Orange County gets close to 280 sunny days a year, which makes it one of the better places in the country to put panels on a roof. But the financial picture for solar has shifted quite a bit recently, and it’s worth understanding before you start collecting quotes.
The Federal Tax Credit Landscape Changed in 2026
For years, the 30% federal solar tax credit was the anchor of most homeowners’ math on going solar. That changed with tax legislation passed in 2025: the residential credit for customer-owned systems is no longer available for systems placed in service in 2026 and beyond. If you’re purchasing a system outright or financing it with a loan, that federal credit is off the table now.
That doesn’t mean incentives disappeared entirely. Solar leases and power purchase agreements, where a third party owns the system and you simply pay for the power it produces, can still tap into a separate commercial credit, and some of that savings gets passed along as a lower monthly rate. Financing options and eligibility change often, so the right move is to ask us what’s currently available for your situation, and to confirm anything incentive-related with a tax professional before you file.
What Actually Matters When You Compare Quotes
With the tax credit picture more complicated, the fundamentals of the system itself matter more than ever. Worth asking any installer, including us: what panel brand is actually being installed and whether it’s a Tier 1 manufacturer, whether a battery is included or optional given how NEM 3.0 pays for exported power, who handles the permitting with your city and Southern California Edison, and what the workmanship warranty actually covers beyond the panel manufacturer’s own warranty.
We install Tier 1 solar panels paired with Tesla Powerwall battery backup, sized around how your specific household actually uses power. If you’d like a straightforward estimate for your home, reach out and we’ll walk you through what current financing and system options look like.
Related reading: Learn more about home solar panel cost, adding battery storage, solar lease vs. Energy Service Agreement, and NEM 3.0 and why batteries matter. Have questions about your own project? Contact Energy-SBC for a free consultation.