Sourced, plain-English guides to help you decide whether home solar pays off — and how to do it right. Educational only; not financial advice.
The net-cost formula, how rate escalation shortens payback, and the difference between payback and lifetime value.
How solar is priced per watt, a component cost breakdown, and gross vs net cost after the federal credit.
A step-by-step sizing method using your kWh usage and local sun hours, with a full worked example.
How the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit works, who qualifies, and how to claim it on IRS Form 5695.
How ownership decides who gets the tax credit, your lifetime savings, and what happens when you sell.
Backup resilience vs economic savings, when batteries pay off under TOU and net-billing rates, and sizing.
Full-retail net metering vs net billing (NEM 3.0), true-up, and why your utility's policy drives the economics.
What Berkeley Lab research shows about owned vs leased systems at resale, and how appraisers handle solar.
Oversizing, lease escalators, roof condition, high-pressure sales, and the other regrets that hurt savings.
Mono vs poly vs thin-film, and string vs microinverters vs optimizers — how to match them to your roof.
How long panels last, degradation, the inverter replacement reality, and the warranties that matter.
Solar savings for renters and shaded roofs — how subscriptions work and how they compare to owning.