Is Solar Worth It for My Home?

Start with the home you actually have

Your neighbor’s experience can help you ask better questions, but it cannot establish your savings. Roof conditions, electricity use, installation price and utility rules all affect the result. Before requesting a proposal, collect 12 months of electricity use in kilowatt-hours, identify your utility, and note whether you expect to add an electric vehicle, heat pump or another dwelling.

Compare the complete household cost

Create two columns: keeping your current electricity arrangement, and adding solar. In the solar column include the purchase or financing cost, the remaining utility bill, and any separately priced roof, electrical or service work. Ask the installer to separate measured information from forecasts. A prediction about future utility prices is an assumption, not a guaranteed benefit.

A worked example, not a savings promise

Suppose a fictional household spends $240 a month on electricity. A proposal estimates a $155 solar payment and $65 remaining utility bill. The combined monthly amount is $220, leaving a $20 difference before additional costs. If the remaining bill is actually $100, the total becomes $255. This example shows why the remaining bill matters; these numbers are not market prices or a forecast for your home.

Check the roof and your moving plans

Ask for a roof assessment before assuming an installation is straightforward. Request a separate price for any recommended roof or electrical work. If you may move soon, review the agreement’s sale, transfer and payoff provisions instead of treating a long-term projection as money you will personally receive.

Use current incentive rules

Reviewed October 5, 2026: the IRS says the residential clean energy credit is unavailable for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Do not deduct an assumed 30% homeowner credit from a new 2026 project. Verify any separate utility or state program and its eligibility before including it in your comparison.

Your next step in the app

Open Tools and the Energy calculator to record bill kWh and billing days. The appliance scanner can help you explore individual loads, but photo-based wattage estimates do not replace whole-home meter data. Bring your actual bills and this comparison to at least two installers.

Questions worth asking

• What remaining utility bill does the proposal assume?
• Which roof and electrical costs are outside the quote?
• How does the result change with lower production or higher remaining bills?
• What must happen if I sell the home?