California / Local permit guide
Los Banos Solar Permit Guide
Your local requirements. The official sources. A clearer next step.
- Permit authority
- City of Los Banos Building DivisionSource linked
- Electric utility
- Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)Source linked
- Local pathway
- Streamlined Solar Photovoltaic PermittingProject-specific eligibility conditions apply.
- Review time
- Not yet verified.
Merced County · Explore related utility guides
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Your permit path,
at a glance.
This shows what GridPermit has verified for Los Banos. It does not show the status of a specific project.
01 / Know your path
Two approvals.
One project.
A local permit and utility permission to operate are different approvals. Check the local sequence and requirements below.
How to read this guide
GridPermit collects California residential solar and permitting facts directly from official sources (city, county, and state government sites, utilities, and public utilities commissions) and shows only what we can verify, with a confidence score and a link to where it came from. Nothing here is estimated or inferred beyond what's stated below. See our methodology for the rules this page follows.
Battery/solar incentive program on record
California SGIP - current category and budget check required
New applications and waitlist applications for ratepayer-funded SGIP budgets closed on December 30, 2025. New AB 209 applications have a June 30, 2028 deadline. The 2026 SGIP rate table publishes $3.10/W for solar and $1.10/Wh for storage in applicable Residential Solar and Storage Equity categories. Household eligibility and live budget availability vary by category and program administrator; check the official Program Metrics tracker before relying on an incentive.
Status on file: unknown. Verify current status before relying on this.
Sources & confidence
02 / Prepare your application
What you need.
Sources & confidence
Permit fees
Some supporting official material could not be independently confirmed from the full source in GridPermit's latest review. Verify the current requirement with the authority before relying on it.
Not yet verified.
Rebates on record
Rebates on record
Not yet verified.
Utility and generation supplier
Utility
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
Los Banos is a well-documented Merced County city within PG&E's core Northern California service territory.
Sources & confidence
Generation supplier
WestLight Energy (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy) - ECOplus (default) (Community Choice Aggregator)
WestLight Energy's own page confirms: 'The Los Banos City Council voted to join WestLight Energy in October 2020... We are proud to serve Los Banos since 2022.' PG&E continues to deliver the power and provide billing/customer service; enrollment is automatic (opt-out model).
Sources & confidence
Interconnection
https://www.pge.com/en/save-energy-and-money/rebates-and-incentives/nem.html
PG&E's own utility-wide Net Energy Metering (NEM) program page.
Inspection steps
- Inspections for streamlined-eligible systems are generally scheduled for the next available business day after submittal
Sources & confidence
Eligibility constraints
- Property types: residential
- Max system size (AC): 10 kW
- Max system size (DC): Not yet verified.
- Max thermal capacity: Not yet verified.
- Program/pathway: Streamlined Solar Photovoltaic Permitting
- Other conditions:
- Systems 10kW AC or smaller do not require fire department plan review
Sources & confidence
Official contacts
Official contacts
- City of Los Banos Building Division, phone: 209-827-7000, email: losbanosbldg@csgengr.com, official website
Need a solar installer who handles permits in Los Banos?
EnergySage is an independent solar marketplace where you can request property-specific pricing from installers familiar with local permitting.
Compare quotes from solar installers →You'll continue on EnergySage's website. GridPermit links to EnergySage as an independent third-party resource. This link is not currently tracked for compensation.
Official sources
Official sources
- Building Division, City of Los Banos (government). Accessed 2026-08-09.
- Net Energy Metering (NEM), Pacific Gas & Electric (utility). Accessed 2026-08-09.
- About, Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) (cpuc). Accessed 2026-08-09.
- Community Programs in Los Banos, WestLight Energy (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy) (other_official). Accessed 2026-08-11.
- 2026 Self-Generation Incentive Program Handbook, Self-Generation Incentive Program Program Administrators (program_administrator). Accessed 2026-08-26.
- SGIP Program Metrics and Incentive Step Tracker, Self-Generation Incentive Program Program Administrators (program_administrator). Accessed 2026-08-26.
Frequently Asked Questions
What utility serves solar customers in Los Banos, California?
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Los Banos. The default electricity generation supplier is WestLight Energy (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy) - ECOplus (default), a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), separate from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).
What documents are required for a solar permit in Los Banos?
Commonly required documents include: Eligibility Checklist for Streamlined Solar Photovoltaic Permitting; Standard Electrical Plan.
Who do I contact about solar permits in Los Banos?
City of Los Banos Building Division, phone 209-827-7000, email losbanosbldg@csgengr.com.
Related cities
Related cities
Other verified cities related to Los Banos. See all cities on the California solar permit guide index.
- Atwater, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
- Albany, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
- American Canyon, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
- Antioch, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
- Arroyo Grande, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
- Arvin, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)