Solar guides for homeowners
Before you sign a solar proposal, check the price, payment terms and expected utility bill. These guides show the arithmetic and the questions to ask. You can see your estimate first, then choose whether to request one installer introduction for a written recommendation.
Everything below carries a review date and the sources behind the numbers. Where we cannot source a figure, we make the point qualitatively rather than inventing one.
The guides
Buying solarIs my solar quote too high? Compare these 7 numbers before signing
Already have an offer? Separate the system price from the sales pitch.
Read the guide
Buying solarIs solar worth it with PG&E? Panels alone vs. solar + battery
Three options, one home. Find out which assumptions change the decision.
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Buying solarSolar loan + electric bill: will your total monthly cost actually drop?
A smaller electricity bill is only half the calculation when you finance solar.
Read the guide
Buying solarSolar lease vs. loan vs. cash: what will you actually pay?
Compare the whole commitment, including what happens if you move.
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Buying solar$300 electric bill: is solar worth it for your home?
The same bill can lead to different answers. Here is what to check.
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IncentivesThe federal solar tax credit in 2026: it is gone
The 30% homeowner credit ended after 2025. What that does to the maths.
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SizingHow many solar panels do I need?
The actual arithmetic, worked through, instead of a range someone guessed.
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Buyer protectionSolar panel scams and high-pressure sales tactics
How the pitch works, where the fees hide, and what to demand in writing.
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The case againstThe disadvantages of solar panels, honestly
The case against, including the cases where the answer is simply no.
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Export rulesWhat is net metering?
What exports are worth, and why most states no longer pay retail for them.
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BillingWhat is a true-up bill?
The once-a-year settlement bill that surprises solar owners.
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Net metering by utility
What your utility pays for exported power moves payback more than most rebates do, and the rule is set per state and per utility rather than nationally. These cover the utilities we can say something specific about.
Florida Power & Light
Florida still credits exports at retail. What that is worth on an FPL bill.
Read the guideDuke Energy
One utility, five states, five different answers on what exports are worth.
Read the guidePacific Gas & Electric
NEM 3.0, the export gap, and why the true-up is where it bites.
Read the guide
Skip to the arithmetic
Every guide here ends at the same place: your own numbers. Five questions about your bill, roof and shade, and the size, cost and payback appear on screen before anyone asks for a phone number.