California’s rooftop boom, where it went wrong, and what comes next

Over the last decade, solar energy has taken over California rooftops. It has been called the solar gold rush, a time when clean energy became a household conversation, incentives spurred rapid adoption, and thousands of new solar companies entered the market.

But every gold rush has two sides: opportunity and overpromise. And for many Californians, that shine has started to wear off.

So what happened?

The Boom Was Real. And So Was the Rush

California became the largest residential solar market in the country, fueled by strong incentives, forward-thinking policies, and a population committed to sustainability. Solar became more than a trend. It became a movement.

But as the industry grew, so did the number of companies racing to capture a piece of it. And not all of them got it right. Some cut corners. Others overwhelmed neighborhoods with aggressive sales tactics and unclear contracts. The result is a growing sense of skepticism and a reputation hit for an industry that should be focused on building trust.

The Consequences of Moving Too Fast

When any industry expands without strong foundations, cracks begin to show. In solar, those cracks often take the form of rushed installations, unmet expectations, and homeowners left confused or disappointed.

This is not a failure of solar. It is a failure of execution and ethics.

What the industry needs now is not more hype, but more responsibility.

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A New Standard is Emerging

A quiet shift is underway. A new generation of solar providers is stepping forward, not to reinvent solar but to restore its meaning. Solar is not just about technology. It is about people, trust, and doing right by the customer.

Everysun is part of that shift. Born from a Scandinavian legacy of renewable excellence and now rooted in California, we are here to set a higher bar for what solar should be.

We are not perfect. But we are committed to building something better. We believe in asking the right questions, training people the right way, and delivering work we can stand behind.

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Looking Forward

The opportunity in solar is still here. In fact, it is more important than ever. Clean energy still means freedom from rising utility bills. It still protects our environment. And it still empowers families to take control of their future.

The real promise of solar is not in rushing toward it. It is in doing it right.

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