Solar answers, for your roof. Not a brochure.
We publish what a system actually costs, which panels installers really carry, and how long payback takes where you live — then hand you a real quote in ninety seconds.
Ninety seconds. You'll leave knowing what solar costs on your roof — and whether it's worth it.
Everything a homeowner needs, grouped how you'd ask it.
Pick where you are in the decision. Each pillar carries a hub guide and the detail articles underneath it.
Panel types & technology
Mono, poly, thin-film and PERC — what the differences mean once they are on a real roof.
Compare panel types → Level 2Efficiency, decoded
Why a 400 W panel is a 400 W panel, and when efficiency is worth paying for.
Read the guide → Level 2Best panels 2026
Head-to-head on the eight brands installers actually carry, warranty included.
See the ranking →Cost & financing
2026 prices state by state, plus loans, leases, PPAs and the federal credit.
See real prices → Level 1Federal tax credit 2026
Who qualifies for the 30%, what counts, and how it lands on your return.
Check eligibility → Level 3Payback & ROI
Break-even ranges for all 50 states, and the three factors that move them.
Run the numbers →Installation & performance
What install day looks like, roof requirements, permits and long-term upkeep.
See the process → Level 2Picking an installer
The questions that separate a real contractor from a sales operation.
Get the checklist → Level 2Batteries & backup
Whether storage earns its cost where you live, and how to size it honestly.
Read on storage →The guides homeowners actually finish.
Solar panel cost in 2026: real prices + financing
What an 8 kW system costs before and after the federal credit, line by line.
Solar panel installation: step by step
From site survey to permission-to-operate, with realistic timelines at each stage.
Best solar panels 2026: top brands ranked
Efficiency, warranty and price across the eight brands most installers carry.
Is solar worth it? Complete ROI analysis
Break-even ranges for all 50 states, and the three factors that move them most.
Which solar question sounds like yours?
Pick one and we'll walk you from the worry to the number — where you are now, what the guides say, and what you'd decide next.
Three Quotes, Three Stories
Every installer gave you a different number and none of them explained why. You have no way to tell fair from padded.
The Price, Line By Line
Real 2026 ranges by system size and by state, with the credit shown separately so you can see what the installer controls.
A Number You Can Defend
You walk into the next call knowing the fair range for your roof, and which quote is out of line.
Shade, Slope, Or Age
You have oaks on the south side, or a roof due for replacement, and nobody will tell you plainly whether it is worth it.
The Roofs We Say No To
Shade thresholds, minimum usable square footage, and the roof conditions where we would tell you to wait.
Go, Wait, Or Skip
A straight answer for your roof, including the case where the answer is not this year.
Zero Down Sounds Great
A salesperson offered no money down and a lower bill. You cannot tell what it costs you over twenty years.
Four Ways To Pay, Compared
Cash, loan, lease and PPA on the same twenty-year table — who owns the panels, who claims the credit, what happens if you move.
The Cheapest Route For You
You pick the structure that fits your cash position, not the one with the best pitch.
Every Brand Says Premium
Each installer champions whatever they stock, and the spec sheets all look the same to you.
Tested On What Matters
Degradation rate, heat coefficient, warranty terms and who actually honours them — for the panels installers can source now.
Two Names, Not Twenty
A shortlist that fits your roof and budget, and a reason you can say out loud for each one.
Twenty-Five Year Promises
The savings graph in the brochure curves upward forever and assumes rates you have not verified.
Payback, Stress-Tested
Break-even under your utility rate, your incentives and a flat-rate scenario — plus what net-metering reform does to it.
A Window, Not A Promise
You know the realistic payback range for your house and whether that beats what the money would do elsewhere.
Every number on this site is checked by someone who installs.
“Most solar content is written to sell a lead. This is the first library I've read that names the roofs where solar doesn't pay.”
Ready for a real price?
Three solar plans tailored to your roof — system size, panel tier and financing side by side. Yours to keep whether you buy or not.