Solar panels for your home, explained without the sales pitch.
Real prices, real efficiency numbers, and plain answers on financing — so you know what a fair quote looks like before anyone knocks on your door.
Learn, compare, then decide.
Most solar sites push you straight to a form. We'd rather you understand the three numbers that decide whether solar pays off on your roof.
How the hardware works
Panel types, efficiency ratings, inverters, batteries. Enough to read a proposal without nodding along.
Compare brands and bids
Side-by-side breakdowns of the panels, inverters and installers you'll actually be offered.
Get a real number
When you're ready, one address gets you a price built from live bids for your exact roof.
What you can still claim in 2026.
Closed for homeowner-owned systems after 2025. Third-party-owned structures still pass it through as an upfront discount.
Performance payments, SRECs and upfront rebates vary by ZIP. We track every active program in the DSIRE database.
Export credit rules decide half your savings. Where net metering has been cut, a battery usually changes the math.
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Free research updates for homeowners — panel tech, financing changes, and what a fair deal looks like. No sales calls.
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No installer can buy a ranking here.
We earn a referral fee when a reader requests a quote — never for recommending a specific brand or installer. Every figure on this site traces to a public dataset or a live bid.
What homeowners ask us.
How much do solar panels cost in 2026?+
Nationally, installed residential systems run about $2.40–$3.10 per watt before incentives, so a typical 7.2 kW system lands between $17,000 and $22,000. State labor rates, roof complexity and permitting move that more than panel brand does.
Didn't the federal tax credit end?+
The 30% credit for homeowner-owned systems closed after 2025. Third-party-owned structures can still claim it at the provider level and pass it through as an upfront discount, which is why prepaid TPO often beats a loan now.
How many panels will my roof need?+
Divide your annual kWh usage by your local production factor, then by panel wattage. For most US homes that's 15–22 panels. Our sizing guide walks through the arithmetic with your own utility bill.
Is monocrystalline worth paying more for?+
On a small or shaded roof, yes — higher efficiency buys you more production per square foot. On a large unshaded roof, the cheaper panel usually wins on cost per kWh produced.
Do you sell my information to installers?+
No. Reading this site puts you on no list. If you request a quote, your address goes to one bidding platform — installers see the roof, not your phone number, until you choose to talk.
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Free research updates on costs, incentives and panel tech — written for homeowners.