Solar facts for your utility, with the sources attached

Golden Hour Energy helps Southern California homeowners find out whether solar and a battery make sense for their home, then connects the ones who want to go further with one licensed installer. We don't install, sell or price solar systems.

Why this exists

Solar in California changed a lot in a short time. NEM 3.0 became final in 2026, the federal homeowner tax credit ended after 2025, and LADWP runs its own net metering program with rules that differ from SCE and SDG&E. Plenty of solar advertising hasn't caught up. We wanted one place where a homeowner could read the 2026 rules for their own utility, check the source behind each fact, and see an estimate that's labeled for what it is.

How we work

• Utility first. Your utility decides how solar is billed, so every guide and estimate starts there.
• Estimates, not quotes. California contractor rules don't allow referral services to give prices or proposals, and we don't. A licensed installer does that after a site review.
• One dealer, one installer. If you ask to be contacted, your details go to our licensed dealer partner, the one solar dealer we work with, who passes them to one licensed installer. Not a list of companies. See how it works.
• Sources on the page. Facts in our guides link to the page they came from, and we say “about” or “estimate” when a figure isn't from an official source.
• No pressure language. We follow the CPUC's list of claims to walk away from and hold ourselves to it.

Our editorial policy spells out which sources we use, how often each guide is rechecked, how corrections work and how AI tools fit into the writing.

How we're paid

The check is free for homeowners. We receive referral compensation from our licensed dealer partner, and it never changes the price you pay. We're not affiliated with SCE, SDG&E, LADWP, the CPUC or any government agency, and no utility endorses us.

Contact

Questions, corrections or a privacy request: hello@goldenhourenergy.com. If you spot a number on this site that's out of date, tell us and we'll check it against the source and fix it.