Add Solar and Battery to Your Home for Little or No Cost

Add Solar and Battery Storage to Your Home for Little or No Cost

This summer, San José Clean Energy is offering a new opportunity to help qualifying homeowners save money and keep the power on during outages. With help from California state rebates, you may qualify for solar and battery storage at little or no cost.

We are working with our trusted partner, Haven Energy, to make the process easy so you don’t have to worry about a thing. If you qualify, Haven Energy will:

Take care of the paperwork
Design the solar system and battery storage
Manage the installation
Provide maintenance for 10 years

Best of all, there are no out-of-pocket costs, no credit checks, and no property liens, making it simple and affordable to power your home with clean reliable energy.

How Do I Know if I’m Eligible?

Don’t wait! Act now and reach out today to Haven Energy to see if you qualify. Funds are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Apply Here

What are the Requirements to Qualify?

You must meet ALL of the following criteria:

You must be a San José Clean Energy customer.
Own and live in a single-family home that is your primary residence located in San José.
The single-family home must be under 3,500 square feet.
Have a household income that is 80% of the Area Median Income or less.

Income Requirements

Number of people in household
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Maximum income (80% AMI)
$111,700
$127,650
$143,600
$159,550
$172,350
$185,100
$197,850
$210,650

What are the Next Steps?

San José Clean Energy and our trusted partner Haven Energy help you add solar and a battery or standalone battery to your home through California’s Self Generation Incentive Program (or SGIP), which typically covers 100% of system costs.

Step 1
Visit Haven’s website, where you can check if you are eligible for the offer. After you answer a few questions, you will be able to make a virtual appointment with a Haven Energy Advisor. If the advisor thinks you qualify for SGIP, you can start your application faster by sending a few documents that are required to qualify for the program, starting with your electric bill and/or how much energy you use.
Step 2
Attend your virtual appointment with Haven Energy. They will explain the solar and battery offer, check if you qualify, answer all your questions, and go over a plan made just for your home. If you can’t book or join the appointment, Haven will call or email you to find a time that works best for you.

You do not have to say yes to anything until you feel good about the $0 cost contract and know that there are no hidden fees. To see if you qualify for the SGIP grant, you will need to show proof of income, like a tax return. Haven provides a secure portal to upload all required documents. When you are ready to begin with the offer, Haven will ask you to sign their Energy Service Agreement (ESA). This is needed to apply for the state rebates.
Step 3
After you have uploaded and signed all the needed documents (the Haven contract, proof of income , and the SGIP Reservation Request Form), Haven Energy will submit your rebate reservation application to the State to get approved.
Step 4
Haven Energy will take care of everything – installing your system, connecting it to PG&E, and teaching how to use your new system within 12 months after your SGIP application is approved.

How Long Will the Program Last?

This offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is limited state funding available, so homeowners are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. SGIP started accepting applications in June 2025 and are expected to be fully reserved this year.

Who is our Trusted Partner Haven Energy?

SJCE has partnered with Haven Energy to help customers with the complete process of installing solar and battery storage on your home, from designing the system to installing the equipment.

They are a tech-focused, venture-backed startup that launched in April 2023
The largest developer in the California Public Utilities Commission’s Residential Solar and Storage Equity program
A licensed general and electrical contractor in California
A member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), California Solar & Storage Association (CALSSA), and Better Business Bureau with an A rating
A Google score of 4.8 and a 70+ customer Net Promoter Score (NPS) (excellent/ world-class)

If you have questions or need help, reach out to Haven Energy at hello@havenenergy.com or call (323) 943-1606.

Solar and Battery Storage FAQs

What is California’s free solar and battery storage rebate?

The state’s free solar and battery storage program is known as SGIP, or the Self-Generation Incentive Program. SGIP provides incentives to homeowners to install renewable energy technologies.

The Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) is managed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). SGIP provides financial incentives to homeowners to install renewable energy technologies like solar and battery storage.

The state set up SGIP to support clean, reliable energy solutions for homes and businesses, and to improve grid reliability. Through SGIP, you may qualify for low-cost or even no-cost solar and battery storage.

What are the benefits of solar and battery storage?

A solar and battery storage system lets you generate and store electricity to use whenever you like, which can provide significant bill savings and protection against outages.

A solar and battery storage system lets you generate and store electricity to use whenever you like. By producing your own energy, you can lower your electric bills and pay your utility company a lot less. Any extra electricity gets stored in your battery, which you can use to power your home at night or from 4pm to 9pm when time-of-use rates are most expensive.

Energy savings: Homeowners with solar and battery storage systems can typically lower their electric bill by 90-95%. With rates increasing about 10% every year, those are guaranteed savings for your household.
Backup power: With a solar and battery storage, homeowners can secure reliable power during an outage, running essential appliances for 1 to 2 days.
Lower CO2 emissions: Producing and storing electricity that comes from a renewable resource lowers your household emissions by about 22% a year. New state rebates and incentives offer a chance to secure low-cost or even no-cost solar and battery systems. In California, for example, eligible homeowners can receive a free system through the SGIP program.

New state rebates and incentives offer a chance to secure low-cost or even no-cost solar and battery storage systems. In California, for example, eligible homeowners can receive a free system through the SGIP program.

How do solar and battery storage help me save money?

A solar and battery storage let you generate and use your own energy (which is free) and avoid paying your utility company so much. Together you can lower your electric bill by up to 90%.

Solar and battery storage systems let you generate and use your own energy (which is free) and avoid paying your utility company so much. Post-installation, you’ll be able to save up to 90-95% on your electric bill.

Electricity generally costs the least at night when people are sleeping (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) or during times of peak solar generation (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Electricity is most expensive in the evening (typically 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) when everyone comes home from work and starts to cook, watch TV, do laundry, and run their heat or A/C.

With a solar and battery storage system, you can store surplus solar energy in your battery during times of peak production and use that electricity strategically, avoiding the priciest time-of-use rates.

Occasionally, you will still have to pay your utility for power but having a battery gives you more control over when this happens. There are also monthly fixed charges that we can’t eliminate.

As utility companies continue to increase their rates, solar and battery systems can help reduce the impact to your wallet and maximize your bill savings. Depending on your utility rates and household consumption, this shifting of when you purchase electricity can save hundreds to thousands of dollars per year.

New state rebates and incentives offer a chance to secure low-cost or even no-cost solar and battery systems. In California, for example, eligible homeowners can receive a free system through the SGIP program.

What is SGIP?

SGIP, or the Self-Generation Incentive Program, is a state program that provides financial incentives to homeowners to install renewable energy technologies.

What is Haven’s service offering?

For customers who receive an energy system through California’s SGIP program, the details of Haven’s service offering are explained in your Energy Service Agreement or ESA.

Through your ESA, Haven owns and maintains the system for the duration of your service term. This means you get to enjoy the benefits of solar and battery backup while Haven ensures your system runs at peak performance.

Haven’s service includes:

Maximizing system reliability and performance
Hassle-free maintenance and repairs
Clear, transparent performance reporting
Compliance with California’s SGIP requirements

Benefits of working with Haven:

Hassle-free: Customers don’t need to deal with warranty claims, paperwork, or manufacturer approvals for the length of their contract. Haven takes care of everything.
Quick resolutions: Because Haven monitors and maintains the system, issues are detected and resolved quickly, reducing downtime.
Seamless coordination: Haven ensures that all components (solar + battery) work together and avoid conflicts between manufacturers.
Maintenance coverage: If a warranty covers a replacement, Haven handles it without any additional cost to the customer. Because Haven owns the system for the duration of your ESA, you don’t have to worry about repairs, component replacements, or system monitoring — Haven handles it all.

How does my system get installed?

There are many steps to installing your system – from site surveys to permitting, inspection, and interconnection – but Haven takes care of the whole process from start to finish.

Once you’re approved for an SGIP rebate, Haven can start your installation process. Here’s an overview on the SGIP application process.

How your installation works:

Why can’t my system be turned on as soon as it’s installed?

Haven cannot turn your system on until it is inspected by the City to ensure that it meets code. With a passed inspection from the city, Haven will then work with your utility to file for a “permission to operate” or PTO. This is green light number one.

The second green light we need to get is to have your system enrolled in an approved demand response program, which is an SGIP requirement.

As a reminder, Haven cannot guarantee that you’ll receive a system unless you’re approved for an SGIP rebate by the state. If you’re not approved, they won’t be able to move forward with your project.

For more FAQs, visit the Resources webpage from Haven Energy.

Solar Battery Offer Flyer [PDF]

Disclaimer

The City of San José, SJCE, Haven Energy, and those involved in the development, production, implementation, and distribution of this offer, and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, officials, representatives, attorneys, agents, assigns, and subcontractors (collectively, “SJCE and Affiliates”) shall not be responsible or liable to participants for any losses, damages or costs incurred as a result of participants utilizing the offer or use of a solar or battery system received in connection with this offer. Participants are responsible for all taxes and fees associated with the receipt and/or use of any systems provided under the offer. By participating in the offer, each participant agrees to indemnify, release and hold harmless SJCE and Affiliates, from any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind in connection with the offer or resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of any systems, including without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy.

SJCE and Affiliates do not endorse any manufacturer, vendor, product, design, or claim in promoting this offer. SJCE and its Affiliates do not warrant solar or battery system performance expressly or implicitly. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SJCE and Affiliates disclaim all warranties, express or implied, in connection with any solar or battery systems selected, purchased, or sold in connection with the offer and participant’s use thereof, including, without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. SJCE and Affiliates do not warrant, endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for any solar or battery systems received by participants through the offer, and the City of San José, SJCE, and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, officials, representatives, attorneys, agents, assigns, and subcontractors shall not be a party to or in any way be responsible for monitoring or participating in any transaction between participants and any third-party manufacturer or seller of the equipment relating to warranty claims or otherwise.

Add Solar and Battery to Your Home for Little or No Cost

Add Solar and Battery Storage to Your Home for Little or No Cost

How Do I Know if I’m Eligible?

What are the Requirements to Qualify?

Income Requirements

What are the Next Steps?

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

How Long Will the Program Last?

Who is our Trusted Partner Haven Energy?

Solar and Battery Storage FAQs

How your installation works:

Disclaimer

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