Who needs one
Four panels that usually have to go.
If yours is on this list, it comes up during design rather than on install day.
Older, smaller service
Homes still on 100 amps often run out of capacity the moment storage, a heat pump or a car charger enters the picture.
No space left
A panel with every slot filled, doubled-up breakers or a tandem stack cannot take a new solar or storage circuit safely.
Discontinued equipment
Certain older brands and panel designs are no longer supported and are routinely flagged. Replacement is the practical fix.
Plans that add load
Two EVs, an induction range, a shop, a pool pump. Sizing the service once for all of it is cheaper than touching it twice.
Sun Worx installation
What is included
A service that fits the house you have now.
Done once, labelled properly, and built with the next decade in mind.
Load calculation
A real calculation of existing and planned load, which is what determines the service size — not a round number picked in the driveway.
Modern 200-amp service
New panel, new main breaker and a proper grounding and bonding scheme, with capacity left for what comes next.
EV-ready capacity
Room for one or two chargers designed in now, so a future circuit is a breaker and a run rather than another upgrade.
Meter and utility coordination
Panel changes mean scheduling a disconnect and reconnect with your utility. We book it and work to their window.
Permit and inspection
The electrical permit, the inspection and any corrections are ours to carry, start to finish.
A labelled panel
Every circuit identified and a schedule inside the door, so the next person working on the house is not guessing.
How it works
Six steps, one power-down.
The house is off for part of a day. Everything around that is scheduling.
- 01
Look and load count
We photograph the existing panel, check the service conductors and count real load against what you plan to add.
- 02
Size and scope
Panel size, location, whether the meter combination changes, and what the utility will require at the connection point.
- 03
Utility and permit filing
The electrical permit goes to the building department and the service request to the utility, timed so neither one holds up the other.
- 04
Utility disconnect scheduled
Your power gets cut for the swap. We give you the window in advance so you can plan around refrigerators and work calls.
- 05
Swap day
Old panel out, new gear set, conductors terminated, grounding corrected, circuits labelled as they are reconnected.
- 06
Inspection and reconnect
Inspector signs it off, the utility reconnects, and we walk the panel with you before the truck leaves.
Equipment and warranty
What goes in, and what we stand behind.
All electrical and roofing work is performed by appropriately licensed professionals.
Money and rules
Where an upgrade fits in the incentive picture.
A panel upgrade is rarely its own incentive story; it is usually what makes the storage or solar project possible, and the programs sit on that side. SMUD battery rebates of up to $6,000 and the statewide Self-Generation Incentive Program both attach to qualifying storage, and the 30% federal credit for purchased home solar ended on December 31, 2025, with some third-party-owned lease and PPA programs still able to apply a federal credit through 2027.
Whether panel work can ride along inside a larger project’s eligibility depends on the program and the scope. We look at that combination at the quote instead of assuming it.
Questions
Panel upgrade questions.
How long will my power be off?
Most of a working day. We give you the window ahead of time, and the crew works to it rather than to a vague afternoon.
Do I definitely need an upgrade for solar?
No. Plenty of houses have room as they stand. We check capacity during design and tell you either way — an unnecessary upgrade is not a service.
Does the panel have to stay in the same spot?
Not always. Sometimes moving it improves access, conduit runs and clearances. The utility has the final word on where the service can land.
Will this make the house EV-ready?
That is the point of doing it once. We size for charging you are planning so a future circuit is a simple addition.
Can the upgrade happen on install week?
Often yes, which is the cheapest way to do it. It depends mostly on when the utility can schedule the disconnect.
Related work.
Send a photo of your panel.
The panel door open, the label visible, and what you are planning to add. We tell you whether it needs replacing.
Based in Sacramento, serving Northern California. Call or text 510-773-1922 or email sunworxca@gmail.com.