Brand-agnostic solar consultations for homeowners. No door-knockers, no commissions, no shared leads. We run your real numbers before you agree to anything.
The installation process
Every step is explained in writing before it begins. The typical timeline from your signed agreement to a live system is 8 to 16 weeks. Most of that is permitting and utility interconnection, not installation.
An independent advisor evaluates your roof angle, shading, structural condition, and electrical panel. We review 12 months of your utility bills. No sales rep. No brand agenda.
We design a system sized to your actual load, your roof, and your utility's net-metering export rate. Equipment is selected from multiple manufacturers, not a single brand.
We file the permit application with your local authority having jurisdiction and the utility interconnection application. We track both through approval. This is typically the longest step: four to twelve weeks depending on your AHJ.
Licensed professionals install your system. A local inspector approves the work. The utility confirms the interconnection. Only then does your system go live.
After commissioning, we help you read your monitoring data, understand your first utility bills under net metering, and navigate any warranty or service issue regardless of which installer or manufacturer is involved.
The honest answer about federal incentives
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, terminated the Section 25D residential solar credit for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. If you buy or finance a solar system in 2026, you receive no federal tax credit. That credit affected the financial case for many homeowners. We will not pretend otherwise.
What the expiration does not change: the value of solar is now driven almost entirely by your state's programs and your utility's current net-metering rate. In states with strong SREC markets, production incentives, or high retail electricity rates, the payback math is still compelling. In states without those programs, it is not. We will tell you which category you are in before you sign anything.
States including Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Illinois have production incentives, SREC markets, or direct rebates that replace much of the federal credit's value. Every state page on this site shows the current status of each program with a date stamp.
When a third-party company owns the solar system you use under a lease or PPA, that company can claim the Section 48E commercial credit (still active). It may pass some of that value to you through lower monthly rates. This is not guaranteed, but it has made third-party-owned systems more competitive in 2026.
At $0.25 to $0.46 per kWh in many US markets, residential electricity is expensive and rising. A solar system offsets that rate for 25 or more years. The value of that offset is not connected to any tax credit. It is real and grows as retail rates increase.
Financing options
Every path has real trade-offs. The dealer fee in solar loans is typically $4,000 to $10,000 and is usually not listed as a line item. We show it as a dollar amount in every proposal.
| Category | What to Compare | Cash Purchase | Solar Loan (dollar amount disclosed) | Lease / PPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal tax credit (2026) | -- | None (Section 25D expired Dec 31, 2025) | None (25D expired Dec 31, 2025) | Third-party owner claims Section 48E and may pass value via lower monthly rates |
| System ownership | -- | You own the system outright | You own after payoff | Third-party company owns the system |
| Upfront cost | -- | Full system cost (net of state incentives) | Often $0 down; dealer fee added to principal | $0 down in most markets |
| Dealer fee disclosure | -- | Not applicable | $4,000-$10,000 typical; shown in dollar terms before you sign | Not applicable; review escalator clause carefully |
| State incentive eligibility | -- | Most state programs apply to system owners | Most state programs apply to system owners | Varies by state program; confirm before signing |
| Home sale impact | -- | System value typically adds to resale price | Loan may transfer to buyer or must be paid off | Lease must transfer to buyer; can complicate sale |
Full financing hub with lender-specific details at /financing/. Mosaic and Sunnova are in Chapter 11 proceedings; we do not recommend them as active lenders without disclosure.
Before sizing your system
A roof with fewer than 10 years of useful life will need to be removed and reinstalled before or during the solar installation. That adds $2,000 to $5,000 in labor. Most solar companies do not flag this risk upfront because it complicates the sale. We surface it in our site assessment before you sign any agreement.
System size is driven by your annual consumption, your roof's south-facing area, shading from trees and chimneys, and your utility's net-metering export rate. We run an efficiency audit first because a more efficient home requires a smaller system. A 20 to 35 percent reduction in system size from basic efficiency improvements is common.
Roof age, condition, and remaining useful life
Flags replacement risk before you commit to solar.
Shading analysis by azimuth and season
A tree that shades the northeast corner in December matters differently than in July.
Electrical panel capacity and upgrade cost
Many older homes need a service upgrade before solar. We identify this upfront.
Utility net-metering export rate
Your actual export credit, not a national average.
12-month utility bill review
Your real load, seasonally adjusted.
State incentive summary for your address
Current programs, date-stamped, not marketing copy.
See your numbers before you talk to anyone.
Enter your monthly electric bill, state, and utility. Get an estimated payback range, system size, and 2026 state incentive summary. No contact required.
Recent installations
Actual installation photos from completed projects. No stock images. Each photo includes the city, system size, and install type. Photos are added after launch.
Real install photo coming soon
Dimensions: 800 x 600 px minimum. No stock solar imagery.
Real install photo coming soon
Dimensions: 800 x 600 px minimum. No stock solar imagery.
Real install photo coming soon
Dimensions: 800 x 600 px minimum. No stock solar imagery.
Real install photo coming soon
Dimensions: 800 x 600 px minimum. No stock solar imagery.
Real install photo coming soon
Dimensions: 800 x 600 px minimum. No stock solar imagery.
Real install photo coming soon
Dimensions: 800 x 600 px minimum. No stock solar imagery.
From homeowners we have helped
Real reviews with system size, city, and verified savings detail. Placeholder cards are replaced with verified testimonials after launch.
Certifications and accreditations
Common questions
Every answer is direct. We do not redirect you to a sales call before explaining the basics.
Commercial solar
The Section 48E commercial solar credit remains at 30 percent base rate. It carries a construction-start deadline and a combined benefit with MACRS accelerated depreciation that can reach 45 to 55 percent of project cost in the first year.
See commercial solar optionsCommercial solar projects must begin construction by July 4, 2026 to qualify for the 30 percent Section 48E federal tax credit. After that date, the system must be placed in service by December 31, 2027.
Get a Free Commercial AssessmentA free in-home assessment takes roughly 90 minutes. An independent advisor reviews your utility bills, roof, and local incentives. No sales pressure. No shared leads.
