GRID Alternatives DAC-SASH Eligibility: A Four-Gate Homeowner Checklist

Answer first: all four gates must pass before the property review

GRID's current public eligibility page requires service from PG&E, SCE or SDG&E; an owner-occupied single-family primary residence; an eligible disadvantaged-community location; and household income within CARE or FERA limits. A homeowner must satisfy every listed condition and GRID remains the sole application reviewer under the current handbook.

Create a one-page screening record with the utility shown on the bill, applicant name, ownership and occupancy status, property type, GRID map result, household size, income period used, prescreen date and written administrator response. Do not treat a marketing lead form as the program decision.

1. Utility gate: use the company delivering electric service

The program lists PG&E, SCE or SDG&E. LADWP and other municipal-utility customers do not qualify merely because the home is in California, Los Angeles County or a disadvantaged census tract. Save a current bill showing the service address and utility before beginning the income or map review.

A community-choice energy supplier can appear on a bill alongside an investor-owned utility. Do not infer eligibility from the supplier name alone; send the complete bill to GRID and obtain its written determination about the electric service and project site.

2. Home gate: the applicant must own and occupy the residence

The current rule calls for a single-family home owned and occupied by the applicant as the applicant's primary residence. A tenant, landlord applying for a non-primary property, or multifamily property does not satisfy that gate merely because a resident is income-qualified.

Confirm the names on title, the applicant's primary-residence claim and the property configuration before sending sensitive documents. Ask GRID how a trust, co-owner, inherited property, accessory unit or unusual title arrangement must be documented; this guide cannot approve those facts.

3. Geography gate: use GRID's program screen, not a generic map

GRID's current DAC-SASH page still directs applicants to the CalEnviroScreen 4.0 map and says only homes in the displayed eligible areas qualify. The sixth-edition handbook also recognizes qualified disadvantaged communities and certain California Indian Country, subject to the program definitions and exclusions.

California released CalEnviroScreen 5.0 and a new SB 535 disadvantaged-community designation in 2026. That broader state update does not by itself prove a DAC-SASH address result. A CalEnviroScreen 5.0 result alone is not a DAC-SASH determination; use GRID's current program-specific tool and preserve its written decision.

4. Income gate: date the CARE or FERA table you use

GRID currently publishes a 2026–2027 maximum household-income table aligned with CARE or FERA limits. SCE lists its current table as effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. These limits change, so an old screenshot or last year's approval cannot establish current DAC-SASH eligibility.

The handbook requires household income to meet the CARE or FERA limits. That is not the same as enrollment in CARE or FERA, and utility discount enrollment alone does not complete the other DAC-SASH gates. Record every household member counted, the applicable period and the documents GRID asks to review.

5. Prescreen first, then use the authorized document channel

GRID provides an online eligibility form and a published toll-free prescreen route. The handbook describes an initial phone conversation followed by an application meeting, completeness review and administrator decision. An inquiry is not an incentive reservation or installation contract.

The handbook lists, at minimum, a completed application, the most recent available federal income tax return or proof of taxable income for non-filers, a recent electric bill, and 12 months of electric usage when available. Use GRID's authorized channel, redact unrelated information where permitted, and keep the submission confirmation.

6. Financial eligibility comes before roof and electrical suitability

If GRID confirms program eligibility, the handbook calls for a construction site visit. The suitability review includes roof condition, shading and the electrical system. GRID typically does not install where less than ten years of roof-life remains before expected replacement.

Ask for the written result of the roof, structure, electrical-service and shade review. Identify who would pay for any roof work, service upgrade or correction before signing. An approved income and address screen is not a promise that the property can support the proposed system.

7. No-cost language does not erase the documented cost-gap process

CPUC describes DAC-SASH as enabling qualifying homeowners to receive no-cost rooftop solar, and GRID markets the program on that basis. The handbook nevertheless requires GRID to provide the maximum allowable incentive and estimated system cost, seek other funding when needed, and disclose any cost gap.

If incentives and other resources do not cover the project, the handbook says the applicant may be offered an out-of-pocket contribution; without additional funding or a contribution, the project may not be reserved and contracted. Therefore income eligibility, application completion and no-cost marketing do not guarantee a fully funded project.

8. Identify who will own the equipment before signing

The sixth-edition handbook describes three possible structures: an Applicant-owned system, an approved Third-party Ownership arrangement, or GRID Elective Pay ownership. The homeowner should not infer ownership from the words assistance, incentive or no-cost.

Request the exact ownership model, incentive assignment, payment obligation, maintenance responsibility, monitoring, roof-removal process, home-sale treatment, default protection and end-of-term terms in writing. Only GRID is authorized to develop and contract the CPUC-approved third-party model for DAC-SASH participants.

9. System size is based on documented usage and future loads

The handbook says GRID reviews baseline electric use, expected energy-efficiency savings and documented future load growth when determining the maximum incentive-eligible size. Future electrification or electric-vehicle load above the stated usage threshold requires documentation rather than a salesperson's guess.

A larger array is not automatically better or eligible. Preserve the 12-month usage record, note missing bills, list verified future equipment, and ask GRID for the design assumptions, estimated production and utility interconnection limit used.

10. Energy efficiency, permits and Rule 21 remain part of the process

Applicants receive energy-efficiency education and a referral to the applicable Energy Savings Assistance program. The handbook links incentive payment milestones to feasible efficiency measures or education, installation, inspection and interconnection; a referral is not the same as a completed solar project.

Eligible equipment must meet California certification and utility Rule 21 requirements. The project is not operational until local permits and inspections are complete and the utility issues permission to operate. An application, site visit, signed reservation or installed panel is not PTO.

11. Read the warranty and post-warranty responsibility

The handbook requires manufacturer warranties and states that GRID provides a 10-year labor and equipment warranty for no-cost repair and replacement during the first ten years after interconnection. Third-party projects have additional coverage requirements, while Applicant-owned participants may assume operations and maintenance after GRID's ten-year term.

Before signing, obtain the manufacturer, labor, equipment, monitoring and roof-penetration terms; the service contact; exclusions; transfer procedure; and the party responsible after each warranty expires. Do not convert a program warranty into a claim of lifetime free maintenance.

12. Recheck status and protect the application from impostors

CPUC says DAC-SASH is accepting applications as of this review and GRID says the program runs through 2030, but applications, reservations, funding, map rules, income periods and installation timelines can change. Revisit the official GRID and CPUC pages on the day of application and date every copied fact.

Use GRID's official form and contact path. The FTC warns that unexpected solar or government-program contacts may seek money or personal data, and CSLB provides contractor and salesperson verification. DAC-SASH eligibility, site suitability, funding, savings, permission to operate, Google indexing and AI citation are not guaranteed by this guide.

Frequently asked questions

Questions worth asking

• What are the four main DAC-SASH eligibility gates?
• Does living in a red CalEnviroScreen area guarantee DAC-SASH approval?
• Can a LADWP customer qualify for DAC-SASH?
• Do I have to be enrolled in CARE or FERA before applying?
• What documents does GRID request for DAC-SASH screening?
• Does income and address approval guarantee that my roof can receive solar?
• Does DAC-SASH always mean the homeowner owns the panels at no cost?
• When is a DAC-SASH project actually complete?