The RSSE Rebate: Free or Low-Cost Solar + Battery for Eligible PG&E Homeowners

California just made going solar and adding battery backup more affordable than ever for low-income households in PG&E territory. If you qualify, you could receive over $30,000 in rebates through the Residential Solar Storage Equity (RSSE) program — a game-changing incentive that covers solar AND battery storage.

🔋 What Is RSSE?

The RSSE rebate is part of California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). It's designed to make solar and battery backup accessible to households that need it most — especially those in disadvantaged communities or who struggle with power outages during wildfire season.

💰 How Much Can You Get?

Eligible homeowners may receive:

• $3,100 per kilowatt (kW) of solar panels

• $1,100 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of battery storage

👉 For example, a 5 kW solar system + a 13.5 kWh battery like the Tesla Powerwall could qualify for:

• $15,500 in solar rebates

• $14,850 in battery rebates
  = $30,350 total!

✅ Who Qualifies?

To be eligible, you must:

• Own and live in a single-family home within PG&E territory

• Have a household income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI)
  OR be enrolled in programs like:

  • CARE (California Alternate Rates for Energy)

  • FERA (Family Electric Rate Assistance)

  • ESA (Energy Savings Assistance)

  • SASH or DAC-SASH (low-income solar programs)

These programs are in place to support Californians who need resilient, affordable energy — especially as climate-driven outages and energy costs rise.

Promotional graphic by Ally Electric and Solar Inc. showing a home with rooftop solar panels and a Tesla battery, highlighting over $30,000 in rebates through California’s Residential Solar Storage Equity (RSSE) program for eligible low-income PG&E customers

Household Size	Contra Costa County	Alameda County	Marin County	Santa Clara County
1	$84,600	$84,600	$108,300	$102,300
2	$96,650	$96,650	$123,800	$116,900
3	$108,750	$108,750	$139,250	$131,500
4	$120,800	$120,800	$154,700	$146,100
5	$130,500	$130,500	$167,100	$157,800
6	$140,150	$140,150	$179,500	$169,500
7	$149,800	$149,800	$191,850	$181,200
8	$159,500	$159,500	$204,250	$192,900

Call us at (510) 559-7700 or email us at nsaglam@allyelectricandsolar.com

Fill out the form to inquire further.

🔋 New SGIP Battery Sizing Rules for Standalone Storage: What California Homeowners Need to Know in 2025

California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) continues to be one of the best ways to reduce the cost of installing a home battery. But if you're planning to apply for a rebate in 2025, it’s crucial to understand the new sizing rules introduced by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) under Resolution E-5360.

These changes took effect on December 19, 2024, and they significantly impact how large your battery system can be — especially if you're installing standalone storage (a battery not connected to solar panels).

⚖️ What Changed?

Under the new rules:

• SGIP now sizes battery systems based on energy (kWh), not power (kW)

• The old 10 kW sizing threshold has been replaced by a 15 kWh threshold

• If your system is larger than 15 kWh, you must justify the size with actual energy usage data

• There is now a 30 kWh cap for all systems applying through the residential equity budget

📐 How to Justify Standalone Battery Size

If you're installing a standalone battery and want a system larger than 15 kWh, here's what you need:

You must use:

The average daily energy consumption from 4 PM to 9 PM
during a summer calendar month (June, July, or August)

This specific 4–9 PM window aligns with California’s peak demand period, when the grid is most stressed and energy is most expensive. SGIP wants to ensure batteries are used during these hours.

🧠 Example:

Let’s say you're applying in July 2025 and you provide usage data from June 2025.

• Your utility data shows that during June, your household used an average of 15.6 kWh per day between 4–9 PM

• Based on this, you’re eligible to install a battery up to 15.6 kWh in capacity

• If you wanted to install two Tesla Powerwalls (which total 27 kWh), you’d need to prove your average usage during that time window was at least 27 kWh/day

⚠️ If you don’t have enough usage to justify the size, SGIP will not approve your rebate for the full system.

🚫 Residential Cap: 30 kWh Max

Even if your data supports a larger system, SGIP limits residential equity projects to a maximum of 30 kWh.

✅ When No Justification is Needed

If your standalone battery system is 15 kWh or less, you don’t need to submit any usage data at all. This makes one Tesla Powerwall (13.5 kWh) an easy choice for many homeowners who want to skip the paperwork.

🧾 What You’ll Need to Apply

• Interval usage data from your utility (typically Green Button format)

• A simple calculation of your average daily 4–9 PM energy use during a summer month

• A sizing worksheet or justification form (varies by program administrator)

💡 Should You Pair Storage With Solar?

If you're having trouble justifying a larger standalone battery, you might consider pairing it with solar. Paired systems follow different rules — sizing is based on excess solar production, not your load. That can sometimes allow for larger batteries (we'll cover this in a separate post).

🏡 Bottom Line

If you're planning to install a standalone battery system in California and apply for the SGIP rebate, make sure you:

• Understand your 4–9 PM summer usage

• Stay below the 30 kWh cap

• Use June, July, or August data to justify your system if it’s over 15 kWh

Have questions about your usage data or whether your home qualifies for SGIP? We can help you analyze your numbers and design a right-sized system that qualifies for incentives.

Need help with your SGIP application or battery sizing? Reach out to our team — we’re here to make the process simple. CALL US AT 510-559-7700 or email nsaglam@allyelectricandsolar.com

Revolutionizing Home Energy with FranklinWH's Generator Module and V2L Technology

In today's world, ensuring reliable home energy is more crucial than ever. At Ally Electric and Solar, we are dedicated to offering our customers the most innovative and robust energy storage solutions. That's why we're incredibly excited to highlight FranklinWH and their cutting-edge technologies designed to enhance home energy resilience.

FranklinWH is leading the charge in home energy innovation, particularly with their Generator Module and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology. These features are not just add-ons—they represent a fundamental shift in how we think about home energy security. By allowing multiple energy sources to integrate seamlessly into the FranklinWH system, homeowners gain unprecedented flexibility and reliability, especially during power outages.

What Makes FranklinWH Stand Out?

FranklinWH distinguishes itself by focusing on multi-source energy integration. Here's how:

• Generator Module: This module enables homeowners to integrate fuel-powered generators and even electric vehicles (EVs) directly into their home energy system. This ensures uninterrupted power, as you can seamlessly switch between grid power, battery storage, and generator power.

• Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) Technology: With V2L, your electric vehicle transforms into a mobile power source. During an outage, your EV can provide backup power to your home, effectively extending your energy reserves.

These technologies work together to create a highly resilient energy ecosystem. Instead of relying solely on the grid or a single backup source, FranklinWH's system supports a diversified approach, enhancing reliability and efficiency.

Call us to find out more:

• How the Generator Module allows homeowners to integrate fuel-powered generators and EVs for uninterrupted power.

• The benefits of V2L technology, enabling EVs to serve as a backup power source during outages.

• How FranklinWH’s system supports multi-source energy integration for enhanced reliability and efficiency.

At Ally Electric and Solar, we are excited to partner with FranklinWH to bring these innovative energy storage solutions to your home. Whether you're looking to enhance your energy independence or ensure reliable backup power, FranklinWH's technology offers the future of home energy resilience.

Stay connected with us for more updates on FranklinWH and how we can help you power your home's future!