Free Solar Panels in California (2026): DAC-SASH & $0-Down

Key takeaways

Real no-cost solar exists, for a few. DAC-SASH, run by GRID Alternatives, pays $3 per watt toward rooftop solar for income-qualified owners in the state’s most disadvantaged areas. Open on October 5, 2026.
Low-income battery money is waitlisted for most utility customers (SGIP equity budget, October 5, 2026).
Everyone else gets a contract. Zero-down solar in California means a loan, lease or PPA, and a homeowner gets no federal tax credit for a system in service after December 31, 2025.
Exports pay little under net billing. SCE’s 2026 average was about 6 cents per kWh on summer days and 3 cents on winter days: panel-only deals often disappoint.
LADWP and SMUD play by their own rules, and the property tax exclusion ends for systems finished on or after January 1, 2027.

About this review

Every California figure here comes from the CPUC, the utilities, GRID Alternatives, the SGIP program site, the Board of Equalization or the IRS, linked under Sources. Figures were checked between September 29 and October 1, 2026; program statuses were rechecked on October 5, 2026. This is not tax, legal or financial advice. See our editorial standards.

When Californians search for free solar panels, they are usually asking one of two very different questions. Some want to know whether the income-qualified programs they have heard about are real. Others want to know the catch behind a $0-down offer from the company at their door.

The short version: California runs genuine programs that can cover most or all of a system, but they are narrow, capped and not what door-to-door reps sell. For everyone else, “free solar” means nothing down through a loan, lease or power purchase agreement (PPA). Under the state’s current export rules, the structure you choose matters more here than almost anywhere in the country.

How to Get Free Solar Panels in California: The Programs That Qualify

DAC-SASH: start here if you own a home in a qualifying area

Disadvantaged Communities Single-family Solar Homes (DAC-SASH) pays $3 per watt of solar. GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit, combines it with other funding to install rooftop panels at low or no cost to the family. You apply to GRID, not to a sales company.

GRID Alternatives: DAC-SASH eligibility formRun by GRID Alternatives for the CPUC. GRID’s eligibility page was rechecked October 5, 2026.

Who can apply: Owners living in their single-family home, on PG&E, SCE or SDG&E, with income within CARE or FERA limits
Where: One of the top 25% most disadvantaged communities on the state’s CalEnviroScreen map
Status: GRID Alternatives said it was accepting applications on October 5, 2026. The program runs through 2030.

Two more programs help income-qualified households. Neither is a free rooftop system.

PG&E and SCE areas, plus local power agencies

DAC Green Tariff (Green Saver)

Type of help: A 20% bill discount from solar farms; nothing goes on your roof, so renters can get it ($20 off a $100 bill)
Who: CARE or FERA households in a disadvantaged community
Status: PG&E’s page said on October 5, 2026 that the program is at capacity and enrolls eligible customers on its own as space opens. SCE’s page could not be read that day.

PG&E: Green SaverChecked October 5, 2026.

Statewide

SGIP Residential Solar and Storage Equity

Type of help: $1,100 per kWh of battery (up to 30 kWh) and $3.10 per watt of new solar
Who: Income at or below 80% of area median income, or already verified through CARE, FERA or similar programs
Status: Waitlist for PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, SoCalGas and LADWP customers on October 5, 2026. Only the budget for customers of smaller public utilities showed open. New applications close June 30, 2028.

SGIP Program MetricsChecked October 5, 2026.

Federal Solar for All: courts ruled the EPA’s termination unlawful in September 2026, and the EPA may appeal. California planned its share mainly for community solar and storage, and on October 5, 2026 we found no homeowner application open. Being “selected” or “pre-approved” by a rep is a lead-generation tactic, not an award. Our California solar incentives guide tracks what is open by utility.

The Credit Moved, Which Is Why Your Doorbell Rings

The federal credit homeowners claimed on their own systems (Section 25D) does not apply to a system installed after December 31, 2025. If you buy solar with cash or a loan in California today, there is no federal credit for you.

The business credit did not disappear. Companies that own leased and PPA systems can still claim it. So the incentive that used to reward you for buying now rewards someone else for owning, and the marketing has followed the money. That does not make a lease a trap, but you are entitled to ask how much of that benefit shows up in your rate.

Zero-Down Solar in California: Loan, Lease or PPA Under Net Billing

Outside the programs above, no California company installs panels at no cost. A zero-down offer is one of three contracts, separated by who claims the federal credit, who owns any battery, and whether your utility allows the structure.

Zero-down structures in California and where each one bites
Structure	Panels belong to	Federal credit	If a battery is in the deal	On LADWP
Zero-down loan	You	None for homeowners	Yours	Allowed
Pros and cons in California: zero-down loan Pros Every bill credit and any battery rebate is yours. The property tax exclusion covers a system finished before January 1, 2027. Cons No federal credit to lower the price. Loans built around a lump-sum “tax credit payment” no longer add up. Can fit if: you plan to stay, use most of your power in the evening, and the loan cost beats a cash price near $19,095 for a 6.70 kW system.
Solar lease	The company	The company claims it	The company’s, if one is included	Only at 10 years or longer, with an option to buy
Pros and cons in California: lease Pros The company can use the business credit you cannot. A fixed payment does not swing with cloudy months. Cons A yearly escalator can outrun export credits that stay fixed for only 9 years. A transfer adds a step to escrow when you sell. Can fit if: a battery is included, sized from your usage, and the final-year payment still beats your bill.
Power purchase agreement (PPA)	The company	The company claims it	The company’s, if one is included	Not allowed on net metering
Pros and cons in California: PPA Pros A weak month costs less, because you pay per kWh made. Cons You pay the PPA price on every kWh, including the ones exported for a few cents. Not available to LADWP homes on net metering. Can fit if: most of the output is used at home or stored, and the price with increases stays below your utility rate.

Lease or PPA in California

Lease: you rent the system

A weak month costs you, not the company. Savings depend on how much output you use yourself.

PPA: you buy every kWh it makes

The company carries the output risk, but an exported noon kWh earns cents and still costs the full PPA price.

For loan terms and APRs, see our solar financing guide.

Under the Net Billing Tariff, a Panel-Only Deal Can Disappoint

PG&E, SCE and SDG&E homes that applied to connect on or after April 15, 2023 are on the Net Billing Tariff, often called NEM 3.0 (net energy metering). Power you send to the grid earns an hourly price that is usually below what you pay. SCE’s 2026 averages: 100 kWh exported earns about $21 on summer evenings (4 to 9 p.m.) but about $3 on winter days. Leftover credits at the yearly true-up are paid out at PG&E’s monthly rate, 2.74 cents per kWh in October 2026. An appeals court upheld these rules in March 2026, and the California Supreme Court declined to hear the case in June 2026.

Value comes from using your own production, which usually means storage. Ask:

Does this agreement include a battery, and who owns it?
Was it sized from my evening use, or is it a standard package?
What export credit does the savings model assume?

Homes that applied by April 14, 2023 keep older net metering for 20 years from connection. Quoting those credits for a new system is quoting the wrong tariff.

If You Are on LADWP or SMUD, Different Rules Apply

Not every Californian is on the Net Billing Tariff. LADWP (Los Angeles) and SMUD (Sacramento) are public utilities outside CPUC rate rules. A rep who cannot say which rules apply to your address has not modeled your house.

What a new solar home earns for extra power, by California utility
Your utility	Credit for power you send out	Lease and PPA rules	Local route to know
PG&E, SCE, SDG&EMost of the state	Hourly export prices, fixed for 9 years	Both sold	DAC-SASH and the DAC Green Tariff
LADWPCity of Los Angeles	Net metering at your rate’s energy price; credits carry forward	Leases of 10 years or more only; no PPAs	Solar Rooftops: LADWP owns panels on your roof and pays you $360 to $900 a year for up to 20 years
SMUDSacramento area	9.6 cents per kWh, any hour	Ask SMUD and the company in writing	Systems approved before March 1, 2022 keep net metering through December 31, 2030

Solar Rooftops is a roof rental, not a bill cut; it was taking applications on October 5, 2026. SMUD’s peak hours are 5 to 8 p.m..

When Californians Should Decline

A panel-only offer at PG&E, SCE or SDG&E. Without storage or heavy daytime use, export credits rarely justify a contract that runs for decades.
A roof that needs replacing. Removing and reinstalling an array is an expensive mistake in sequencing.
You expect to sell soon. A lease transfer adds friction to escrow, and the payback will not have arrived.
Low evening use and no battery. If you cannot use your own production, you are selling it for cents.
Savings that depend on the expired homeowner credit. That model is simply wrong.

The California Offer Audit

Which utility rules did you model for my address?
The wrong utility makes the whole quote wrong.
Does the quote show a federal tax credit for you?
For a homeowner in 2026, every payback figure under that line is wrong.
Show me panel-only next to solar plus storage.
If panel-only looks excellent at today’s export prices, the model is broken.
When will the system be finished?
The property tax exclusion under Revenue and Taxation Code section 73 covers systems finished before January 1, 2027. Get the date in writing.
What is your contractor license number?
Look it up on the Contractors State License Board site (cslb.ca.gov) and match the name on your contract exactly.

Walk away from “you have been selected for a state program” and from any signature required tonight.

Learn the solar scam warning signs.

Get California Quotes With and Without a Battery

Ask each installer for a cash price, a zero-down price, and a panel-only model next to solar plus storage, all on your utility’s export rules.

ZIP code, then a few home questions

This is a commercial quote request, not a DAC-SASH or SGIP application. Installers and financing depend on your ZIP code and home. For DAC-SASH, use GRID Alternatives’ eligibility form.

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More California Solar Guides

California Solar FAQs

Are solar panels free in California?

For most households, no. DAC-SASH can cover most or all of a rooftop system for income-qualified owners in disadvantaged communities, and you apply through GRID Alternatives. Everyone else is offered a loan, lease or PPA with nothing down.

Can I get zero-down solar in California?

Yes. Installers offer zero-down loans, leases and PPAs at PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. LADWP homes can lease for 10 years or more but cannot use a PPA on net metering. Compare each against the cash price.

Is there still a federal tax credit for California homeowners?

Not for homeowners. The credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Companies that own leased and PPA systems can still claim the business credit.

Do I need a battery with a $0-down solar deal in California?

At PG&E, SCE and SDG&E, usually yes. Exports earn hourly prices that are mostly below your rate, so value comes from using your own power. SMUD pays 9.6 cents per kWh for exports and LADWP still credits at the energy price, so those homes need their own math.

Will solar raise my property taxes in California?

Not for a qualifying system finished before January 1, 2027: 100% of its added value is left out of your assessment, owned or leased. A bill to extend it (AB 2389) did not pass, so a system finished later may be assessed.

What happened to SGIP for home batteries?

The general SGIP budgets could not reserve funds after December 31, 2025. Only the income-qualified equity budget is left, and on October 5, 2026 it was on a waitlist for most utility customers.

Sources and review

California figures were checked between September 29 and October 1, 2026, and program statuses on October 5, 2026, against these sources. The administrator’s current page always wins.

Read our editorial standards.

Free Solar Panels in California (2026): Real Programs vs Zero-Down Pitches