What California Solar & Storage Association does

California Solar & Storage Association (CALSSA) is a private 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1977 (per firmographic data) or 1979 (per company history) and headquartered at 1107 9th St. Ste. 820, Sacramento. It represents 600+ member companies across California's solar and storage value chain, including manufacturers, designers, installers, financiers, and service providers, as well as residential consumers seeking rooftop solar and storage. CALSSA's core activities are policy advocacy before the California Public Utilities Commission, the state Legislature, and investor-owned utilities; industry networking through seven regional chapters, webinars, and signature events; consumer protection resources including a public contractor finder; and political engagement via its SUNPAC political action committee.

The association's product surface consists of a tiered membership program (standard membership and President's Circle premium tier with approximately 20 named members including Tesla, Enphase, Sunrun, SolarEdge, and GoodLeap), an annual billing cadence, a permitting assistance hotline, supplier and service directories, a solar job board, fact sheets and reports, and member-only webinar programming. Events include the Annual Dinner, Solar Battle of the Bands (co-hosted with Intersolar & Energy Storage North America), an online auction, and regional chapter programming across the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, North Bay, Central Valley, and Bakersfield. Recent advocacy outcomes include a 13-0 legislative audit committee vote on CPUC interconnection oversight, a $10M complaint filed against PG&E and SCE, and a successful preliminary injunction against the CSLB battery installation restriction rule.

Revenue is generated exclusively through membership dues, event sponsorships, and fundraising activities; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization employs 1-10 staff and is led by Executive Director Brad Heavner (since March 15, 2025) following Bernadette Del Chiaro's 12-year tenure. CALSSA does not develop or sell technology products and operates exclusively within California.

Name

California Solar & Storage Association

Legal name

California Solar & Storage Association

Website

https://calssa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California Solar & Storage Association (CALSSA) is a Sacramento-based nonprofit trade association representing 600+ member companies and residential consumers in California's solar and storage industry, delivering policy advocacy, regulatory representation, industry events, and consumer protection resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and subscriptions: CALSSA generates revenue through membership fees from solar and storage companies, which include access to member resources, webinars, permitting assistance, supplier directories, job boards, and advocacy services.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CALSSA is a nonprofit trade association that sells memberships and sponsorships to companies in California's solar and storage value chain. Its core offerings include policy and regulatory advocacy before the CPUC, Legislature, and utilities; member-only resources such as webinars, supplier directories, job boards, and a permitting assistance hotline; regional chapter networking events; the Solar Battle of the Bands annual fundraiser; and consumer-facing tools including the Find-a-Contractor directory.

Product overview

CALSSA is a trade association (not a product company) that provides membership services, industry events, advocacy, and consumer resources for California's solar and storage industry. Services include membership programs with access to policy webinars, regional chapter networking events, the Solar Battle of the Bands annual fundraiser, consumer protection resources, permitting assistance hotlines, and the SUNPAC political action committee. The association does not offer a software platform or technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SUNPAC: CALSSA's political action committee for advocating solar and storage industry interests.
• Solar Battle of the Bands (SBOB)

Products and services

• CALSSA Membership Program Association membership for solar and storage industry companies in California, providing access to resources, permitting assistance, supplier and member directories, job board, webinars, fact sheets and reports, and advocacy representation.
• Solar Battle of the Bands (SBOB) Annual industry party and music competition fundraiser featuring bands composed of solar industry professionals, co-hosted with Intersolar & Energy Storage North America (IESNA).
• Policy Webinars Members-only educational webinars covering policy updates, ITC changes, interconnection rules, FEOC compliance, rate escalation, and other industry regulations.
• Regional Chapter Events Local networking events hosted by CALSSA chapters including Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Central Valley, North Bay, and Bakersfield.
• SUNPAC Political action committee enabling CALSSA members to participate in political advocacy and campaign contributions supporting the solar and storage industry.
• Consumer Resources Free consumer-facing resources including Find-a-Contractor directory, consumer protection information, solar rights guides, and FAQ for California residents seeking solar installation.
• Permitting Assistance Hotline Member resource providing guidance on solar permitting processes and requirements in California jurisdictions.

Quantifiable outcome

• CALSSA advocacy contributed to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee voting 13-0 to approve a State Audit of CPUC's oversight of utility interconnection delays (March 2026).
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Intersolar & Energy Storage North America (IESNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIESNA is the premier US tradeshow and conference focused on solar, energy storage, EV infrastructure, and manufacturing. CALSSA co-hosts the Solar Battle of the Bands (SBOB) with IESNA as the official after party at IESNA flagship events, first held February 2025 and returning February 2026 in San Diego. CALSSA exhibits at IESNA booth #3346. This partnership positions CALSSA as a key industry voice at the largest US solar trade show.
• Presidents Circle Members (Altsys, Aztec Solar, Cinnamon Energy, Enphase, GoodLeap, CED Greentech, McCalmont, Scudder Solar, Solar Insure, Solar Negotiators, Solar Technologies, Solarcraft, SolarEdge, Solarponics, Stratagem, Sunlight and Power, Sunrun, Opterra, Tesla, Wenger Ventures)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTwenty premier companies in CALSSA's Presidents Circle, a premium membership tier. These companies sponsor events, webinars, and initiatives, and receive high visibility through logo placement on the CALSSA website, event sponsorship recognition, and speaking opportunities at webinars. They represent major manufacturers (Tesla, SolarEdge, Enphase), financers (GoodLeap, Figure), and installers across California.
• Aurora SolarcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAurora Solar is a software platform for solar design and proposal. It sponsors and presents in CALSSA's 'Navigating the Shift: Solutions for 2026' webinar series (April 2026) and other policy webinars. Aurora presented research on homeowner attitudes toward solar financing, battery storage, and installer trust in 2026.
• Figure LendingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFigure provides home equity and solar financing products. It sponsors and presents in CALSSA's 'Navigating the Shift: Solutions for 2026' webinar series (April 2026) covering equity-based lending options, HELOCs for solar, and alternatives to dealer fees and UCC-1 filings. Also a sponsor of CALSSA's policy webinars on rate escalation and interconnection.
• TerraVerde EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTerraVerde is a clean energy advisory firm. It presents in CALSSA's 'Navigating the Shift' webinar series with a demo of Solar Shadow, a tool enabling property owners to bill like a utility for commercial rooftop solar deployments.
• SigenergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSigenergy is a solar and storage technology company (bidirectional DC EV charging). It sponsors CALSSA chapter events (e.g., North Bay Chapter Event 2026) and presents in the 'Navigating the Shift' webinar series covering contractor independence from third-party ownership (TPO) models and cash/loan business building.
• Enact SolarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnact Solar provides AI-enabled asset management for solar systems. It presents in CALSSA's 'Navigating the Shift: Solutions for 2026' webinar series, covering system health monitoring and ROI demonstration tools for contractors.
• Coalition of 100+ Environmental, Climate, and Consumer AdvocatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCALSSA led and participated in a broad coalition of over 100 environmental, climate, clean energy, consumer, economic justice, and affordable housing advocates that signed letters opposing AB 942 (which would have broken net metering contracts) and SB 1374 (which would have excluded multimeter properties from solar benefits). Also includes California Association of Realtors, California Building Industry Association, and Los Angeles Business Council.
• Environmental Working Group (EWG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEWG is a 30-plus year old environmental organization expanding its California operations. CALSSA's former Executive Director Bernadette Del Chiaro became Senior Vice President, California at EWG, continuing advocacy for clean affordable energy. EWG President Ken Cook publicly supported CALSSA's legislative agenda.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): SEIA is the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry, providing policy advocacy, research, and member services. It is the most direct national-level peer to CALSSA, with the same membership-dues model and focus on federal/state solar policy advocacy. SEIA's California state engagement makes it an overlapping peer to CALSSA in California's regulatory arena.
• Vote Solar: Vote Solar is a national nonprofit advocacy organization focused on pro-solar state-level policy. It directly competes with CALSSA in California legislative and regulatory advocacy on net metering, interconnection, and consumer protection, and shares overlapping funder/donor networks with CALSSA.
• Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC): IREC is a national nonprofit focused on clean energy regulatory reform, interconnection, workforce credentials, and consumer protection — many of the same issues CALSSA addresses in California. It serves as a peer in policy research and best-practices sharing for state-level clean energy associations.
• California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA): CESA is a California-based trade association focused specifically on energy storage policy advocacy. It is the closest direct peer to CALSSA's storage work, serving overlapping storage developers, financiers, and technology providers on CPUC and legislative matters, and competing for the same California storage-policy thought leadership.
• American Clean Power Association (ACP): ACP is a national trade association representing wind, solar, storage, and transmission companies. It is a broad-incumbent peer that overlaps with CALSSA on storage and solar policy advocacy, particularly in California where ACP runs significant state-level engagement.
• Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA): CCSA is a national trade association advancing community solar policy at the state level. It is a peer in business-model-specific solar advocacy, often working alongside CALSSA on California community solar and VNEM/NEMA policy questions.

Emerging players

• SunSpec Alliance: SunSpec is a trade alliance developing open standards for distributed energy and solar interoperability. It is an emerging-player peer with partial overlap on solar industry standards-setting and California member companies, but its focus is on technical/data standards rather than legislative advocacy.

Others

• Environmental Working Group (EWG): EWG is a national environmental advocacy organization that recently expanded into California, hiring CALSSA's former Executive Director Bernadette Del Chiaro. It is a coalition partner and former-employer relationship rather than a direct competitor, but it operates in adjacent California clean-energy/consumer advocacy spaces.
• National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO): NASEO is a membership association of state energy officials that influences federal-state energy policy coordination. It is thematically related to CALSSA's state-level policy advocacy work but is a government-affiliated association, not a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA): SEPA is a membership organization focused on the integration of clean, distributed energy resources with the grid, serving utilities and solution providers. It overlaps with CALSSA on storage/virtual power plant topics but is broader, utility-centric, and not California-specific.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Solar & Storage Association