Solar is simple at its core: panels make electricity, your home uses it, and the utility accounts for power moving to or from the grid. These guides explain the details in normal language so you can compare offers with confidence.
Estimate my homeExpose price per watt, production assumptions and financing cost.
FloridaFlorida home solar guideRoof, wind, insurance, utility and proposal questions.
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania home solar guideProduction, shade, net metering and realistic sizing.
New JerseyNew Jersey incentives guideSREC-II, net metering and state tax exemptions.
Buyer checklistCompare solar quotesNormalize cash price, financing, equipment and production.
2026 planningSolar without the federal creditTest the economics without relying on an expired homeowner credit.
Renters and apartmentsBalcony solar overviewCosts, output, safety and legal questions.
DocumentsForms and official resourcesFederal, state, permit and interconnection starting points.
Panels make direct-current electricity from sunlight. An inverter changes it into the alternating-current electricity your home uses. Your home uses solar power first. Extra production may go to the grid or charge a battery. Solar can reduce utility purchases, but it does not automatically remove every utility charge.
Kilowatts, or kW, describe the system's power capacity. Kilowatt-hours, or kWh, measure energy produced or used over time. Solar offset is the share of your annual electricity use the system is expected to produce. A useful estimate starts with twelve months of kWh use, not only the dollar amount of one bill.
A good design accounts for roof direction, tilt, seasonal shade, usable area, local weather, code setbacks, and future electricity needs. A satellite image is a starting point, not a roof inspection. Ask for the annual production estimate and the assumptions behind it.
Net metering is a billing rule for eligible electricity sent to the grid. The utility measures power flowing both ways and applies credits under its current tariff. Interconnection is the utility's approval process. Permission to operate is the final approval to turn the system on for normal use.
Cash avoids financing cost. A loan lets you own the system but can include interest and dealer fees. With a lease or power purchase agreement, a third party owns the system. Compare total cost, payment increases, buyout terms, home-sale rules, and who receives incentives.
A battery stores electricity for later and can support selected loads during an outage when the system is designed for backup. Panels alone usually shut down during a grid outage. Ask which circuits will run, for how long, and whether large loads are supported.
Be cautious with pressure to sign immediately, claims of free solar or guaranteed zero bills, missing cash price, vague equipment, and savings based on unexplained utility-rate increases. Get system size, annual production, equipment models, total price, financing cost, warranties, and contractor responsibilities in writing.
A typical project moves through site survey, final design, local permits, utility application, installation, inspection, and permission to operate. Ask who owns each step and when you will receive copies of approvals and final system documents.
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No. They are educational resources. Verify tax, legal, engineering, utility, and financial decisions with qualified professionals.
Pages with policy or incentive information should be reviewed whenever relevant law, utility rules, or program terms change.
Run the calculator, gather twelve months of electricity usage, and compare the result with any proposal using the quote checklist.
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