Most solar content stops once pricing is discussed. Very little content explains what actually happens after you decide to move forward—how long things take, what decisions really matter, and where time and money are quietly lost.

I installed my solar system in 2025, when federal tax credits were still available. But the process, tradeoffs, and lessons from that experience are even more relevant in , now that incentives are gone and California solar economics are less forgiving.

This article is a personal, real-world walkthrough of my installation in California: the timeline, permitting, installer selection, equipment decisions, design tradeoffs, and first-year production results—including where expectations broke down and what ultimately made the system financially workable.

What the solar installation timeline actually looks like (and where time is really spent)

One of the biggest misconceptions about solar is that installation is either instant or endlessly delayed. In reality, the physical installation is short. Most time is spent on research, coordination, and paperwork.

Here is what my actual timeline looked like in 2025:

On paper, this looks long. In practice, many steps ran in parallel. For example, installer vetting can happen while equipment is shipping; design work often starts before all equipment arrives; and PG&E interconnection paperwork can be submitted as inspection completes.

With the right sequencing and preparation, much of this timeline can realistically be cut in half.

The premium guide captures the lessons I learned so you don’t need to spend months researching, coordinating logistics, or second-guessing decisions. It reflects a system that is already working reliably in the real world, with timing and dependencies figured out ahead of time.

Vetting installers in 2025: why install-only is hard to find (but essential)

This was the most time-consuming part of the process.

In the 2025 market, most solar installers carry and sell their own equipment. That’s where a large portion of their margin comes from. As a result, many installers are not interested in projects where the homeowner supplies equipment.

In my case, I reached out to more than 50 installers in the Bay Area. Fewer than 10 were willing to consider install-only work.

Those who were open to it were typically not operating the full-service sales model. Instead, they were repair-focused solar electricians, contractors servicing systems after full installers went out of business, or technicians familiar with older or semi-DIY installations.

Even within that smaller group, pricing varied widely. Some install-only quotes were still so high that they effectively recreated the same economics as bundled full-service installers.

I ultimately narrowed it down to three installers who met all of the following:

The premium guide includes verified contact details for three Bay Area installers serving Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, and surrounding areas who were willing to take on new system installations—not just repair work—under this structure.

I expect this part of the market to change significantly after . As incentives disappear and margins tighten, weaker full-service installers will likely exit the market. Existing systems will still require maintenance and repair, and demand will grow for pure installers and repair-focused electricians. This creates a growing niche for homeowners who are not DIY electricians but want to eliminate unnecessary sales, marketing, and bundled markup to make solar numbers work.

Permitting in Contra Costa County: simpler than expected

In Contra Costa County, the permitting process was far more straightforward than I expected.

Contra Costa County—including cities such as Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Concord—uses a centralized, online solar permitting system.

The permit fee itself was modest relative to total system cost. The real risk was missing or unclear documentation, not complexity. Once installation was complete, inspection took one day and was uneventful.

PG&E interconnection: paperwork, not a blocker

PG&E interconnection tends to generate anxiety, but in practice it was largely administrative.

Because export value under NEM 3.0 (which began in 2023) is low, waiting for interconnection approval did not meaningfully impact system value or usability.

Microinverters vs hybrid inverters with optimizers: what worked for my home

One of the most important design decisions was inverter architecture.

Microinverters:

Hybrid (string) inverters with panel-level optimizers:

With a pure string inverter (no optimizers), shading on one panel can reduce output across the entire string. Optimizers largely mitigate this by allowing each panel to operate closer to its own optimum—even when neighboring panels are shaded.

Optimizers do not make a string system identical to microinverters. Panels are still electrically connected. But for many partially shaded roofs, the performance difference is small enough that the cost premium of microinverters is difficult to justify.

Because my home has partial shading, uneven winter sun exposure, and required tight battery integration, a hybrid inverter with panel-level optimizers ended up being the best balance.

Real production numbers: my extreme summer vs winter reality

My production profile is not typical, and that’s important to state clearly.

My home sits below a hill, which dramatically affects winter sun exposure:

This is an extreme seasonal swing. In winter, the sun is low enough that panels are frequently shadowed by terrain—even with tree trimming.

Because of this, adding more panels would mostly increase summer surplus while winter production would remain constrained. Exporting excess energy has limited value under NEM 3.0 (effective since 2023). This made my solar investment less financially effective in winter unless paired with a strong battery strategy.

Why avoiding peak hours mattered more than winter production

Since winter production was so limited, the only way to make the system financially viable was to eliminate PG&E peak-hour usage, especially in winter.

By correctly sizing and configuring batteries, I was able to:

For homes like mine, the value is not how much electricity is produced, but which electricity is never purchased.

What this experience means for homeowners installing solar in

Solar in still works—but only when expectations are grounded in reality.

The premium guide documents exact sequencing and timelines, equipment models and pricing, battery sizing for peak-hour avoidance, and Contra Costa permitting + PG&E interconnection steps—so homeowners don’t have to learn these lessons the hard way.

Advanced Guides & Deep Dives

If you want the full “how it actually works in real life” details behind this—timelines, permitting friction, equipment choices, and cost-structure decisions—start with these deeper guides: