Is solar actually worth it for your home?
Get a straight answer in about a minute. We model your roof, your utility's real rates and export rules, and today's prices, then tell you plainly whether solar pays off. If it doesn't, we'll say so.
- No installer money
- No phone or email asked
- Every assumption shown
The 2026 reality check
The 30% federal tax credit for homeowners who buy solar ended on December 31, 2025. Leases and PPAs can still claim a version of it, which is why salespeople are pushing them hard. Here's how solar pencils out for a typical home in each state at today's prices, with no federal credit for owners.
- States where it's worth it for a typical home
- 22
- Close calls
- 13
- Not worth it at average prices
- 16
- U.S. average electricity price, last 12 months
- 18.0¢per kWh (EIA)
A typical home means that state's average usage, price per watt and electricity rate, with the system sized for the best return. Your home can come out very differently. How we calculate this.
- Alaska: Close call, about 14 year payback
- Alabama: Not worth it, about 18.8 year payback
- Arkansas: Close call, about 14.5 year payback
- Arizona: Worth it, about 12.7 year payback
- California: Worth it, about 10.9 year payback
- Colorado: Worth it, about 12.4 year payback
- Connecticut: Worth it, about 8.7 year payback
- District of Columbia: Worth it, about 4.7 year payback
- Delaware: Worth it, about 12.3 year payback
- Florida: Worth it, about 10.5 year payback
- Georgia: Not worth it, about 17.2 year payback
- Hawaii: Worth it, about 6.7 year payback
- Iowa: Not worth it, about 22.7 year payback
- Idaho: Not worth it, about 18.3 year payback
- Illinois: Worth it, about 13.5 year payback
- Indiana: Not worth it, about 16.9 year payback
- Kansas: Close call, about 15.2 year payback
- Kentucky: Not worth it, about 18.7 year payback
- Louisiana: Not worth it, about 17.8 year payback
- Massachusetts: Worth it, about 7.6 year payback
- Maryland: Worth it, about 8.9 year payback
- Maine: Worth it, about 9 year payback
- Michigan: Close call, about 16 year payback
- Minnesota: Not worth it, about 16.8 year payback
- Missouri: Close call, about 15.5 year payback
- Mississippi: Not worth it, about 16.5 year payback
- Montana: Not worth it, about 19.6 year payback
- North Carolina: Close call, about 14.2 year payback
- North Dakota: Not worth it, about 20.3 year payback
- Nebraska: Not worth it, about 19.7 year payback
- New Hampshire: Worth it, about 10 year payback
- New Jersey: Worth it, about 7.8 year payback
- New Mexico: Close call, about 12.9 year payback
- Nevada: Not worth it, about 17 year payback
- New York: Worth it, about 6.8 year payback
- Ohio: Worth it, about 12.8 year payback
- Oklahoma: Close call, about 14.4 year payback
- Oregon: Close call, about 14.2 year payback
- Pennsylvania: Worth it, about 9.9 year payback
- Rhode Island: Worth it, about 5 year payback
- South Carolina: Worth it, about 11.8 year payback
- South Dakota: Not worth it, about 21.8 year payback
- Tennessee: Not worth it, about 24 year payback
- Texas: Close call, about 14 year payback
- Utah: Not worth it, about 22.7 year payback
- Virginia: Worth it, about 12.3 year payback
- Vermont: Worth it, about 11.5 year payback
- Washington: Close call, about 16.2 year payback
- Wisconsin: Worth it, about 13.2 year payback
- West Virginia: Close call, about 14.2 year payback
- Wyoming: Close call, about 15 year payback
Tools that check the sales pitch
Free, no sign-up, and built to answer the questions salespeople avoid.
Solar calculator
Your address, your bill, your roof. Get a plain verdict with every assumption visible.
Compare quotes
Line up 2 to 10 quotes on true cost per watt, cost per kWh, warranties and red flags.
Dealer fee detector
Find the hidden markup in "low APR" solar loans.
Lease vs. buy
Cash, loan, lease and PPA side by side over 25 years.
Is a battery worth it?
Bill savings and backup value, counted separately.
Roof timing
Replace the roof first, or install now and pay to reinstall later?
What you get instead of a sales pitch
- A verdict you can trust. Worth it, close call, or not worth it, with the reasons in plain words.
- Your real numbers. Production for your roof's direction, tilt and shade. Your utility's rate, time-of-use plan and export credit.
- Every way to pay. Cash, loan (with the dealer fee exposed), lease, PPA and community solar, compared over the years you'll actually live there.
- What would change the answer. See how price, rate increases, a new roof or moving early shift the result.
Pays back in about 9.6 years
- System
- 6.4 kW, 15 panels
- Net cost
- $19,200
- Year-1 savings
- $1,880
- 25-year net
- $31,400
Cumulative savings cross zero at the break-even point.
Sales tactics to watch for
Solar is a good deal for many homes. The pitch often isn't. These are the tactics that cost homeowners the most.
- "Free Solar" and "Government Solar Programs""There's a new government program in your area that puts solar on your roof for free. You just pay a small monthly amount instead of your electric bill."
- Quotes That Subtract the 30% Federal Tax Credit in 2026"You'll get 30% back from the federal government, so your real cost is only $16,800 instead of $24,000."
- Overstated Tax Credits: "You'll Get a Check From the IRS""You'll get a 30% rebate check from the IRS next spring, so use it to pay down the loan and your payment stays low."
- Hidden Dealer Fees Behind "Low APR" Solar Loans"We can get you financed at just 1.99% APR, which is way better than any bank. Cash or loan, the price is the same."
- The Month-18 Payment Jump (Reamortization)"Your payment is only $144 a month. When your tax credit comes in, just put it toward the loan and it stays that low."
- "Your Electric Bill Will Be $0""Once the panels are on, your electric bill goes away. You'll just have your solar payment instead."
Start here
Is Solar Worth It in 2026? An Honest Answer Without the Tax Credit
Is solar worth it in 2026 now that the 30% tax credit is gone? See what makes solar pay, who should skip it, and three worked examples with real numbers.
What Happened to the 30% Federal Solar Tax Credit? The 2026 Rules
The 30% solar tax credit ended for homeowner systems installed after Dec 31, 2025. See the exact rule, carryforwards, the lease loophole and the quote red flag.
Solar Lease vs. Buy vs. PPA vs. Loan: A 25-Year Comparison for 2026
Cash, loan, lease or PPA? A 25-year worked example with real 2026 numbers, who gets the 30% credit now, and when a lease or PPA actually beats buying.
Net Metering Explained: How Your Utility Pays for Solar (and Why It Matters So Much)
Net metering vs net billing vs avoided cost vs buy-all, explained with numbers. See how one solar system can pay back in 12 years or 21 depending on the rules.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in 2026? Real Prices by Size
Solar panels cost about $2.60 to $3.00 per watt in 2026 before incentives, or $18,000 to $30,000 for most homes. See prices by size, batteries and quotes.
Do Solar Batteries Pay Off? An Honest Look at the Numbers
A home battery costs about $15,000 with no federal credit for owners in 2026. See when it pays back (low export credits, TOU, VPPs) and when it never will.
Questions
Is solar still worth it without the 30% federal tax credit?
Sometimes. The homeowner credit ended for systems installed after 2025, which adds roughly 4 to 6 years to a typical payback. Solar still pays off well where electricity is expensive and exports are credited near retail, and poorly where power is cheap or export credits are low. Our calculator shows which side your home is on.
How do you make money?
Not from installers, lenders or lead sales. We never ask for your phone number or email. We earn small commissions from clearly marked Amazon links to cheaper alternatives like energy monitors and efficiency products, and those links never change a verdict.
How accurate is the estimate?
Production comes from the National Laboratory of the Rockies PVWatts model with local weather data. Prices come from your utility's reported average rate (EIA, 2025) adjusted to 2026, and you can enter your exact rate and time-of-use plan. Export rules come from our state-by-state research. The biggest uncertainties are future rate increases and your own plans, so we show how the answer changes if those change.
Do I need to give my address?
No. A ZIP code works. Your address only improves the estimate, for example by finding your building outline to estimate roof size and direction. It is used to look up public data and is not stored.