Some LADWP customers can get free solar panels and battery storage. Here's how

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on Monday launched a program to help low-income families install solar panels and battery storage at their houses or apartment buildings — with 100% of the cost covered.

Residents or apartment owners must apply with an approved solar developer, who generally submits the application.

The state-funded “self-generation incentive program” was launched in June. A total of $280 million is being dispersed across the state, with more than $32 million allotted for the DWP. Customers can choose to do battery storage only, or solar plus a battery system.

Why it matters

The goal is to help low-income DWP customers save money on their electricity bills, while also boosting the power grid’s resilience. By now, California has a lot of solar, but not enough batteries to use all of that energy when the sun goes down. Batteries also help homes keep the lights and air conditioning on during power outages.

The biggest utilities in Southern California — Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — also launched this program in June, with slightly different eligibility requirements.

LADWP was not subject to recent state-level cuts to rooftop solar incentives, called net energy metering, so customers will still get paid back for electricity they generate or store on their new systems at the full rates they pay.

Despite that, rooftop solar adoption has declined substantially in the city in recent years.

David Jacot, LADWP’s director of distributed energy solutions, said rooftop solar supplies about 7% of the city’s power. But the utility is now prioritizing boosting battery storage.

“We really need to start getting more storage online so that we can have that resource when the solar panels aren't generating,” Jacot said. “That period is in the early evening when the sun starts to go down — we call it the solar cliff.”

How to apply

Single-family households making 80% or less than the area median income are eligible for LADWP’s new solar plus battery storage program. That means a family of four in L.A. making $121,150 or less would qualify.

For apartment buildings, at least five of the units must be low-income and located in a pollution-burdened community, or at least 80% of the households in the building have incomes at or below 60% of the area median income.

Solar developers will generally submit the application, so interested customers should first identify an approved contractor. (A searchable list is below.) Applications will remain open until funding runs out.

The new program will fully cover the cost of installation. Solar systems alone cost around $30,000, and adding a battery can tack about $15,000 onto that price, before federal tax credits, which can cover 30% of the cost. The Trump administration is ending those incentives at the end of the year.

L.A.-based solar developer Haven Energy, for example, has already submitted more than 1,500 applications for clients across California and estimates that more than 1,000 L.A. homes could benefit.