Sue Kateley, executive director of the California Solar Energy Industries Assn., said the rebate changes backfired. "It's a mess," she said. "It was everyone's intent to expand the use of solar in California, not throw it into the ditch."

"We've come to the conclusion that we can no longer sell to a good percentage of potential clients because they don't have a roof that is big enough," said Patrick Redgate, owner of Ameco, a Long Beach solar installation company with 33 years in the business. "This is kind of a punishment for people going solar."

Interest dims; CREDIT: Los Angeles Times; UNINTENDED OUTCOME: The new rule took away many residents' incentive to go solar. Above, installer [Gordon Bloom].; PHOTOGRAPHER: Irfan Khan Los Angeles Times; FAIRNESS ISSUE: [Alfred Cellier] believed solar was "the right thing to do" but decided not to make a purchase after calculating his costs under state requirements.; PHOTOGRAPHER: Myung J. Chun Los Angeles Times; CLOUDY OUTLOOK: GenSelf Corp.'s Gordon Bloom views solar power panels his firm installed at a Corona house. GenSelf's workforce doubled in 2006, but he recently laid off two workers. "Residential sales in the Edison territory are down 75%," he says.; PHOTOGRAPHER: Irfan Khan Los Angeles Times