How we research and check our guides

Primary sources first

Each guide starts from the people who set the rules. That means the California Public Utilities Commission for NEM 3.0 and the Solar Consumer Protection Guide, the utilities themselves (SCE, SDG&E and LADWP) for rate plans, peak hours and hookup steps, the IRS and federal law summaries for tax credits, the Board of Equalization for property tax, and the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) for licensing and what a referral service may and may not do.

When no official source exists, such as average installed battery prices, we use a dated, named secondary source, say who it is, and word the figure as an estimate. If we can't confirm a fact at all, we leave it out rather than guess.

Every guide shows the date it was last checked. We change that date only when we actually recheck the page against its sources, not to make it look fresh.

How often we recheck

• Utility pages are rechecked each quarter, because SCE, SDG&E and LADWP change rates several times a year. LADWP, for example, updates its rate adjustments every January, April, July and October (LADWP).
• Tax credit, NEM 3.0 and battery guides are rechecked each quarter and whenever a law, court ruling or CPUC decision changes the picture.
• Company and legal pages are reviewed at least once a year and whenever how we work changes.

Corrections

If you think something on this site is wrong or out of date, email hello@goldenhourenergy.com with the page and the fact. We check it against the source. If we got it wrong, we fix the page, update its checked date and say what changed on the page itself.

How the site makes money

The check is free for homeowners. We receive referral compensation from our licensed dealer partner when a homeowner asks to be connected with an installer. That compensation never changes the price you pay. It doesn't decide what our guides say either: a guide that tells you solar isn't a fit for your home is a guide doing its job.

No quotes, ever

Under CSLB guidance, a lead generator or referral service can refer you and set appointments, but can't give you prices or proposals for a solar system (CSLB advisory). Our check shows a general estimate range, labeled “Estimate, not a quote.” Real pricing comes from a licensed installer after a site review.

How we use AI tools

We use AI tools to help draft and edit pages. Every fact on a page is checked by a person against the source it cites before it goes up. Sources are linked in the text so you can check them too.

What we won't publish

We don't publish pages built only to rank for a city or zip code, invented testimonials or review counts, or any claim on the CPUC's list of claims to walk away from. More about who we are is on the about page.