FAQS

Applications for both the City of San Diego Solar Equity Program and the San Diego Solar Equity Program - County Pilot are reviewed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis.

If the incentive funding is fully reserved at the time of your application, you will be put on a waitlist for project cancellations or for when future funds become available.

Check out the Resources page. Here you will find the Program Handbook, along with other useful documents like the Reservation Request Form, Incentive Claim Form and one-pagers on the program and energy efficiency education.

A $10 million, 10-year program to provide rooftop solar to income-qualified homeowners in certain areas of the City of San Diego at low to no cost to them. By installing solar, families can save tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs over the lifespan of their system.

No. Funding comes from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) shareholder funds as part of its Energy Franchise Agreement with the city. Further, the cost of the program will not impact SDG&E ratepayers.

Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), the Program Administrator, consulted with a dozen technical and community-based organizations to develop the program. CSE will continue to engage these organizations to assess the program’s progress and implement changes as needed. 

Minor updates to the program will be made annually; periodically, updates will include more comprehensive requirement changes. As the Program Administrator, Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) provides an annual progress report on the program to SDG&E within 1 month of the conclusion of a program year. Leading up to this annual report, CSE conducts a group meeting with technical and community-based stakeholders to elicit feedback on program outcomes and gather suggestions for improvements.

This program is designed for families facing the highest risks from climate change impacts and historically low access to clean energy. Eligibility criteria include:

• Owner-occupied single-family homes, duplexes, quadplexes, mobile homes or manufactured homes.
• With total household income of less than 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). In 2025, 120% of AMI for a family of four is $156,950.
• Eligibility during Phase 1 have additional geographic location requirements. Refer to the Eligibility Table on the "Who's Eligible?" page for more details and specific eligibility requirements by phase.

If you do not qualify for the program in the phase for which you apply, your application will be cancelled. You will have to work with the Solar Contractor of your choice to apply again in the phase for which you do qualify.

The County of San Diego Planning & Development Services (PDS) department received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program to fund a pilot program incentivizing the installation of solar PV systems at existing residential homes of low- and moderate-income households in the unincorporated areas of the County. 

The SDSEP-County pilot program will open in mid-November 2025, and it will remain open to applications until the available funding is fully reserved.

A total of $440,000 is available for solar incentives with an additional $20,000 to support electrical panel upgrades on a first-come, first-served basis.

The San Diego Solar Equity Program  - County pilot is designed for families facing the highest risks from climate change impacts and historically low access to clean energy. Eligibility criteria include:

• Owner-occupied, single-family homes.
• Total household income of less than 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). In 2025, 120% AMI for a family of four is $156,950.
• Reside in a disadvantaged community within an unincorporated area of San Diego County. Refer to the “Who’s Eligible?” page for more details.

Applications to reserve incentive funds will be reviewed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis by the nonprofit Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE). CSE will screen applications to ensure homeowners meet the income and location requirements and verify the proposed system size and requested incentive. Upon installation and confirmation of Permission to Operate from SDG&E, the applicant can claim the incentive.

No. You must meet all program requirements set in the Program Handbook, including submitting correct, complete, and legible documents by the dates requested. Incentive funds are not paid until the Program Administrator receives and approves a signed Incentive Claim Form, proof of Permission to Operate from SDG&E, and other supporting documents.