Get solar & battery installed on your home
- No upfront cost
- No credit check
- No liens
- No extra bills
Peace of mind knowing you have
- Long term energy savings
- Emergency power backup
- Clean green energy
- Complimentary repairs & replacement
Power Choice
Enjoy all the benefits of clean solar energy with battery backup without the cost of owning or maintaining the system. Power Choice customers lock in a low energy rate with a modest 1.9% annual escalator resulting in significant longterm savings.
- $0 out of pocket
- No credit check
- Simply pay for the energy the system produces through your current bill
Power Choice Battery Retrofit
Maximize your existing solar by adding battery storage. Take advantage of load shifting during high demand hours and enjoy energy backup during power outages.
- No down payment
- No credit check
- Simply pay a nominal monthly charge on your current bill for battery
Power Choice CARE
LIMITED TIME OFFER!
Only 6,000 customers in the state will receive this opportunity!
CARE/FERA customers can have solar and battery installed and can save 55% or more on their existing electric bill.
- No down payment
- No credit check
- State funds for this program will run out. Don’t delay – apply now!!
Certified Solar Partners
PRIME has partnered with qualified solar installers to provide more personalized service to our customers when offering the Power Choice program. The following partners are certified to enroll customers in the Power choice program. If a company is not listed here and has claimed to offer Power Choice, please send an email to the following address with the company information: Channel@Participate.Energy.
Click a logo below to connect directly with a certified partner:
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the qualification requirements?
You must own your home and you must be a PRIME customer. There are no other qualifications (no FICO score review, etc). If you rent, please have your landlord reach out to Marco@Participate.Energy for our Renters Program. If you live within PRIME jurisdiction, but are not currently a PRIME customer, please call PRIME to enroll at 1-800 GO-PRIME.
How do I sign up?
You must be an existing PRIME customer to qualify. Go to CaliforniaChoiceEnergyAuthority.com/PRIME-Power-Choice/ and be sure to have your electric bill ready:
- Enter home address and average electric bill monthly cost
- Choose “Solar Panels + Powerwall” and click “Next”
- Under Power Choice Program, check the “Participate in Program” box
- Click the “Continue to Order” button
- You will now enter your personal information to set up a Tesla account
- After uploading your electric bill, you will be contacted by a Project Advisor
How do I know if I am a PRIME customer?
You will have two sets of charges on your monthly SCE bill. Delivery charges are presented from SCE and represent transmission and delivery services. Generation charges are presented from PRIME and represent energy supply purchased from PRIME on your behalf. If you aren’t sure, please contact PRIME representative at PRIMECustomerService@Pico-Rivera.org.
Where can I find a copy of my billing statement?
If you have set up an online SCE account, you should have the ability to see your billing statements. If you are a PRIME customer, and need assistance finding a recent billing statement, please contact PRIME representative at PRIMECustomerService@Pico-Rivera.org.
Am I locked in a contract?
Yes. When you enroll in the Power Choice program you agree to buy the power produced and energy services provided by the system on a fixed long-term basis locking in energy savings over time. Separately, you will agree to allow Tesla to install and service the system.
Can I opt out of the program at any time?
Yes, but if you opt out of the program after the solar + battery has been installed, you will need to buyout the system at a fair market value.
How long does it take to install the system?
The installation time (construction crew at your house) is about 1 week, but the total timeline from order to install is about 3-4 months. This includes time to receive all the relevant customer information, design and permit the system, submit for interconnection from the utility and prepare for construction. After the system is installed, it normally takes 2-6 weeks to receive permission-to-operate where the system can freely operate and export extra electricity (not consumed or stored on site) back to the utility.
What happens if I sell my home?
When you sell your house the contract transfers to the new home buyer without any additional credit score (FICO) review or customer underwriting of any kind. Additionally, if the future owner wants to own the system themselves, they may buyout the system at “fair market value.”
What happens if I rent out my home to tenants?
With our Renters Program, with landlord and tenant approval, the landlord will give permission to install and keep the system at the home and the tenant will sign up for electric service with PRIME and select the Power Choice tariff. If interested, please have your landlord email Marco@Participate.Energy.
What size is the system that will be installed on my home?
Your system will be custom designed by Tesla designers based on your annual electricity usage and available roof space. When you submit your initial order on the Tesla.com/energy website, you will approve an initial rough estimate, which will be further refined between you and Tesla.
Can I get a bigger system than the suggested size?
Tesla will work with you to design the appropriate system size. If you expect to increase your home electric loads (e.g. future EV purchase, new pool pump, new electric appliances, etc.), you can work with your Tesla Project Advisor who can submit a justification to the utility for a larger system. Generally, you only want to size your system to your total annual loads, so over sizing a system should be based on expected increase in future energy use.
What if my roof isn’t suitable for solar?
A Tesla specialist will work with you to determine if your roof is suitable for solar. If your roof is identified as not suitable for solar then your house will not qualify for the program and your contract will be terminated with no financial penalty, however site remediation up $5,000 can be included in the Power Choice agreement for a modest increase in energy rate. Discuss with your Tesla Advisor for more details.
How long do the solar panels last?
Minimum of 25 years, but the equipment is generally designed for a 30+ year life.
Will I ever need to replace my solar panel or battery?
You are never responsible for solar panel or battery replacement. All future panel and battery replacements are supplied at no additional cost to you, under the Power Choice program.
How do batteries work with solar?
The solar panels generate electricity that gets used by the house. At any given time, if the solar is generating more electricity than the house is using, then the excess electricity charges the battery for future consumption. If the batteries are fully charged and there isn’t enough load on site to consume the solar energy the excess energy will be sent back to the utility and credited to the customer under SCE’s current Net Energy Metering (NEM) program.
Am I required to install the battery with the solar?
Yes, this program is solar + battery. Soon, we will begin to offer the addition of batteries to homes with existing solar.
How much space will I need for the battery?
Each Tesla “Powerwall” battery is about 30 inches wide, about 46 inches tall, and about 6 inches in depth. When you design your system on the Tesla.com website, it will recommend 1 or multiple “Powerwall” batteries for your home. The batteries will be installed using as little space as required by your Building and Safety department.
Where will the batteries be installed?
Batteries are typically installed on the outside of your house, or inside the garage.
Who owns the system?
A fund was established to own the system for the benefit of you and PRIME, which is managed by our financial partner Participate.Energy.
Who is responsible for damage from a natural disaster?
The systems are all fully insured as part of the Power Choice program. Any damage to the system from a natural disaster is the responsibility of the fund (managed by Participate.Energy) to replace in coordination with Tesla, you and PRIME.
What if my system has problems?
All systems under Power Choice are serviced by Tesla using the same service staff and platform as any other Tesla system or customer. A Tesla representative will help understand your problem and resolve any issues you have with the system.
What should I do if I am a member of an HOA?
In the case that your HOA requires approval prior to installing the system, you will work with your Tesla Project Advisor to submit for and get HOA approval. There are laws established in California to support the deployment of solar, so HOA’s can still require pre-approval, but there are multiple laws protecting you from the HOA denying your request to install solar.
Do I need to update my home insurance?
No. The system is separately insured within the Power Choice program.
Do I get tax incentives for installing the system?
No. The tax incentives go to the owner of the system, which is the fund. The fund uses the tax incentives as part of the financial model to provide you power at a lower price and with no upfront cost.
What happens if I sign up for panels but then change my mind a year later and want to own the system at that time?
You can buy out the system at any time at the fair-market-value.
How long does the battery last on average?
The battery and solar will either continue to operate or be replaced by the program throughout the term of your contract (at no cost to you). It is anticipated that the batteries will need to be replaced one time over the term of your contract (again, at no cost to you).
When will I begin to see charges?
You will begin receiving charges as of your “permission to operate” date received from SCE after installation. However, it could take 2-3 billing cycles before the charges are presented on your customer bill.
What will my bill look like?
A Powerwall monthly fixed charge will be presented on a separate line under your (CCA) energy generation portion of your billing statement. Each additional Powerwall, will be listed on its own line See here for example.
In addition to your Powerwall charges, you will also see a line item for Power Choice Solar kWh Generation charges. You have a power purchase agreement (PPA) in place to pay for the power produced by the system. For example, your system generates 100 kWh in a given month, and your PPA rate is $0.145/kWh. You will see a charge of $14.50 for that 100kWh of solar generated by the system.
You may still see (CCA) charges for energy above what was generated by the solar system in a given month. For example, you system generates 100 kWh in a given month, but you used (consumed) a total of 150 kWh of energy during the billing period. In addition to the charge for the 100 kWh of solar generated, and the monthly Powerwall charge, you will see charges for the additional 50kWh based on the current rates your CCA offers. See here for example.
Contact Us
Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy
6615 Passons Blvd
Pico Rivera, CA 90660
customerservice@poweredbyprime.org
1-800 GO-PRIME