Can I Get Solar If the Park Bills My Electricity?
Yes, and this is the situation Solnr was built for. But it works differently than it does for a home billed directly by the utility, and that difference is worth understanding before you start rather than after. This page covers what actually changes.
First, which kind of park are you in?
Most residents genuinely do not know, and it is the single fact that determines everything else. Look at last month's electric bill and check whose name is on it. Utility name on it, SDG&E or Southern California Edison, means you are directly metered — you are the utility's customer. Electricity on your space rent statement, or a separate bill from park management, means your park is master metered — the park buys power on one meter and submeters residents.
If you're directly metered, your situation is more straightforward and California law specifically protects your right to install solar. If your park submeters you, keep reading. That is what the rest of this page is about.
What changes in a master metered park
You are not the utility's customer. In a directly metered home, solar works through a straightforward arrangement with the utility. In a master metered park, the park holds that relationship, not you. Any solar arrangement has to work within that structure rather than around it.
California's solar rights law does not cover you. SB 1190 gives directly metered residents the legal right to install solar and voids park rules that block it. The statute specifically exempts master metered parks, so the park's cooperation matters more in your situation than in theirs.
The setup takes a different form. A master metered installation is structured differently than a standard rooftop system on a directly metered home. This is the part most solar companies will not take on, which is a large part of why residents in submetered parks are so often told no.
What stays the same
The things that matter most to you do not change: nothing upfront, no credit check at any point, and a locked-in rate below what you are paying now. Your foundation still does not matter, and leasing your space still does not disqualify you.
Why most companies say no to submetered parks
It is not that it cannot be done. It is that it takes work most solar companies are not set up for. The billing structure is unfamiliar, the park has to be part of the conversation, the permitting runs through a different agency, and the job does not look like the suburban rooftop install their process is built around.
Turning it down is easier. That is why so many residents in submetered parks have been told solar is not possible for them, when what they were actually told is that it was not possible for that particular company.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get solar if I am submetered in a mobile home park?
Yes. It is structured differently than solar on a directly metered home, because the park holds the utility relationship rather than you, but it is possible and it is what Solnr specializes in.
What is the difference between master metered and directly metered?
In a directly metered park, the utility bills you and you are their customer. In a master metered park, the utility bills the park on one large meter, and the park submeters residents and bills you. Check whose name is on your electric bill.
Does SB 1190 protect me if my park is master metered?
No. The law specifically exempts master metered parks. Directly metered residents have that legal protection, master metered residents do not.
Does the park have to be involved?
In a master metered park, yes, more than in a directly metered one, because the electrical service runs through the park. We handle that conversation as part of the process.
Is it more expensive because my park is submetered?
There is still nothing upfront and no credit check. The structure differs, what you pay to get started does not.
How do I find out which kind of park I am in?
Look at who sends your electric bill. Utility name means directly metered. Park management or a line on your rent statement means master metered.