Propel solar for LADWP customers became available on July 7, 2026, with prepaid discounts of about 25% to 40% off a cash price. Because LADWP is not under NEM 3.0, the math differs from SCE, and a battery is optional. See a worked payment example, eligibility checks and when cash or a loan wins.
Propel solar for LADWP customers has been available since July 7, 2026. It is a prepaid solar and battery agreement with Enphase hardware and a path to ownership after year five. Because LADWP credits solar near the retail rate, a battery is optional, and your own bill decides whether Propel beats cash or a loan.
You live in Los Angeles, and your neighbor across the city line is on Southern California Edison. She keeps complaining about NEM 3.0 and tiny export credits. You, on the other hand, are on LADWP and your solar would still be credited close to the retail rate. Then your installer mentions Propel, a prepaid solar and battery program built for the very rules your neighbor is fighting. Does Propel solar for LADWP customers even work for you?
Here is what you will learn: whether Propel is real for LADWP homes, how LADWP changes the math, what a prepaid agreement costs in a worked example, and what to check before you sign.
Yes. SolSource Solutions announced on July 7, 2026 that Propel now reaches Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers and customers of 16 other California utility districts. The SolSource announcement also covers Austin Energy in Texas.
Propel is a prepaid solar and battery agreement. You prepay with cash or a fixed-payment loan from TriBeam Financial, a third party owns the system at first, and you have the option to own it after year five. Enphase is the exclusive supplier of microinverters and batteries, and Greentech Renewables handles distribution. The release does not name the 16 other districts, so eligibility is checked by address and utility. For the full partnership story, read our post on the Enphase and Propel partnership.
If your address is inside the City of Los Angeles, you are usually an LADWP customer, and your bill will say so. Some neighboring cities are served by SCE instead, so check a recent bill before you plan around any rule. If you are exploring battery rebates too, our guide to LADWP solar battery incentives shows what is on the table.
Your utility matters more than the program name. LADWP is a city-owned utility, so it is not covered by the state's NEM 3.0 decision.
Solar.com's July 2026 LADWP guide says LADWP credits excess daytime solar at close to the retail rate, roughly one to one. LAist makes the same point. That is a big difference from SCE, PG&E and SDG&E customers, whose exports are worth only a few cents.
The same guide lists two common residential plans. Schedule R-1A is tiered and runs from 24 to 41 cents per kWh. Schedule R-1B is time-of-use, runs from 25 to 35 cents, and lists weekday peak pricing from 1 PM to 5 PM. Average 2026 residential rates run roughly 24 to 28 cents per kWh. Confirm your own plan and peak window on your bill, because they decide how a battery would be used. The San Fernando Valley sits in the hotter Zone 2.
Solar.com says a battery is not financially required with LADWP solar, though it adds backup power. That changes the question. In SCE territory a battery is the only way to make the math work. In LADWP territory it is a choice about backup and resilience.
The cost depends on your quote. Our Propel prepaid lease explainer walks through the structure. Here is a simple LADWP-style example.
Assume a system with a $30,000 cash price. Solar.com cites Propel-style discounts of 25% to 40% off cash. We will finance each line at about 8.99% APR over 25 years, a rate Solar-Advisors publishes. Other sources show a range, so use your own quote. These are illustrations, not quotes.
OptionAmount financedMonthly paymentStandard loan, no discount$30,000About $252Prepaid at 25% off$22,500About $189Prepaid at 30% off$21,000About $176Prepaid at 35% off$19,500About $164
Now compare that with what solar saves. Say your system offsets 700 kWh a month and your blended rate is 26 cents. That is worth about $182 a month today. At a 30% discount, the payment is about $176, close to the bill savings, and it stays fixed while LADWP rates can rise. Use our solar calculator to test your own usage.
A Propel payment is fixed, but your utility rate is not. If LADWP rates rose 3% a year, which is an assumption and not a forecast, that $182 of monthly savings would grow to about $237 by year 10. The fixed payment would stay near $176. That gap is why a fixed prepaid payment can look better each year, as long as your system keeps producing.
Propel installers report that discounts are larger on systems that include a battery. Because LADWP pays close to retail for exports, a solar-only system can still work well. Ask for both a solar-only and a solar-plus-battery quote so you can see which discount fits your goals.
Propel can win when you want a lower upfront price, a fixed payment with no escalator, and a battery for backup. The owner claims a commercial tax credit and passes value to you as a discount. A homeowner who buys with cash or a loan gets no federal credit now, because the homeowner credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025.
Cash or a loan can win when you want to own the equipment from day one, plan to sell within five years, or want more choice of hardware. Propel uses Enphase microinverters and batteries with approved panels, so your equipment choice is narrower. Our comparison of Propel, Participate and Maxwell Power shows how the prepaid options differ, and our solar battery cost guide covers what a battery adds.
SolSource did not name every district it added, so ask your installer to confirm that your exact address and utility are eligible before you spend time on design. Ask which agreement type applies in your state: an energy services agreement, a prepaid lease or a prepaid PPA. Solar-Advisors, an installer-affiliated referral site, reports a 660 minimum FICO score when you finance the prepayment, so ask which path your quote assumes.
Ownership is designed to transfer after year five, but the formula, the date and any fees come from your contract. A verbal promise of a zero-dollar buyout is not a contract term. Ask who holds the loan and in what lien position.
Concert Finance says the Propel loan has no prepayment penalty and can be transferred if you sell. Still, tell your agent and title company early, especially if you may sell before year five.
We are based in Encino, so LADWP homes are close to home for us. Every consultation starts with a real 12-month bill analysis that uses your LADWP bill, which shows your rate plan, your usage and whether a battery earns its place.
Our pricing starts from factory-direct Qcells pricing, 15% to 20% below market, and the panels are American-made in Dalton, Georgia. Propel pairs approved panels, including Qcells, with Enphase microinverters and batteries. Our 25-year comprehensive warranty covers the install, and most projects reach permission to operate in 3 to 4 weeks. Read whether you can use Qcells panels with non-Qcells batteries and our Qcells battery backup guide before you decide.
Compare cash, a standard loan and Propel at the same APR and term. A cash price padded with fees makes the savings look bigger than they are.
Get a solar-only design and a solar-plus-battery design. LADWP's near-retail credits mean either can work, and the right one depends on how much you value backup.
Ask how your system performs on R-1A and R-1B. The plan you choose can shift your savings by hundreds of dollars a year.
Propel solar for LADWP customers is real, and the numbers can work because LADWP still credits solar close to retail. In our example, a 30% discount brought the payment to about $176 a month against about $182 in bill savings. Your own bill decides the real answer.
US Power helps Los Angeles homeowners compare Propel, cash and loans side by side, starting from factory-direct Qcells pricing, a real 12-month bill analysis and a 25-year comprehensive warranty. To see your numbers, book your free 12-month bill analysis and we will price each option for your address.
The best financing is the one your own bill can prove.
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