Quick Answer: Because Burbank has its own municipal utility rather than being served by one of California’s big investor-owned utilities, its solar billing rules run on a separate track. Existing solar customers with older systems are typically “grandfathered” onto a more favorable net metering structure for a defined protected period — but that protection generally ends when the property is sold to someone outside the immediate family. A buyer of a solar home in Burbank should expect to be billed under whatever the utility’s current program is, not the seller’s old rate.
Why is Burbank’s solar program different from most of Southern California?
Because Burbank Water and Power is a municipal utility, it isn’t bound by the state Public Utilities Commission’s net billing rules the way investor-owned utilities (like the ones serving most of the LA basin) are. BWP sets its own timeline for transitioning from older, more generous net metering to a newer net billing structure — meaning a Burbank house can be on a meaningfully different program timeline than a similar house a few blocks away served by a different utility.
Does the seller’s solar deal transfer to the buyer?
Generally, no — for an ordinary arm’s-length sale, older favorable rate structures typically end when the property changes hands to someone outside the immediate family. The buyer moves onto whatever the utility’s current program is, which usually credits exported power differently (often varying by time of day and season, rather than a flat rate).
What actually ends the older rate, versus what doesn’t?
Adding panels or expanding system capacity typically ends the older arrangement. Straightforward maintenance — replacing a part with an equivalent one, adding battery storage — usually doesn’t. A sale to a buyer outside the immediate family is treated the same as a system change: it ends the older rate.
Does the solar system get reassessed for property taxes when the house sells?
Yes, in effect — while an active solar installation is typically excluded from being treated as “new construction” for tax purposes while the original owner holds the property, that exclusion is tied to that ownership period. Once the property changes hands, the sale itself resets the assessed value of the property as a whole (including the panels) at market value, the same as it would for the house itself.
What should be in the file before listing a solar home?
The building permit number and application date (this typically determines which billing program a system falls under), the utility interconnection paperwork, whether the system is owned outright or financed/leased, and — for a financed system — confirmation of whether a fixture filing is recorded against the property that needs to be resolved before the sale closes.
Related reading: Burbank Retrofit Upon Resale Certificate and California Supplemental Property Tax Bill Explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does adding a home battery end my grandfathered rate?
Typically no — battery storage added to an existing system is usually treated separately from a change that would end the older rate structure, though this is worth confirming directly given how utility-specific these rules are.
Is a Burbank mailing address proof that Burbank Water and Power serves the property?
No — ZIP code boundaries and city/utility service boundaries aren’t always the same, particularly near city lines. Confirm the actual utility provider from a recent bill rather than the mailing address.
Is there still a federal tax credit available for residential solar?
This changes based on federal policy and is worth confirming current status directly rather than assuming a credit that may have expired still applies — BWP’s own materials note they don’t provide tax advice.
If the system is leased rather than owned, does anything change at sale?
Yes, significantly — a leased system generally requires the buyer to either assume the lease or have it resolved before closing, and that’s a separate process from anything related to the utility billing rate.
General information about a municipal utility program and general property tax principles, not legal, tax, or engineering advice. Confirm your specific system’s status directly with Burbank Water and Power before relying on this for a transaction.
About Will Flannigan
Will Flannigan is a California licensed real estate agent (DRE #01951292) and Certified Trust & Probate Specialist (CTPS) with The Nell Team at Equity Union Real Estate. A former attorney, Will brings a background in property management and over a dozen home flips to every transaction, and has been licensed since 2014. A 20+ year resident of Burbank Rancho, Will specializes in Burbank, Altadena, Pasadena, Glendale, and the greater San Gabriel Valley, with fluency in Mandarin serving clients in San Marino and beyond.
Selling or buying a solar home in Burbank? Getting the permit, interconnection, and lease paperwork in order before listing keeps it from turning into an escrow surprise. Let’s talk about your timeline.
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