Use this guide
Choose the questions relevant to your situation. Expand each answer, save the checklist and request written clarification where evidence is missing.
Questions homeowners ask
Is the CPUC guide signature requirement statewide for every utility?
The CPUC identifies residential interconnection applications in PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Bear Valley Electric Service, PacifiCorp and Liberty service areas. Confirm your serving utility; do not extend that listed requirement automatically to a municipal utility or another project category.
Source: CPUC: current consumer guide and version transition. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
When does the announced Version 4 transition apply?
The CPUC currently states that interconnection applications containing installation contracts signed December 15, 2026 or later must include Version 4. That is a future date at this guide’s October 6 review. Ask the provider which current version and addendum apply to your actual contract.
Source: CPUC: current consumer guide and version transition. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Should I have time to read before signing?
Yes. The CPUC says customers must have time to read the consumer guide thoroughly before signing and recommends providing it at first contact. Ask for the complete documents and time to review them; avoid treating a tablet’s signature screen as the full review.
Source: CPUC: current consumer guide and version transition. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Is the consumer guide the same document as the solar disclosure?
No. CSLB describes a separate Solar Energy System Disclosure Document for the contract’s front or cover page. It covers costs and payments including financing, complaint information and the applicable cancellation period. Keep this separate from the CPUC guide and the signed project agreement.
Source: CSLB: solar disclosure documents and language requirements. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
What language should the contract and disclosure use?
CSLB states that the sale, financing or lease contract and solar disclosure must use the language principally used in the oral sales presentation or provided marketing material. Ask the provider to resolve a mismatch before signing, rather than relying on an informal verbal translation.
Source: CSLB: solar disclosure documents and language requirements. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
What does the Version 4 signing checklist ask me to confirm?
The published Version 4 guide asks customers to confirm receipt and reading time, the signing format, relevant language access and whether they have already entered a solar contract. Read each actual statement before affirming it. Request clarification when a statement does not describe what happened.
Source: CPUC: Version 4 consumer guide, published October 2025. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
What should I ask about usage data in the financial estimate?
Version 4’s customer checklist addresses one-hour electricity-consumption data and an explanation when the provider cannot use it for the supporting form’s energy-savings section. Ask which actual data, period and assumptions were used; retain the explanation with the estimate.
Source: CPUC: Version 4 consumer guide, published October 2025. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Does signing a consumer guide authorize the system to operate?
No. Keep consumer disclosures, project contracts, permits, inspection records and actual utility operating authorization as separate milestones. Ask which milestone remains unresolved and who owns it. An educational signature does not establish installed workmanship, site suitability or an operating approval.
What if dates or statements in the paperwork do not match?
Make a private timeline of when each document was received, reviewed and signed. Ask for correction or qualified advice rather than changing a date or affirming something inaccurate. A discrepancy needs investigation; this checklist does not declare a contract void or decide a legal remedy.
Where does a separate assessment fit in this process?
A defined assessment can investigate accessible site evidence and questions left unresolved by the proposal. Ask about qualifications, payment and referral relationships; third-party does not automatically mean independent. Confirm Solar Survey AI’s available survey or inspection scope. Homeowner monitoring connections and planned remote diagnosis remain coming soon.
Your decision checklist
- Confirm the serving utility and the actual project category.
- Record the contract date and applicable guide version or addendum.
- Read the full guide and contract before affirming the statements.
- Retain the disclosure cover page, supporting information and financing terms.
- Check document language against the sales presentation.
- Ask which usage data and assumptions support the savings estimate.
- Keep a truthful dated timeline and seek prompt advice on disputed rights.
- Track permit, inspection and utility authorization separately.
Save or print this guide from your browser. Keep completed records privately.
Make the document review traceable
| Record | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Utility and property | Which serving utility and project category apply? |
| Guide version | Which published version and addendum apply to the actual contract date? |
| Document delivery | When did you receive the complete form in a usable language and format? |
| Financial disclosure | Which total payments, financing terms and assumptions are documented? |
| Usage evidence | What consumption period and interval data support the estimate? |
| Signed records | Do the actual statements and dates match your private timeline? |
| Project closeout | Which permit, inspection and utility records are still outstanding? |
Example: a quote shows one savings figure while the supporting information shows another. Ask the provider to reconcile the data period, tariff assumption, future-use scenario and financing treatment. Keep both versions and the explanation; choosing the larger number does not resolve the difference.
Example: a homeowner receives the guide after an earlier project signature and is asked to affirm that no contract has been entered. Record the actual sequence and request clarification or qualified advice. Do not backdate a document or attest to an event that did not happen.
Reviewed October 6, 2026. Follow the current official forms linked above; the worksheet and hypothetical examples are editorial aids. This page does not calculate a personal cancellation deadline or determine whether an agreement is enforceable. Keep signatures, bills and account identifiers private. Continue with quote and financing comparisons, installer selection and the applicable PG&E, SCE or SDG&E billing guide. Learn Solar Survey AI’s evidence methodology and confirm available inspection scope.
California installation payment records
For California installation payments and a later home transaction, use the solar payment and lien-record organizer to separate preliminary notices, claimant releases and technical completion. Confirm the actual documents and legal questions with qualified advisers.
Continue your research
About these guides
Published by Solar Survey AI, a commercial survey-services company. Our original decision checklists are recommendations; linked authorities support the referenced facts. We may benefit if you purchase our services. This is not independent certification of our company, a project-specific engineering decision or personal tax/legal advice. Local rules, contracts and site evidence control individual decisions. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
For available survey or inspection services, confirm your project scope and availability with our team. Our planned free homeowner remote diagnosis remains coming soon.
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