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California · Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley solar in 2026
Written by the Solar Learning Lab research deskUpdated August 22, 202613 min read
Moreno Valley solar has a trap that makes a normal California quote unreliable: the city has two electric utilities. Most addresses are Southern California Edison territory. Newer subdivisions can be city-owned Moreno Valley Utility territory, where solar means mandatory Rate B TOU, a $75 Rule 21 review, no oversizing, and surplus payments under Schedule NCR. The first question is not system size. It is who sends the electric bill. Sources: sceZip; mvuPlan; mvuSolar; mvuRates
9,400+
MVU residential and commercial accounts
$75
MVU Rule 21 review fee
1 MW
MVU solar capacity ceiling
Start with the utility, then the bill
The calculator below is for SCE-served homes. MVU homes need tariff-specific modeling first.
Run the SCE screening estimateBefore price, panels, or payback: read the name on the electric bill.
Moreno Valley is not one solar market. It has two electric utilities. Southern California Edison serves most of the city, while city-owned Moreno Valley Utility serves newer commercial and residential development. The California Energy Commission assigns city ZIP codes 92551 through 92557 to SCE and does not list MVU in that ZIP workbook. MVU's own plan says it has more than 9,400 residential and commercial customers. The citywide housing total is 59,834 units. The practical conclusion is not that a street is automatically one or the other. It is that most homes are SCE, while a large and important minority are not. Sources: sceZip; mvuPlan; housing
MVU was established by City Council in 2001 and served its first customers in the Promontory Park subdivision on February 6, 2004. Its business plan describes an all-underground 12 kV system, three substations, two interconnection points with SCE, about 60 MW of load, and service for newly developed commercial and residential areas. The documented MVU service area totals 33.48 square miles. These facts make newer subdivisions a clue. They are not a substitute for checking the actual bill or asking the utility to confirm the account. Sources: mvuAbout; mvuPlan; mvuMap
That one verification changes the conversation. An SCE meter follows the CPUC Net Billing Tariff and SCE's Solar Billing Plan. An MVU meter follows the municipal Solar Billing Plan, mandatory Rate B time-of-use treatment for new solar, its own Schedule NCR for surplus energy, a Rule 21 process, and a $75 review fee. Calling both systems NEM 3.0 is not simplification. It removes the terms that decide sizing and value. Sources: mvuSolar; mvuRates; cpucNetBilling
Moreno Valley has no active CCA in the CPUC's 2026 formation report. Western Community Energy, which briefly operated in the SCE territory around western Riverside County, returned customers after bankruptcy on June 15, 2021. That eliminates another possible source of confusion. The bill can say SCE or MVU, but it should not be modeled as a current CCA account. Sources: ccaReport
MVU solar is a municipal rulebook: Rate B, Schedule NCR, a cap, and no oversizing.
MVU's January 2026 residential schedule says Rate A, a non-TOU tariff, applies to residential customers except those with solar applications filed on or after December 15, 2020. Those solar customers must use Rate B Residential TOU. Rate B lists 48.334 cents per kWh summer on-peak, 39.232 cents mid-peak, and 29.805 cents off-peak. Winter mid-peak is 42.871 cents, off-peak 32.034 cents, and super-off-peak 28.918 cents. There is also a baseline credit of 9.591 cents per kWh on 100 percent of baseline usage. The rate migration is mandatory, not a preference to tuck away in footnotes. Sources: mvuRates; mvuSolar
Rate B time periods are familiar in shape but still local in authority: summer weekday 4 to 9 p.m. is on-peak, summer weekends and holidays 4 to 9 p.m. are mid-peak, winter 4 to 9 p.m. is mid-peak every day, and winter 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. is super-off-peak. Both MVU residential rate options also add Public Purpose Programs at 2.145 cents per kWh, a California Energy Resources Surcharge of 0.03 cents, a 5.75 percent Utility User's Tax, and a $10 monthly minimum charge. The tariff should be read as a whole, not as a headline energy price. Sources: mvuRates
The municipal successor solar arrangement permits customer-generators up to 1 MW, interconnected under Electric Rule 21. It has a hard anti-oversizing rule: estimated CEC-AC output cannot exceed the previous year's usage. With less than 12 months of usage, the cap is 2 watts per square foot, and MVU also publishes a sizing formula for no-history homes. A 10-year minimum equipment and installation warranty and CEC-verified equipment are required. Roof area is not the governing design constraint here. Documented consumption is. Sources: mvuRates; mvuSolar
Schedule NCR is where surplus value becomes concrete. New Rule 21 agreements on or after January 1, 2023 use Schedule B: 6.11 cents per kWh summer on-peak, 4.31 cents mid-peak, 3.48 cents off-peak, 4.60 cents winter mid-peak, 5.16 cents winter off-peak, and 0.90 cents winter super-off-peak. Earlier qualifying agreements use a 3.72-cent flat Schedule A rate. MVU retains net surplus energy and its renewable-energy credits. This is MVU's own billing structure, not a CPUC avoided-cost export program. Sources: mvuRates
The operational requirements go further. The customer must use MVU's Solar and Storage Application, sign the Solar Consumer Protection Guide, and may need an onsite energy audit for a home over five years old. Existing MVU NEM customers who add 10 percent or more capacity or output, or add storage, move to Rate B. The city says existing solar customers are grandfathered for 15 years on the prior NEM schedules. That makes an expansion quote a tariff-change decision, not just a panel-addition price. Sources: mvuSolar; mvuRates
| Energy source | Type | Average price | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| MVU Rate B | Summer on-peak use | 48.334¢ per kWh | Mandatory TOU rate for new residential solar customers. |
| MVU Schedule NCR B | Summer on-peak surplus | 6.11¢ per kWh | Net-surplus compensation for Rule 21 agreements on or after January 1, 2023. |
| MVU rooftop solar | Sizing rule | No oversizing | Estimated CEC-AC output cannot exceed prior annual usage. |
Most Moreno Valley homes are SCE homes. They use a different export framework.
For an SCE-served address, the CPUC Net Billing Tariff applies. New solar customers are on SCE TOU-D-PRIME. The June 2026 tariff lists 59.291 cents per kWh on summer weekday 4 to 9 p.m., 40.182 cents summer mid-peak, and 26.698 cents summer off-peak. SCE's reported average residential rate is 34.5 cents per kWh, or 33.2 cents with the California Climate Credit. The average is useful for a broad calculator, while the time-of-use tariff is what a serious bill model needs. Sources: sceRate; sceTou; sceSolar
SCE export credits are based on the CPUC Avoided Cost Calculator, billed monthly with annual true-up treatment, and guaranteed to the original interconnecting customer for nine years. SCE's 2026 averages put summer exports at 6 cents per kWh during 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., 21 cents in the 4 to 9 p.m. period, and 12 cents overnight. Net surplus compensation is about 2 cents. Those values do not transfer to an MVU meter. A city boundary does not make a tariff portable. Sources: cpucNetBilling; sceSolar
SCE applicants before the end of 2027 may get higher export credits for nine years unless solar is code-required. SCE describes the residential Energy Export Bonus Credit as about 4 cents per kWh, or 9 cents for income-qualified customers enrolling before 2028. It is available only on the SCE side. A Moreno Valley installer who does not identify the utility cannot reliably offer this incentive or explain why it is absent. Sources: cpucNetBilling; sceSolar
City construction permits and MVU interconnection are separate files.
The City of Moreno Valley Community Development Department accepts building submittals online through SimpliCITY. A BON, Solar permit covers the array, inverter, and batteries when included with the solar scope. A BOE, Electrical permit is required as well for a panel upgrade or subpanel, or for battery-only work. The city does not publish a review timeline in the materials examined. The right answer is n.a., not an assumed SolarAPP+ timing. Sources: permits
The current FY 2026-27 city fee schedule is unusually detailed. Residential PV through SolarAPP+ lists zero plan check plus a $385 inspection, $385 per system. A 10 kW or smaller residential system without fire review lists $88 plan check plus $314 inspection, $402 total. Over 10 kW through 15 kW with fire review lists $127 plan check and $157 inspection, $284 total. The counterintuitive numbers are the published schedule, not a typo to smooth over. Systems over 15 kW list zero plan check and a $15 inspection line. Fire review for residential PV is separately listed at $150 plan check and $150 inspection, and battery review has its own charges. Sources: fees
An MVU-served project adds a non-refundable $75 Rule 21 review fee. This is separate from City construction permitting. It is one of several reasons the installer should identify the utility on day one. A project can have a properly issued City solar permit and still need utility interconnection processing. Treating them as one fee and one approval stage makes the timeline and contract budget less transparent. Sources: mvuSolar; fees
The roof model is excellent, whichever utility serves it.
August reaches 168.8 kWh per kW in the model. Production does not determine whether a meter uses SCE or MVU billing.
Method: PVGIS v5.2. PVGIS v5.2 model run by Solar Learning Lab on August 22, 2026, NSRDB radiation database. Fixed south facing mount, 30 degree tilt, 14 percent losses, downtown Moreno Valley coordinates. Your roof will differ.
SGIP is an SCE-side opportunity. MVU-only electric meters are not listed as eligible.
The SGIP general storage program is available to electric and gas customers of PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, and SDG&E. SCE-served Moreno Valley meters are therefore in the listed utility set. MVU-only electric meters are not. The program's Equity and Equity Resiliency amounts are $850 and $1,000 per kWh, respectively, with priority criteria covering fire threat, PSPS exposure, income, medical vulnerability, and critical facilities. The utility split is not a minor disclaimer. It decides whether this program should appear on the proposal at all. Sources: sgip; sceZip; mvuPlan
The SGIP Residential Solar and Storage Equity program offers $3,100 per kW solar and $1,100 per kWh storage to qualifying households, with a typical single-family allocation of 5 kW solar and 15 kWh storage. Income at or below 80 percent of area median income, prior SASH or DAC-SASH participation, or current CARE, FERA, or ESA participation can meet the qualification route. The administrator and utility context need confirmation. Do not use a statewide incentive name to bridge an MVU eligibility gap. Sources: sgipEquity
MVU has a different, narrower program for Medical Baseline customers: up to $500 per household for an eligible portable solar generator system, which must combine panels with at least 1 kWh of battery storage. It is not a rooftop PV rebate. Rooftop systems, gas generators, and battery packs without solar charging do not qualify. The City materials reviewed did not show an MVU cash rebate for rooftop PV. Sources: mvuRebate; mvuSolar
Federal credit: residential 25D credit ended December 31, 2025; lease/PPA providers may claim 48E. A provider's credit does not make the two local tariffs disappear. The ownership model should be evaluated after the utility, tariff, size rule, permit fees, and electric load are known. Sources: federalCredit
The city is roof-rich, but newer construction is a utility clue, not a shortcut.
Moreno Valley has 59,834 housing units, including 47,772 single detached, or about 80 percent. The closest March Air Force Base normal reports 3,056.5 cooling degree days, a 63.3 degree annual mean, and 10.65 inches of precipitation. There are plenty of roofs and a real summer load. The citywide production profile is good. None of those facts tells a homeowner whether the meter is SCE or MVU. That is why the bill stays first in line. Sources: housing; climate
The local Climate Action Plan, adopted June 15, 2021, calls for a 4.0 MTCO2e per-capita target by 2040 and identifies partnerships with MVU and SCE to promote solar on industrial and warehouse buildings. It names reduced permit fees and streamlined approval as example incentives. That policy supports the city's solar direction. It is not a published promise that a particular residential project gets a rebate or faster review. Sources: cap
California's 2022 Energy Code requires solar PV on new single-family buildings under its prescriptive pathway, with an exception below 1.8 kWdc. Because MVU serves newer development, code-required arrays can land in the MVU rulebook. That makes it especially important for a buyer of a newer home to review utility, ownership, and existing solar status before adding equipment. An addition may cause an old MVU NEM account to move to Rate B. Sources: mvuSolar; mvuRates
Five local results. Lead every call with the utility name.
The results below are a starting list, not an endorsement. The opening question should be, "Will you confirm whether this meter is SCE or MVU before quoting?" For MVU bids, ask for the Rate B move, Schedule NCR surplus treatment, 1 MW and anti-oversizing rule, Rule 21 fee, warranty requirement, and any tariff consequence of storage or an expansion. For SCE bids, ask for the Solar Billing Plan and export timing model. Ratings snapshot: Google Maps, August 2026, via the DataForSEO SERP feed. Zero companies paid us and none are endorsed by us.
Sea Bright Solar
Redlands, CA
4.4(143 Google reviews)
RIV Solar
Riverside, CA
4.9(98 Google reviews)
Ratings snapshot: Google Maps, August 2026, via the DataForSEO SERP feed. Zero companies paid us and none are endorsed by us.
SCE screening estimate only.
This calculator uses the SCE average rate. It is not appropriate as an MVU savings forecast. An MVU homeowner needs Rate B, the local surplus schedule, the sizing limit, and the utility review in the model before comparing proposals. Sources: sceRate; mvuRates; cost
The high end is the south-facing PVGIS run for Moreno Valley. The low end is 85 percent for a less favorable orientation. Your roof will differ.
Cash quotes in Moreno Valley cluster near $2.46 per watt, against a $3.50 national 2024 median (LBNL). Use your quote.
Assumptions you can change
Use the rate on your actual lease or PPA quote. There is no published statewide average we trust enough to hardcode.
Cash purchase
$7,872 after state credit
- Year 1 benefit
- $163/mo
- Payback
- 4 years
- 20 year net position
- $39,671
This screening calculator assumes an SCE-served address. Moreno Valley Utility customers must use MVU's own Rate B and Schedule NCR rules before accepting any savings estimate.
Solar loan
$105/mo 15 yr payment
- Year 1 net
- $58/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- $28,594
A loan quote has to identify the serving utility before it models savings. Compare cash and financed totals for identical equipment, term, and scope.
Lease / PPA
$0 down you buy the power
- Year 1 net
- $50/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- $16,059
A lease or PPA provider may claim the federal 48E business credit. On an MVU meter, make the provider explain Rate B, Schedule NCR, sizing, and the $75 Rule 21 review fee in writing.
Estimates, not quotes. This calculator uses SCE's published average rate, city PVGIS production, and EnergySage California cost data. Moreno Valley has two electric utilities, and MVU meters follow their own tariff. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures.
Moreno Valley solar questions that a two-utility city creates.
What is the first solar question in Moreno Valley?
Must new MVU solar customers take a time-of-use rate?
What does MVU pay for new solar surplus?
Can an MVU project be oversized?
What fees does an MVU solar project face?
Sources and the boundaries of this analysis.
City solar-plan-review timing is n.a. in the fetched permit materials. A newer subdivision may be an MVU clue, not verification. Confirm the bill before using any projection. No MVU cash rebate for rooftop PV was found; its reviewed Medical Baseline program is for a qualifying portable solar generator. Federal credit: residential 25D credit ended December 31, 2025; lease/PPA providers may claim 48E. Congressional Research Service.
- permits: https://www.moreno-valley.ca.us/cdd/services/permits-new.html
- fees: https://moreno-valley.ca.us/departments/financial-mgmt-svcs/fin-pdf/FeeSchedule.pdf
- mvuSolar: https://www.moval.org/mvu/solar-prog.html
- mvuRates: https://www.moval.org/mvu/pdfs/MVU_Rates.pdf
- mvuRules: https://www.moval.org/mvu/pdfs/MVU_RulesFeesCharges.pdf
- mvuPlan: https://www.moval.org/mvu/pdfs/UtilityBusinessPlan.pdf
- mvuAbout: https://www.moval.org/mvu/about-mvu.html
- mvuMap: https://www.moval.org/mvu/pdfs/MVU-servarea.pdf
- mvuRebate: https://www.moval.org/mvu/pdfs/SolarGeneratorRebate-MedicalBaseline-App.pdf
- cap: https://www.moval.org/city_hall/general-plan2040/MV-CAP.pdf
- sceZip: https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/municipal_ADA.xlsx
- sceRate: https://www.sce.com/save-money/rates-financing/sce-rate-advisory
- sceTou: https://edisonintl.sharepoint.com/teams/Public/TM2/Shared%20Documents/Public/Regulatory/Tariff-SCE%20Tariff%20Books/Electric/Schedules/Residential%20Rates/ELECTRIC_SCHEDULES_TOU-D.pdf
- sceSolar: https://www.sce.com/clean-energy-efficiency/solar-generating-your-own-power/billing-incentives/solar-billing-plan
- cpucNetBilling: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/demand-side-management/customer-generation/net-energy-metering-and-net-billing
- ccaReport: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/energy-division/documents/community-choice-aggregation-and-direct-access/2026-cca-and-esp-formation-status-report.pdf
- sgip: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/demand-side-management/self-generation-incentive-program/participating-in-self-generation-incentive-program-sgip
- sgipEquity: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/energy-division/documents/self-generation-incentive-program/sgip-fact-sheet---residential-solar-and-storage-equity_ver2.pdf
- housing: https://dof.ca.gov/media/docs/forecasting/Demographics/estimates/e-5-population-and-housing-estimates-for-cities-counties-and-the-state-2020-2026/E-5_2026_Geo_InternetVersion.xlsx
- climate: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-annualseasonal-1991-2020&stations=USW00023119&format=json&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&dataTypes=ANN-TAVG-NORMAL,ANN-TMAX-NORMAL,ANN-PRCP-NORMAL,ANN-CLDD-BASE57,ANN-TMIN-NORMAL&includeStationName=true&includeStationLocation=1&units=standard
- federalCredit: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IN12611
- cost: https://www.energysage.com/local-data/solar-panel-cost/ca/
- pvgis: https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/
- census: https://data.census.gov/
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