Apply for Energy Assessment

Los Angeles design-build · CSLB #1105249

Solar, battery, and EV charging in Los Angeles. DesignedPermittedEnergized Sized to your actual usage.

Most LA solar quotes are oversized to pad commission. We design to your real consumption — and we run the roof and panel work ourselves.

NEM 3.0 changed the math but did not kill it — solar plus battery still pencils in LA, with payback in 6–8 years against current DWP and SCE rates. What most homeowners don't realize: a $0-down lease or PPA forfeits the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit ($6K–$24K of real money), locks a 25-year contract onto your house, and caps your savings while the leasing company keeps the upside.

GC-quality install, not a sales-org install.

Apply for an Energy Assessment See how we work
  • CSLB #1105249 · Licensed, bonded, insured
  • BBB A+ accredited
  • 30% federal solar + battery tax credit specialists
  • Design + build under one contract

This page is for you if

  • You own an LA home with a usable solar roof orientation — south, southwest, west, or east (flat roofs work with tilt racks).
  • Your DWP, SoCal Edison, PWP, or GWP bill runs $150+/month and you'd like that to be $50 or less.
  • You drive an EV or plan to within the next 2 years.
  • You want backup power during PSPS shutoffs — fridge, lights, internet, one HVAC zone staying on when the grid goes down.
  • You'd rather own the system and capture the 30% federal tax credit than lease for $0 down.

This page is not for you if

  • You're set on a $0-down solar lease or PPA — we'll be honest, that's not our model. We recommend ownership for almost every LA homeowner.
  • Your roof is heavily shaded with no viable orientation. Solar won't pencil; we'll tell you up front.
  • You don't own the property and the owner won't authorize installation.
  • You expect the system to be active the day after install. DWP and SCE Permission to Operate (PTO) takes 4–8 weeks AFTER install passes inspection.
  • You want a $1K EV charger install. Level 2 work runs $1.5K–$5K depending on panel capacity and wire run length.

The value stack

What "GC-grade solar, not sales-org solar" actually buys you

Door-to-door solar reps work on commission tied to system size. That's why their quotes oversize the array, ignore your roof condition, skip the panel-capacity math, and steer you to a lease that captures the tax credit for the leasing company instead of you. We're a design-build GC — we're not paid more for selling you more.

  1. System sized to your real usage, not your roof area. We pull 12 months of bills and design against actual consumption. Oversizing wastes money under NEM 3.0 because export credits are low — you don't get paid much for the extra you push to the grid.
  2. Roof-before-solar assessment. If your roof has fewer than 10 years left, putting panels on it means a $3K–$8K removal and reinstall when you reroof. We assess first; if you need a new roof, we do both as one coordinated project — that's the GC advantage.
  3. Electrical panel sizing for solar + battery + EV. Older LA homes on 100A panels can't handle all three without an upgrade. We model the load math; if a 200A panel upgrade is needed ($3K–$6K), we roll it into the project once instead of you paying mobilization, permit, and inspection costs three separate times.
  4. NEM 3.0 + battery economics modeled with your DWP rate plan. NEM 3.0 dropped export credits; battery shifts your solar use to expensive 4–9pm peak hours where it offsets the most cost. We model your specific rate plan, usage curve, and payback period with real data — not a generic "you'll save 80%" projection.
  5. 30% federal Investment Tax Credit captured on solar + battery + supporting work. The ITC applies to panels, battery storage, electrical work, roofing tied to the install, and permitting. Lease customers forfeit all of it. We document the full eligible basis for your CPA — available through 2032 under the Inflation Reduction Act.
  6. Lease vs. loan vs. cash modeled side by side, honestly. A 25-year solar lease is a contract that attaches to your house and transfers at sale. A solar loan gives you ownership, the tax credit, and full savings — often at a similar monthly payment. We show you all three before you commit to anything.
  7. Roof penetrations done with conduit flashing, lag-bolt sealant, and waterproof membrane under every mount. Most solar roof leaks come from sloppy installs, not the panels. We're roofers AND GCs — we install with the roofing attention solar sales orgs skip.
  8. Permits and utility interconnection submitted in week one. Permission to Operate (PTO) from DWP or SCE takes 4–8 weeks AFTER install passes city inspection. We file the interconnection application as early as possible — sometimes before install completes — to compress the dead-time gap.
  9. Battery storage for PSPS resilience plus NEM 3.0 arbitrage. Critical-load panel design so when the grid goes down during fire-season shutoffs, your fridge, lights, internet, and one HVAC zone stay on for 12–24 hours per battery.
  10. Workmanship warranty for the life of the panel warranty (25 years on most modules). Manufacturer warranties on panels and inverters separately. If anything we mounted fails, we come back.

From the portfolio

A small sample. Project sizes reflect contract value at substantial completion, anonymized to protect client privacy.

NPLD recent work
NPLD recent work
NPLD recent work
NPLD recent work
NPLD recent work
NPLD recent work
NPLD recent work
NPLD recent work

The process

How we build with you

  1. Discovery

    Free 45-minute on-site assessment. We review 12 months of bills, inspect your roof orientation and condition, check panel capacity, identify shade obstructions, and model solar + battery + EV economics under YOUR rate plan. You leave with a sized system proposal, a real payback period, and a side-by-side lease-vs-loan-vs-cash comparison.

  2. Design + Permits

    System design, structural calc for roof loads, single-line electrical drawings, permit submittal to LADBS (or your independent city), and utility interconnection application to DWP, SCE, PWP, or GWP. Typical: 2–4 weeks.

  3. Install + Energize

    Roof prep, panel mount, inverter and battery commissioning, EV charger circuit, panel upgrade if needed, city inspection. Then we wait on PTO from the utility (4–8 weeks). The day PTO clears, we activate and you start producing your own power.

Recent projects

Four LA solar installs, four configurations

Same process, scoped to four very different homes and rate plans.

Contract sizes, savings, and payback periods anonymized per client privacy.

Solar + battery + EV charger · Sherman Oaks

8.4 kW system · $52K contract · $36.4K net after ITC · 6.2-year payback

Jurisdiction
LADBS plan check · DWP interconnection · PTO cleared in 5 weeks.
Components
21 panels · 13.5 kWh battery · 200A panel upgrade · 50A NEMA outlet for a Tesla.
Federal ITC captured
30% on the full eligible basis — $15.6K in tax credit documented for the homeowner's CPA.
Bill before / after
$385/mo → $32/mo. Annual savings: $4,236.
Payback
6.2 years against current DWP time-of-use rates.

Solar only · Encino

6.0 kW system · $19K contract · $13.3K net after ITC · 5.4-year payback

Jurisdiction
LADBS plan check · DWP interconnection · existing 200A panel sufficient, no upgrade needed.
Components
15 panels · no battery (homeowner opted out of PSPS backup) · string inverter.
Federal ITC captured
30% on the full eligible basis — $5.7K in tax credit.
Bill before / after
$215/mo → $48/mo. Annual savings: $2,004.
Payback
5.4 years. Simpler config without battery shortened the payback — tradeoff: no backup during PSPS shutoffs.

Solar + battery (PSPS backup-led) · Calabasas

10.2 kW + 27 kWh battery · $68K contract · $47.6K net · 7.8-year payback

Jurisdiction
City of Calabasas (independent permits) · SCE interconnection · PTO cleared in 7 weeks.
Components
25 panels · 2× Powerwall · critical-load panel covering fridge, lighting, Wi-Fi, and one HVAC zone.
Federal ITC captured
30% on solar, battery, and electrical — $20.4K documented.
Bill before / after
$480/mo → $54/mo. Annual savings: $5,112, plus PSPS resilience the homeowner counted as the headline benefit.
Payback
7.8 years. Battery-heavy configs run longer paybacks — bought primarily for resilience, not pure ROI.

EV charger + 200A panel upgrade · Studio City

$4.8K contract · 1-week install · future-ready for solar

Jurisdiction
LADBS electrical permit · DWP coordination for panel upgrade · no solar interconnection on this scope.
Scope
200A panel upgrade (existing was 125A) · 50A 240V dedicated circuit · NEMA 14-50 outlet for a Rivian.
Why this matters
Panel was the bottleneck. Without the upgrade, adding solar later would have required a second mobilization, second permit, second inspection.
Future-ready
200A panel supports 6–8 kW solar plus battery without further panel work. The homeowner now has the runway to add it whenever DWP rates push the math.
Timeline
1 week from permit to energized charger.

Four solar/battery/EV installs, four configurations, the same documented process.

Average payback across the three solar systems: 6.5 years against current DWP and SCE rates.

The work changes; the process doesn’t.

LA solar service map

We know the LA utility + jurisdiction map

Twenty-four LA-county jurisdictions we install solar in.

Each has its own utility, roof rules, and fire-zone requirements — getting it wrong stalls PTO.

  • Beverly Hills

    SCE territory. Independent city permits (NOT LADBS). Tile roofs common — mounting requires tile-hook hardware. Design Review Board oversight on visible roof arrays.

  • Hollywood Hills

    DWP territory. VHFHSZ — rapid-shutoff devices required at module level. Shade obstructions from canyon canopies frequently rule out heavily shaded slopes; we model production before quoting.

  • Pacific Palisades

    DWP territory. Coastal Commission overlay can affect visible roof equipment. VHFHSZ rapid-shutoff. Post-Palisades-Fire expedited rebuild track includes solar in many cases.

  • Studio City

    DWP territory. Hillside lots south of Ventura require structural roof-load calcs. Older 1950s–60s housing stock often on 100A panels — upgrade typically needed for solar + EV.

  • Bel Air

    DWP territory. Heavy canopy on canyon lots — shade analysis is the deciding factor. View-corridor rules can restrict array placement. VHFHSZ on most addresses.

  • Pasadena

    PWP (Pasadena Water & Power) territory. Independent city permits. Landmark/historic district restrictions on visible panels — rear-roof placement preferred where applicable.

  • Santa Monica

    SCE territory. Independent city permits. Green Building Ordinance favors solar; coastal-zone overlay for visible equipment. Soft-story retrofit projects often paired with solar.

  • Encino Hills

    DWP territory. VHFHSZ + protected-oak ordinance restricts ground-mount options. Hillside structural roof-load calcs required. Large south-facing roofs make this a strong solar zone.

  • Malibu

    SCE territory. Independent city + Coastal Commission. VHFHSZ rapid-shutoff. Off-grid-capable battery configs common given PSPS history — we size for multi-day backup.

  • Hancock Park

    DWP territory. HPOZ overlay — panel placement restricted on street-facing roof planes; rear and side roof planes typically allowed. Tile roofs common.

  • Manhattan Beach

    SCE territory. Independent city. Coastal-zone overlay. Compact lots and tight setbacks mean roof area is precious — sizing to actual usage matters more here than elsewhere.

  • Sherman Oaks

    DWP territory. Older homes often on 100A panels — upgrade to 200A frequently required for solar + battery + EV. Hot-summer AC loads make solar pencil quickly.

  • Hidden Hills

    SCE territory. Independent city (gated). HOA architectural review for panel placement — we coordinate on visible vs. hidden roof planes. Large estates often justify multi-battery PSPS configs.

  • Los Feliz

    DWP territory. Los Feliz Heights HPOZ restricts visible panels on street-facing slopes. 1920s–30s housing stock typically needs panel upgrade for modern solar loads.

  • La Cañada Flintridge

    SCE territory. Independent city. Hillside roof-load engineering, view ordinance considerations, fire-access verification. VHFHSZ rapid-shutoff applies.

  • Brentwood

    DWP territory. Canyon lots have heavy shade — production modeling first. Hillside roof-load engineering. View ordinance can restrict array tilt and placement.

  • Venice

    DWP territory + Coastal Commission. Compact lots; flat-roof tilt racks are standard. Walk Streets and Canals have additional visual overlays for equipment.

  • South Pasadena

    SCE territory. Independent city. Cultural Heritage Commission may review panel placement on historic homes. Mature tree canopy — shade analysis essential.

  • Holmby Hills

    DWP territory. Large estate roofs often have unlimited capacity, but view-corridor and aesthetic restrictions narrow viable placement. Battery-heavy configs typical.

  • Silver Lake

    DWP territory. Hillside roof-load engineering on canyon lots. Older housing stock with knob-and-tube wiring frequently requires service upgrade before solar load is added.

  • Beverly Hills Post Office

    DWP territory (LA city inside 90210 zip — not BH proper). VHFHSZ rapid-shutoff. Hillside roof-load engineering. Fire-access road review for equipment delivery.

  • Calabasas

    SCE territory. Independent city. Green Building requirements favor solar. PSPS-zone — battery backup is the dominant driver here, often led by resilience rather than ROI.

  • San Marino

    SCE territory. Independent city. Design Review Board mandatory for visible roof equipment — rear-roof placement preferred. Tree-preservation ordinance limits ground-mount.

  • Burbank

    BWP (Burbank Water & Power) territory. Independent municipal utility — interconnection process differs from DWP/SCE. Studio-adjacent noise rules for inverter placement.

Twenty-four shown above · we install across DWP, SCE, PWP, GWP, and BWP service territory. Don’t see your area? Just apply — we cover all LA County utilities.

Risk reversal

Where we put our risk on the line

Every NPLD contract carries these operational guarantees in writing. They are not slogans.

  • No oversized-system padding. Our proposal sizes the array to your 12-month consumption. If post-install production exceeds your usage by more than 10% because we oversized, we credit back the cost of the excess panels.
  • Roof-leak guarantee on every mount. Every panel mount carries a 10-year leak-free guarantee. If any penetration we installed leaks in that window, we repair the leak AND the interior damage at no charge.
  • PTO timeline disclosed up front. We give you a realistic 6–12 week activation timeline in writing (install + city inspection + utility PTO), not a "you'll be running next week" sales pitch.
  • Lease vs. loan vs. cash modeled side by side in writing before you sign. You see what you'd lose in tax credit and resale equity by leasing — even if you ultimately choose lease.
  • If a city or utility inspection fails on work we performed, we re-do it at zero cost — including re-inspection fees.

How most NPLD solar clients pay

Paying for solar, battery, and EV

Solar projects at $15K–$80K sit exactly in the Hearth sweet spot. We never recommend leases or PPAs — you'd forfeit the 30% federal tax credit and lock a 25-year contract onto your house. We earn no lender fees on any of the options below.

Pre-qualify in 60 seconds for a solar loan

Soft-credit pull through Hearth, no FICO impact. $25K–$250K, terms up to 12 years, intro-rate APRs available. Combined with the 30% federal ITC, most LA solar projects pencil to a sub-7-year payback even with the loan payment in the math.

Start with Hearth pre-qual

Cash + the 30% tax credit

Pay cash, capture the full federal ITC (worth $6K–$24K depending on system size), and start the payback clock with zero interest cost. For projects $30K and under this is often the best return.

Discuss cash + ITC

Roll it into a renovation or HELOC

If solar is part of a broader renovation, or you have meaningful equity, a HELOC or renovation loan can carry the solar at lower rates than a dedicated solar loan. We model both paths during your assessment so you see which is cheaper for your situation.

Discuss HELOC options

Financing via Hearth (Aspire Financial Services LLC NMLS #1810501) and other partner lenders.

Subject to credit approval.

NP Line Design Inc. (CSLB #1105249) is not a lender and earns no lender fees.

We never recommend solar leases or PPAs. Leasing forfeits the 30% federal ITC, caps your savings, and transfers a 25-year contract to the next buyer of your home.

The team

Who actually shows up

Three named principals — design-build, operations & software, interiors & storage — one accountable team. Same email, same phone, every week of the project.

Design-Build

Netanel Presman

General Contractor & Architectural Designer · CSLB #1105249

Netanel draws it and builds it. Over a decade as a residential architectural designer in LA — plan sets, permit drawings, hillside / HPOZ / coastal pathway, and structural coordination with stamping engineers — and the field GC who walks every inspection, sequences every trade, and signs off the punch list. 100+ completed LA projects across hillside, HPOZ, and coastal overlays. One person carrying design through permit through build means no architect-builder gap, no “that wasn’t in the drawings” fights, no re-coordination after permit issuance.

  • 10+ yrs designing · permit-set author
  • LADBS · 10 independent permit depts
  • Hillside · HPOZ · Coastal · VHFHSZ

Operations & Software

Jason

Design Coordination · Preconstruction · Operations · Systems

Jason runs design coordination, preconstruction budgeting, project sequencing, scheduling, and homeowner communication on every NPLD project. Same email and phone every week — no PM swap-outs. He’s also founder of AskBaily.com, the AI-driven marketplace and business-automation platform for general contractors and specialty pros — live in LA and 18 expansion metros — covering CRM, TCPA compliance (phone-verified consent, suppression cascade, recovery SMS), lead-lifecycle reconciliation, conversational AI intake, calendar & gcal sync, and a native pro mobile app. NPLD’s own back office runs on that same stack, which is why your project gets software-grade operational rigor: every decision dated, every milestone tracked, every neighbor letter logged — nothing living in a whiteboard or a lost text thread.

  • Preconstruction value engineering
  • Preconstruction sequencing · decision calendar
  • AskBaily.com · pro & GC ops platform

Interiors & Storage

Aksana Presman

Interior Designer · Custom Closets & Built-Ins

Aksana handles interior design — finishes, fixtures, lighting feel, and the custom-storage layer most GCs leave to a finish-out subcontractor. Thirteen years specifying closets, mudrooms, and built-ins across LA at three firms, now senior designer at California’s largest design-build custom-storage brand. NPLD clients get her direct line, designer-trade access at her firm, and a closet plan drawn into the framing — not bolted on at finish-out. Married to Netanel; same team, same standards, every project.

  • 13+ yrs custom-closet specification
  • Closet plans integrated at framing stage
  • Designer-trade pricing · curated finishes
Phone
(818) 605‑1388
Call or text. Same number, Netanel direct.
Office
22616 Kittridge St
Los Angeles, CA
License
CSLB #1105249
Bonded, insured, BBB A+ accredited.
Hours
Mon–Fri 8a–6p PT
Email replies same business day.

Apply for Energy Assessment

Before you apply

Common questions, honest answers

Does solar still make sense under NEM 3.0?

Yes — with battery. NEM 3.0 dropped export credits, so selling excess production to the grid no longer pays much. Battery shifts your daytime production to expensive 4–9pm peak hours where it offsets the most cost. Payback in LA on a properly sized solar + battery system runs 6–8 years against current DWP and SCE rates.

Lease vs. loan vs. cash — what should I pick?

Cash > loan > lease, almost always. Lease forfeits the 30% federal ITC ($6K–$24K of real money), caps your savings because the leasing company keeps most of the benefit, and locks a 25-year contract onto your house that transfers to the next buyer. A solar loan gives you ownership, the tax credit, and full savings — often with a similar monthly payment to the lease.

How long before my system actually turns on?

Six to twelve weeks from contract. Design and permits run 2–4 weeks. Install and city inspection run 2–4 weeks. Then we wait on Permission to Operate (PTO) from DWP, SCE, PWP, GWP, or BWP — 4–8 weeks typically. The day PTO clears we activate. Anyone promising you "next week" hasn't filed a real interconnection application.

Should I replace my roof before solar?

If your roof has 10+ years of life left, install solar as-is. If under 10, do the roof first — we coordinate both as one project to avoid a $3K–$8K future removal and reinstall when you reroof. The roof assessment is part of your free energy assessment, no separate inspection fee.

Do I need an electrical panel upgrade?

Maybe. Older LA homes on 100A panels usually need upgrading to handle solar + battery + EV charging. 200A panels often handle all three. We model the load math during your assessment; if an upgrade is needed, $3K–$6K added to scope — once, not three separate mobilizations.

Will I have power when the grid goes down during PSPS shutoffs?

Only with battery storage. Standard grid-tied solar without battery shuts off during outages for utility-worker safety. With battery, we design a critical-load panel covering fridge, lights, internet, and one HVAC zone — 12–24 hours of backup per battery, recharged by solar the next day.

How long is the 30% federal tax credit available?

30% through 2032 under the Inflation Reduction Act, then steps down. The ITC applies to solar panels, battery storage, electrical work, supporting roofing tied to the install, and permit fees. Lease customers forfeit all of it. We document the full eligible basis for your CPA.

Does solar damage the roof?

Not when installed properly. Roof damage comes from sloppy installers who skip flashing or sealant on penetrations — it's an installation issue, not a solar issue. We use conduit-penetration flashing, lag-bolt sealant, and waterproof membrane under every mount. We're GCs and roofers, not solar salespeople — we install with roofing attention a sales-org install skips.

Still have a question? Text or call Netanel directly · (818) 605‑1388

Next step

Apply for your energy assessment

Eight short questions, about three minutes. We’ll pull your utility area and current rate plan before we meet. Pick a slot on the next page. If solar doesn’t pencil for your home, we’ll tell you on the call and recommend an alternative — heat pump, panel upgrade only, or EV charger standalone.

  • Real payback modeled against YOUR bills
  • Lease vs. loan vs. cash side by side
  • Honest fit-check · no sales-org pressure
Apply for Energy Assessment →

Prefer to talk first? Text or call Netanel directly · (818) 605‑1388