All guides
The audit, written out.
Seven plain-English guides for homeowners auditing a residential solar proposal. Every guide is sourced inline from NREL, LBNL, EIA, IRS, or DOE primary data. No installer marketing prose. No government bulletin. Magazine voice, calm and specific.
Reading path
Start with How to read a solar quote. If the price feels high, go to cost per watt. If the payment feels too smooth, go to dealer fees. If the pitch feels rushed, go to red flags before anything else.
Updated May 16, 2026.
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Quote audit
What to look for on a proposal before signing. Start here if you have a quote in hand.
How to read a solar quote
Five numbers decide whether the math holds up. Here's where each one comes from — and how each one misleads.
Solar sales red flags
DOE's four consumer-protection red flags plus three 2026-specific tells. With the sentence that ends the kitchen-table meeting.
Do I need a new roof before solar?
Solar panels can outlive the roof under them. If the roof gives up first, removal and reinstall can wreck the payback. Decision matrix by age and material.
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Money & finance
The pricing math the salesperson didn't show. Cash, financed, or in between.
Solar cost per watt
Berkeley Lab's 2023 data shows state-median residential $/W between $3.20 and $5.20. Where your number lands — and where the markup hides.
Lease vs PPA vs loan vs cash
Four ways to pay for residential solar — what each means for ownership, the tax credit, the bill, and the next 25 years. Comparison table plus a decision matrix.
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Compensation & bill
Where the savings actually come from — and where they don't.
Net metering vs net billing
When your panels produce more than your home uses, what's that kWh worth? The answer changes the payback by years.
Why your solar bill may not go to zero
Fixed charges, seasonal mismatch, and net-metering policy — three reasons 'eliminate your electric bill' rarely happens.