California's Orange County is known for Disneyland, beautiful beaches and popular state parks. But above all else, Orange County is known for its bountiful sunlight.

That's a good deal for people looking to install solar panels. Better yet, there are incentives you can take advantage of that make the proposition of switching to clean energy much cheaper. For one, the Inflation Reduction Act bolstered a federal solar tax credit that'll let you claim 30% of the cost of the solar panel system once tax season rolls around.

There are plenty of state incentives to apply for in California, as well. Although the state's net metering policy was recently weakened, the Self Generation Incentive Program helps make solar batteries more affordable for as many solar panel system owners as possible. Homeowners falling under certain income brackets can even take advantage of the DAC-SASH program, enabling them to claim a solar panel system installation free of charge. These incentives put California a cut above many of its peers.

Here are the best solar installation companies operating within Orange County.

Best national solar panel companies in Orange County

There are many national solar panel installation companies operating in Orange County, including some of the top national solar companies. Here are CNET's top picks, based on a methodology crafted by our experts.

NRG Clean Power

Best in California and Texas

NRG Clean Power brings one of the solar industry's most confident approaches to its work, offering a price match and 40-year warranty. NRG Clean Power is a solid bet as long as you live in Texas and California. NRG Clean Power does not offer leases or power purchase agreements, but it does provide solar panel cleaning and roofing services as well as a reliable equipment menu.

Palmetto Solar

Best overall

Solar panels are typically low maintenance equipment, but they're also unfamiliar. If you want to reap the benefits of solar but will have a bit more peace of mind if someone else is making sure it's working, Palmetto might be a good fit for you. Just remember to add the cost of Palmetto's monitoring service in to your payback period calculations.

Elevation

Whole home approach

Elevation's focus on your home's energy efficiency isn't the norm in the industry. If you're planning on addressing energy efficiency first, working with Elevation allows you to keep the whole process with one company. Elevation's solar equipment comes from well-established and well-regarded companies. Elevation's warranties on workmanship and weatherization could be a bit longer.

Freedom Forever

Best for cash customers

Include Freedom Forever in your search if you want the backing of a national company that installs a wide variety of the most popular solar equipment available. Freedom Forever also extends a couple of products that take some of the pain and risk out of going solar, like a production guarantee and an escrow option with cash purchases. Online reviews say customer satisfaction has been low of late, though the company says that's changing.

Tesla Solar

Most affordable

Tesla's solar branch seems to be the least loved of Elon Musk's ventures. Even Tesla's Solar Roof seems to get more love.

If price is the thing you won't budge on, consider Tesla. By all accounts, Tesla installs quality panels and makes the closest thing there is to a household name in solar storage: the Powerwall.

Where you might miss out is customer service. Discussion online seems to suggest Tesla's service is a bit of a gamble.

Momentum Solar

All in-house installers

Momentum installs in 11 states without using subcontractors. While using in-house installers doesn't guarantee a better experience, it does suggest you're likely to get a more uniform experience from Momentum. The fact that Momentum backs its installations with a 25-year workmanship warranty hints at a strong belief in its crews' ability. If Momentum is part of your search, consider the warranties against leaks that other companies offer. Momentum's is five years, which isn't the best.

EnergyPal

Most versatile

EnergyPal is more than just a middleman. It'll handle your solar installation from beginning to end while also allowing you to benefit from its proprietary engine and competitive bidding process. The company offers a range of hardware for panels, batteries and inverters, has plentiful financing options and offers responsive customer service support.

Local Orange County solar installation companies

How to determine which solar company in Orange County is best for me

Sunlight is already powering the homes of many residents, with more than 93,000 homes in the county of 3.1 million people using solar panels, according to Bernadette Del Chiaro, the executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association. It's a trend that coincides with a steep drop in solar prices going back to 2010.

"The sunnier it is where you live, the better your solar system works," Del Chiaro said. "The further south you go in California, the better it is for you to go solar. Orange County with its sun and surf is one of the best places in the world to go solar."

If you have concluded solar panels are the right call, the next step is hiring an installer.

Del Chiaro suggests you get multiple bids and make sure the installers are properly licensed with the California Contractor Licensing Board to ensure they're legitimate.

A good contractor will come to the home and explain why a home is a good candidate for solar, and they should give a bid in writing detailing how much you will save and what the benefits will be from installation as well as the available incentives, she said.

"Good contractors take the time and they will do that for free," she said.

Cost of solar panels in Orange County

The cost of a solar panel installation depends on the size of the system put into place: A larger system will cost you more. Therefore, it's advantageous to get to know the price-per-watt costs, as systems range in size via kilowatt.

The average residential price-per-watt is approximately $4 in California, according to Del Chiaro. She said for a typical Orange County house, that would lead to a startup cost of roughly $24,000 if you install a 6-kilowatt system -- but that's before the 30% rebate from the federal tax credit.

Orange County residents can expect to break even on a solar investment with a standalone system in about 11 years, Del Chiaro said.

Another cost that should be considered is the purchase of a solar battery. Batteries can protect you if there is a blackout, but Del Chiaro places the cost at likely another $15,000.

"The battery adds roughly $15,000 to the cost but is also eligible for the federal tax credit, so it adds $10,500 to the cost of the system. But because the battery makes your solar system 'shine' in the evening when rates are highest, it can save you more money than the stand-alone solar system," she said. More than 7,600 batteries are attached to those solar systems built to date in Orange County, according to Del Chiaro.

Here's a look at the cost for a typical solar panel system, according to FindEnergy.com.

Here's a map so you can see the average total cash price, cost per watt and system size for a typical solar panel system in your state, according to data from FindEnergy.com. Values shown don't account for rebates from tax credits or state incentives. Certain states don't have any FindEnergy solar data and are grayed out on the map.

Solar incentives and rebates in Orange County

There are assorted federal and state and programs to make solar a more affordable option. If you live in Orange County, you can look into possible ways to ease costs.

The biggest incentive, of course, is the federal solar tax credit, known officially as the residential clean energy credit. This tax credit provides you with up to 30% of the total cost of a solar installation back on your taxes the next year. 

Installation factors to keep in mind

There is a series of other considerations homeowners have to consider before moving forward with solar installation. These include the angle of a roof, homeowners association regulations and permitting.

Roof conditions: Del Chiaro said the biggest roofing-related issue is whether a roof is overly shaded, possibly preventing enough sunlight from reaching a home. It's also important to note if your roof faces south or west. "If you have a flat roof we can work with that, but if your roof only faces north with shading on the south side, that would not be very good for solar," Del Chiaro said.

Homeowners association regulations: If you live in a residence where there is a homeowner association, that can be an issue. "They can be a real pain in the butt," Del Chiaro said. There is a law in California that blocks homeowners associations from keeping members from solar, but your HOA may still push back or have other restrictions, she said.

Permits: Acquiring the permits to go solar in California can be a laborious process. Del Chiaro said you might have to deal with a building department or a local fire department. "Oftentimes, our local governments don't take the time to streamline that process and it creates a lot of red tape," she said. All of the separate governing bodies in California can lead to potential issues. "Each of them have their own building department, so it is a patchwork quilt of chaos," Del Chiaro acknowledged.

Energy Requirements of a Property: If a customer lives in a small house or apartment building and doesn't use a lot of electricity, it might take awhile for the solar investment to pay for itself, Del Chiaro said. Anyone who spends more than $100 a month of electricity is probably a good candidate for going solar, she said.

How to pay for solar panels in Orange County

While there are ways to decrease the costs, solar panel installation is a large investment involving thousands of dollars. You have to decide which is the best way to finance the project.

Cash: If you have the cash on hand, this is the most straightforward way to pay for a solar panel installation. While this will require spending a lot of money at first, it eliminates interest and fees down the road.

Solar loan: Some solar companies offer solar-specific loans, providing the opportunity for financing and installation from the same company, simplifying the process.

Other types of loans: Some homeowners take out a personal loan or look into home equity loans or lines of credit to finance installation. Be careful of high interest rates, and if you're borrowing against your home equity, note the risk of losing your home if you fail to repay it.

Power purchase agreements: Power purchase agreements create a system where a third party owns your solar system and they sell electricity to you at a discount. California does permit power purchase agreements. 

How we found the best solar panel installation companies

Orange County solar panel FAQs