Under NEM 3.0, solar panels and a home battery work as one system, so for most Tomales properties, we design and install them together.
Tomales Solar & Battery Installation
Solar & battery, built for Tomales.
Solar in Tomales now means solar and storage, designed and installed as one system for far-north West Marin. SolarCraft installed the solar system at the Tomales Fire Station and has worked across West Marin for 40 years.
Electricity here only moves one way
Three forces are pushing North Bay power prices up, and they aren't slowing down.
- AI & data centers. California faces a projected ~10 GW supply shortage as new data centers come online, tightening the grid.
- Electrification. As homes move off natural gas to electric appliances and EVs, demand on the grid keeps climbing.
- NEM 3.0. Under current net-metering rules, pairing solar with a battery is what protects your savings, not panels alone.
Solar & battery for Tomales homes and ranches
What going solar actually looks like in Tomales, a small historic town surrounded by working cattle and dairy ranches.
Rural parcels & ground-mount
North West Marin is deep ranch and dairy country, from the hills around Tomales out to Chileno and Hicks valleys. On these large parcels, a ground-mounted array sized for the home, barn, milking operation, and well pumps usually beats a roof-mounted array, and we design for the whole property, placing the array where the land gets the best sun.
Reliability & battery backup
Remote north-county properties at the end of long power lines see more outages than in town. A battery keeps your essentials running and stores your own power, and for remote ranches, we design energy-independent systems that rely less on the grid.
Outages & PSPS backup
Petaluma and Sonoma County see PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs during fire season. A home battery keeps your essentials running during PSPS events and unplanned outages, which is the main reason local homeowners add storage.
Areas We Serve in & around Tomales
We install in town and across the surrounding ranch country. Here's where we work and the kind of solar + battery work each area tends to call for.
Why choose SolarCraft for solar & battery in Tomales
SolarCraft has installed solar and battery storage across Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties for over 40 years, more renewable energy systems than any other North Bay provider, including the Tomales Fire Station and projects across West Marin. As a 100% employee-owned company, we have a stake in getting it right.
40+ Years Local • 100% Employee-Owned • 9,000+ Systems Installed • Solar + Battery Specialists
Solar & battery FAQ for Tomales
How much do solar panels cost in Tomales?
It depends on your property's energy use, roof or land, and battery size, so there's no single sticker price. A ranch with a ground-mount array is different from a townhome. With our Prepaid PPA, many homeowners start with no monthly payments and a single discounted system price.
Do I need a battery with solar in Tomales?
For most new systems, yes, and it matters more out here. Under NEM 3.0, exported daytime solar earns far less than what you pay for grid power at night, so a battery lets you store your own energy and keep the savings, and keeps essentials running during outages. We size the two together.
Can you install ground-mounted solar on a ranch or dairy in Tomales?
Yes, it's often the best option here. On the cattle and dairy ranches around Tomales and out in Chileno and Hicks valleys, a ground-mount array can be sized for the home, barn, milking operation, and well pumps, and placed where the land gets the best sun. We design for the whole property.
Will a battery keep my home powered during an outage?
Yes. A home battery keeps your essential circuits, or the whole home, running during a power outage, which is especially valuable on remote north-county lines. How long it lasts depends on your battery size and which circuits you back up, both of which we size to your property.
Can you design an energy-independent or off-grid-capable system?
Often, yes. For remote ranches around Tomales, we design systems with enough solar and storage to lean less on the grid, and in some cases run independently. We'll assess your site and usage and recommend the right approach.
Are you licensed, and do you handle Tomales permits?
Yes. SolarCraft is fully licensed (CSLB #497797) and insured, and we handle Marin County permits for Tomales and the surrounding unincorporated areas, plus the full PG&E interconnection from application through Permission to Operate.
