Consumer Protections

California has a number of policies in place to protect the consumers of solar power systems. These policies range from minimum warranty requirements to training of installers as well as an emphasis on coupling energy efficiency with solar power system installation. This section outlines some of these policies.

Solar System Requirements

In order to qualify for a rebate in California, a solar energy system must meet the following requirements:

• The entire solar system is covered by a minimum of a 10-year manufacturer warranty to protect against defects and undue degradation of electrical generation output.
• All of the components are new and unused.
• The solar energy system is intended primarily to offset part or all of the consumer’s own electricity demand. In other words, the system isn’t too big for the customer’s need.
• The solar energy system has meters or other devices in place to monitor and measure the system’s performance and the quantity of electricity generated by the system.
• The solar energy system is installed in conformance with manufacturer specifications and in compliance with all applicable electrical and building code standards.
• The major system components are on the CEC’s lists of eligible equipment (www.consumerenergycenter.org/erprebate).
• All systems, if installed under contract, must be installed by appropriately licensed California contractors in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the State of California Contractors State Licensing Board. Contractors must have an active A, B, or C-10 license, or a C-46 license for photovoltaic systems.  Self-installations are allowed but qualify for a lower rebate.
• All solar equipment sellers must be registered with the CEC, a process that requires proof of an updated license number and be in good standing with the State of California. Registered sellers or installers can be found at www.consumerenergycenter.org/erprebate/database/index.html.
  

In addition, SB 1 requires that by January 1, 2008, the CEC establish additional requirements that cover the following:

• Additional siting and installation guidelines that maximize performance of the system and prevent qualified systems from being inefficiently or inappropriately installed.
• Optimal solar energy system performance during peak electricity demand.
• Appropriate energy efficiency improvements in the new or existing home or commercial structure where the solar energy system is to be installed.
• Rating standards for equipment, components, and systems to assure reasonable performance and standards for compliance with the minimum ratings.