Over the past few months, our primary goal at EnergySage was to support Californians in locking in higher solar savings before the Golden State’s net metering policy changed on April 15, 2023. A foundational solar policy, net metering is when your utility company compensates you for the excess electricity your system generates and sends to the grid. California’s new policy, Net Metering 3 (NEM 3) or the Net Billing Tariff (NBT), dropped the compensation rate by about 75% for new solar owners, compared to its former net metering policy, NEM 2. 

We helped thousands of homeowners find the right solar installer and submit their applications to lock in NEM 2 rates for 20 years under the grandfathering clause, but installers received a historic number of requests, and some Californians didn’t meet the deadline. If you’re in this camp, or if you’re just starting the solar shopping process now, you might be wondering if solar is still worth it in California. Our resounding answer is yes, it’s still worth it, and there are two main steps you can take to get the most out of solar under NEM 3: get a battery and go solar this year.