For the City permit steps, including SMUD's approval letter and SolarAPP+, see the Elk Grove solar permit guide. This page is the rate side. It applies in Citrus Heights too, where the City lists SMUD as the electric service provider (City of Citrus Heights agency list).
The SSR in one table
From SMUD's Rate Schedule SSR (effective 1 June 2026, Resolution 26-04-04 of 16 April 2026) and the April 2026 release, read 23 October 2026:
| Rule | What SMUD says |
|---|---|
| Who is on it | Customers approved for interconnection on or after 1 March 2022; earlier customers may opt in |
| Export credit | $0.0960 per kWh from 1 June 2026 (was $0.074) |
| How it changes | Updated every four years, by no more than 30% up or down |
| System size | Intended to offset up to 1.1 times the customer's own use; up to 3,000 kW |
| Battery only | Storage without panels qualifies regardless of approval date |
| Battery incentive | Up to $10,000 one-time per household for enrolling in My Energy Optimizer Partner+ within 90 days of permission to operate |
| Older net metering | Stays on it until moved to SSR "when technically feasible" |
The 2.2-cent raise is about 30% on the old rate, the most SMUD's own four-year rule allows.
What it means for hiring
- Ask for the savings estimate at $0.096 an export. A proposal still using the old 7.4 cents undercounts exports; one using retail-rate net metering, or PG&E's numbers, overcounts them. SMUD territory has its own math.
- Size to the 1.1-times line. Ask the installer for the last 12 months of your SMUD usage behind its sizing. A system far above your use sells most of its extra power at the SSR rate.
- A battery changes the picture. The up-to-$10,000 Partner+ incentive has a 90-day window from permission to operate, so the battery and the enrollment need to be planned together, not after.
- SMUD approval comes before the City permit. Elk Grove wants SMUD's approval letter in the permit PDF, so an installer that has not started with SMUD has not started.
What solar permits show
| Measure | Elk Grove | Citrus Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Solar and battery permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 3,735 | 366 |
| Firms | 115 | 77 |
| Usual filed value | $9,234 | $27,510 |
| Usual days, issue to final | 109 | 55 |
| Five busiest firms' share | 73.0% | 50.0% |
| Firms with an active CSLB license match | 84.3% | 77.9% |
Elk Grove's usual filed value, $9,234, is far below Citrus Heights' $27,510, partly because Elk Grove's file includes new-home solar from production builders such as Lennar Homes of California LLC and Beazer Homes Holdings Nor Cal, and battery permits, which our file counts with solar. The middle half of Elk Grove solar firms usually file between $15,000 and $29,730, closer to a retrofit's real price. Five firms hold 73.0% of Elk Grove permits, and the busiest in the last 12 months was Citadel Roofing and Solar with 298.
Solar permits peak in October (index 182) and bottom out in December (73). A winter contract usually means a shorter install queue.
Compare Elk Grove solar installers by permits →
Typical filed values by firm: Elk Grove solar cost and Citrus Heights solar cost. Citrus Heights installers: compare Citrus Heights solar firms. SMUD's heat pump money is a separate program: SMUD heat pump rebates. Buying or leasing: solar lease vs buy.
What this does not tell you
Our file shows City permits, not SMUD interconnections or bills, so it cannot show who is on SSR versus older net metering, or what any household earns from exports. SMUD's release does not list the full eligibility rules for the battery incentive; read the program terms before you count on the $10,000.
How we know this
Rate rules are from SMUD Rate Schedule SSR, effective 1 June 2026, and SMUD's 27 April 2026 news release, read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Elk Grove and City of Citrus Heights solar and battery permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026; license status is our match against CSLB records by business name and phone.
Numbers come from City of Elk Grove TRAKiT building permits on single-family, duplex, mobile-home and ADU homes; City of Citrus Heights building permits on homes (the city's issued-permits layer), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Is Elk Grove on NEM 3?
Elk Grove's electricity comes from SMUD, a public utility that sets its own solar rate. SMUD solar customers approved for interconnection since 1 March 2022 are on its Solar and Storage Rate (SSR), not a PG&E tariff.
- How much does SMUD pay for exported solar?
The SSR export compensation rate is $0.0960 per kWh from 1 June 2026, up from 7.4 cents. SMUD updates it every four years, and it cannot move more than 30% up or down at each update.
- Does SMUD give a battery rebate?
SMUD's April 2026 release says residential customers who enroll in My Energy Optimizer Partner+ within 90 days of receiving permission to operate can get a one-time enrollment incentive of up to $10,000 per household.
- Can I stay on SMUD net metering if I add panels?
Customers approved for interconnection on or before 28 February 2022 may opt into SSR; the tariff says older net metering customers stay on it until moved to SSR when technically feasible. Ask SMUD before expanding an older system, because a new interconnection approval puts new equipment under SSR rules.
- How big a solar system can I put on an Elk Grove home under SMUD?
SSR systems are meant to offset up to 1.1 times the customer's own electricity use. That cap is the sizing limit to plan around.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- How to check a contractor's license in California
- Do I need a permit for solar panels? Yes: the rule in 12 cities, and how fast they close
- NYC solar property tax abatement: 30% over four years, the $62,500 yearly cap, and why your installer's paperwork decides when it starts
- Provo City Power solar net metering: the 6.742-cent export credit, the 25 kW cap, and the license before you switch on