Temecula, California
Solar inspections in Temecula
Temecula has around thirteen thousand residential solar systems, and most of them are owned outright rather than leased. That makes condition — not paperwork — the question that usually decides the deal.
- Serving
- Temecula and the surrounding area
- Based in
- Murrieta, California
- Utility
- Southern California Edison
- Starting at
- $399
Mostly owned, and getting older
Two thirds of Temecula's solar belongs to the homeowner. That is unusual around here — in Menifee it is closer to half — and it changes what a transaction turns on. When a system is owned, there is no lease to assume, no finance company to wait on and no buyer credit check. What there is instead is equipment that conveys with the house, in whatever condition it happens to be in.
A good number of those systems have been up a while. Just under 4,000 were interconnected in 2016 or earlier, and 4,333 sit on NEM 1.0 — the earliest and most generous net metering program. Equipment of that vintage is at the age where inverters start to fail, where conductor management has had a decade or more of sun on it, and where the roof underneath may be approaching replacement.
None of that is a problem in itself. It is simply the thing nobody has checked. An owned system with no lease paperwork attracts less scrutiny during escrow than a leased one, which is exactly why a working system and a failing one look identical from the driveway.
What we check on a Temecula roof
- Is the equipment still performing?
- Measured output, not an assumption. On an owned system this is the whole question, because the buyer inherits the equipment and everything wrong with it.
- What has the inverter logged?
- Ten to fifteen years of fault history sits in the log. On older systems it is usually the most informative thing on the property.
- Which program is it on?
- About a third of Temecula's systems are on NEM 1.0. Which program applies affects what the solar is worth to the buyer, and it should be established rather than assumed.
- How is the roof holding up?
- 1990s and 2000s roofs and 2010s arrays often come due around the same time. Whether the array has to come off for a re-roof is a real question in this market.
Southern California Edison, and a deep NEM 1.0 base
Temecula is Southern California Edison territory. Its systems break down at roughly 32.5% NEM 1.0, 59.3% NEM 2.0 and 8.2% Net Billing — a heavier weighting toward the oldest program than most of the surrounding area.
That matters because the programs are not all treated the same way when a home changes hands. We have written up what is confirmed and what is not. The practical advice is unchanged: find the interconnection date, then get the utility's position in writing for that specific account.
Larger properties on the western side of the city tend to carry larger systems, and occasionally more than one array or inverter. Tell us if that is the case when you request, because it affects how long we need on site.
Fifteen minutes away
Our office is in Murrieta, immediately north of Temecula, and Temecula is one of the areas we inspect most often. Weekend inspections are available and requests are open around the clock.
The Southwest Riverside County Association of REALTORS® covers Temecula along with the rest of this market. If you work these listings, the systems described here are the ones you are selling. More about the company.
Common questions
Most Temecula solar is owned. Does it still need inspecting?
Arguably more so. A leased system at least has a finance company with records and a transfer process. An owned system conveys as-is, and whatever is wrong with it becomes the buyer's problem at close of escrow.
The system is from around 2012. What are you looking for?
Inverter age and error history first, then conductor management that has had a decade of sun exposure, then the condition of the roof penetrations. Systems of that vintage are usually fine — but that is worth confirming rather than assuming.
Can you inspect a larger property with more than one array?
Yes. Tell us when you request, because more arrays and more than one inverter means more time on site, and it may affect the price. We confirm that on the call before anything is scheduled.
How quickly can you get to a Temecula property?
We are based just north in Murrieta and inspect here constantly. Give us the contingency date when you request and it drives how we schedule.
Inspecting a Temecula property
The office is open Monday–Friday 9am–6pm, but inspections run on weekends and requests are open around the clock. We'll call to confirm the date and time.
Requesting an inspection isn't a confirmed appointment — we'll contact you to confirm timing.