists the Residential Solar and Storage Equity incentive rates as $1,100 per kWh of storage and $3,100 per kW of solar for qualifying low-income customers. |
| Tags | California, Storage, Low-income, Solar plus storage |
| Official source | California Public Utilities Commission, Self-Generation Incentive Program page |
| Checked date | 2026-11-01 |
Source note: CPUC SGIP page read on 2026-10-15 and re-read on 2026-10-18; the $280 million authorization, the June 2, 2025 reservation opening, and the equity incentive rates were all confirmed unchanged, and the rates were added to this entry. Re-checked on 2026-10-22. Profile sections were added on 2026-10-26 from the official source above and the official pages cited in the text; every figure is attributed where it appears. Program terms change. Confirm the current status, eligibility and value for your address in the source above and in your utility tariff before you sign anything.
About this program: how it works
What SGIP pays for, and where the systems sit
The CPUC states that the Self-Generation Incentive Program, or SGIP, provides incentives for qualifying distributed energy systems installed on the customer side of the utility meter. Qualifying technologies include advanced energy storage and combined solar and storage systems, alongside fuel cells and microturbines. For a homeowner, the relevant pairing is usually solar plus a battery behind the meter.
SGIP is not one rebate at one rate. The CPUC publishes incentives by budget category, and the category decides the rate, eligibility tests, and whether funds remain. Check the statewide SGIP home page for whether a budget is open, and the SGIP Handbook for further requirements, per the CPUC.
The Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget and its rates
The CPUC states that it authorized $280 million for the Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget, available for reservation beginning June 2, 2025, for any low income residential electric and or gas customer in California. Paired systems through this budget can function during an outage, provide bill savings, and benefit the grid, per the CPUC.
The CPUC table lists this budget at $1,100 per kilowatt hour for storage and $3,100 per kilowatt for solar. A single family household can receive incentives for a 15 kilowatt hour battery and a 5 kilowatt solar system, with more solar and up to 30 kilowatt hours of storage requiring load justification, and the actual incentive may be reduced to account for the federal tax credit, per the CPUC.
The other SGIP budget categories in the CPUC table
The CPUC table also lists Small Residential Storage at $150 per kilowatt hour, Equity Resiliency at $1,000, San Joaquin Valley Residential at $1,100 for Pacific Gas and Electric or Southern California Edison customers, Large Scale Storage at $250, Non Residential Equity at $850, and Generation at $2,000 per kilowatt. It marks several as available through 2025, so check current status first.
A general market battery and a qualifying low income battery sit in different budgets at very different rates. An installer quoting SGIP should name the exact category, show its CPUC rate, and confirm the budget is still open.
Who is eligible for the equity budget, and who you apply through
The CPUC states that a single family household qualifies through one listed route, including income at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income, current participation in the California Alternate Rates for Energy, Family Electric Rate Assistance, or Energy Savings Assistance programs, or a prior reservation in the Single Family Affordable Solar Homes or Disadvantaged Communities Single Family Solar Homes programs. Its fact sheet describes qualifying apartments as low income housing with at least five units, in a Disadvantaged Community or with at least 80 percent of residents at or below 60 percent of Area Median Income, or in the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing or Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing programs.
The CPUC states that the best way to start is to contact an installer on the Approved SGIP Developer List, and to direct questions to your utility Program Administrator: Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, or San Diego Gas and Electric through the Center for Sustainable Energy. Applicants have one year after reserving funds to meet all requirements, including enrollment in a qualified Demand Response program.
Also in California
- California Net Billing Tariff: Net billing
Compare the quotes this program affects
An incentive only counts when it is named, in writing, in a quote. Line up the quotes you collect in the quote comparison worksheet and check each installer in the national installers directory.