5.9 Areas of California not on NEM 3.0

NEM 3.0 only applies to the three big investor-owned utilities: SDG&E, SCE, and PG&E. California also has many city-owned electric utilities ("municipal utilities" or munis). They typically do not have time-of-use pricing, do not necessarily bill solar under NEM 3.0 rules, and instead apply their own solar settlement scheme — often something close to 1:1 production-vs-consumption offset. In that case, you don't need a battery to store daytime power for evening use.

Notable munis include LADWP, Pasadena Water and Power, Anaheim, Palo Alto, and Riverside.

Look at your utility bill first to confirm which utility serves you, then research that utility's specific solar program, and only then decide whether to include a battery.