Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
LADWP solar: LA's quiet advantage.
LADWP never adopted NEM 3.0. Exported solar in Los Angeles still earns retail-rate credit — which makes LADWP territory one of the last places in California where a well-designed solar-only system pays for itself. Here's the honest picture, from an installer that works DWP paperwork every week.
Why LADWP is different.
LADWP is a municipal utility — the largest in the country — and it is not governed by the CPUC decisions that reshaped solar for SCE, PG&E, and SDG&E customers. When NEM 3.0 cut export compensation by roughly 75% for those utilities in 2023, LADWP kept its own retail-rate net metering. A kilowatt-hour of exported solar in Los Angeles is worth roughly 5.6× more than the same kilowatt-hour exported under SCE's NEM 3.0 avoided-cost rates.
With LADWP's effective residential rates around 26–31¢/kWh and scheduled increases stacking up, locking in your own production is the hedge — and unlike most of Southern California, you don't need a battery to make the math work here.
SoCal Solar Index · August 2026
Los Angeles ranks #2 of 94 Southern California cities for estimated year-1 solar savings — ~$4,270 on a standard 8 kW system at 28.0¢/kWh under LADWP municipal net metering.
Source: the SoCal Solar Index — our free, citable dataset (CC BY 4.0).
The honest trade-offs.
Solar-only still pencils
Retail-rate exports mean a right-sized array pays for itself without storage — the opposite of the SCE math. We size to your actual usage and rate zone, not to the biggest roof that fits.
Batteries are optional — we say so
On LADWP a battery is a resilience decision, not a payback rescue. And SGIP (the CPUC battery rebate) doesn't apply to LADWP customers — any quote promising it here is a red flag. We model both paths and let you choose.
Fast permits, slow interconnection
LADBS issues residential solar permits instantly through express e-permitting — but DWP interconnection runs slower than the IOUs. We submit it right the first time, chase it weekly, and quote you a realistic timeline up front.
What we install in LADWP territory.
- Solar installationCustom-designed systems, owner-reviewed, sized to your LADWP rate zone.
- Tesla Powerwall 3Certified installer — new systems and retrofits to existing solar.
- Solar repair & maintenanceDiagnostics and repair across LA — including orphaned systems.
- EV charger installationLevel 2 charging under our C-10 electrical license, permits handled.
CSLB License #982201 (C-10 Electrical) · Tesla Certified Installer · verify our credentials
LADWP solar questions, answered straight.
Does NEM 3.0 apply to LADWP customers?
No. NEM 3.0 is a CPUC decision that binds California's investor-owned utilities — SCE, PG&E, and SDG&E. LADWP is a municipal utility that runs its own net metering program and never adopted the 2023 export cuts. Exported solar in LADWP territory still earns credit at retail-like rates, which is why solar-only systems can still pay for themselves in Los Angeles when they no longer can a few miles away in SCE territory.
What does LADWP pay for the solar I export?
LADWP's net metering credits exports against your consumption at retail-like value — effectively in the range of LADWP's residential rates (roughly 26–31¢/kWh effective, tier- and zone-dependent), versus the ~5¢/kWh avoided-cost rate SCE pays under NEM 3.0. We model your exact rate schedule and zone rather than quoting a generic number — the design decisions fall out of your actual tariff.
Is a battery worth it on LADWP?
Honestly: on LADWP the battery case is resilience first, economics second — the opposite of SCE territory. Because exports still earn retail-like credit, you don't need storage to rescue the payback math. What a battery buys you in LA is outage protection and independence from future rate design changes. One important note: SGIP, California's battery rebate, is a CPUC program for investor-owned-utility customers — LADWP households aren't eligible, so treat any quote dangling SGIP money here as a red flag. We check LADWP's own current programs at design time.
How long does LADWP interconnection take?
This is LADWP's honest weak spot: the city permit is often instant (LADBS express e-permitting through PermitLA), but LADWP's interconnection and meter work run slower than the investor-owned utilities — timelines vary by district and season. We handle the DWP paperwork end to end, submit everything correctly the first time, and chase it so you don't have to. We'll give you a realistic timeline for your address up front, not a best-case one.
Do you install Tesla Powerwall in LADWP territory?
Yes — we're a Tesla Certified Installer and install Powerwall 3 across Los Angeles, both with new solar and as retrofits to existing systems. On LADWP we'll tell you plainly that the battery is optional for the economics — see our best-battery-for-LADWP guide for when it genuinely makes sense.
See what your roof earns under LADWP's actual rules.
Free assessment modeled on your real rate schedule and zone — transparent, owner-reviewed pricing, and a realistic DWP timeline. No pressure.