1. Is your house actually a good solar candidate?
Start with roof age, orientation, shading, usable roof area, structural condition, electrical service, local weather, insurance requirements and utility compensation. A roof that needs replacement soon can change the timing and economics of the project.
2. Understand your electricity before sizing a system
Collect at least 12 months of electric bills. Look at annual kilowatt-hour use, seasonal peaks, rate structure and whether you expect loads to rise from an EV, heat pump, electric water heater or home addition. A system sized only from today's bill may be wrong for tomorrow's house.
3. Net metering and export compensation can make or break the math
Utilities do not all credit exported solar electricity the same way. Some use retail-style net metering; others credit exports at a lower rate or use time-dependent compensation. Ask your utility what happens to every kilowatt-hour you send to the grid before accepting a sales proposal.
4. Solar plus batteries
A battery can shift solar energy into evening hours, provide limited backup power and reduce exposure to time-of-use pricing. But a battery does not automatically mean whole-house backup. The installer should identify which circuits are backed up, expected runtime, recharge behavior and whether large loads such as central air conditioning can operate.
5. Solar and EV charging
An EV can significantly increase annual electricity use. Solar may offset some of that energy, but the car often charges at night while solar produces during the day. Your utility's export rules and time-of-use rates determine whether daytime solar and nighttime charging pair economically.
6. Solar and home heating
Electrifying heating with a heat pump can make solar more valuable because it increases electric use while reducing fossil-fuel consumption. Model both projects together when possible so panel capacity, service upgrades and solar sizing are coordinated.
7. Financing: cash, loan, lease or power-purchase agreement
Compare total cost, interest, escalation clauses, ownership, maintenance responsibility, transfer terms when selling the house and who receives available incentives. A low monthly payment can hide a high lifetime project cost.
8. Get multiple proposals and compare the same numbers
Ask each installer for system size in kW, expected annual production in kWh, equipment models, degradation assumptions, workmanship warranty, roof penetrations, inverter architecture, battery capacity where applicable, utility assumptions and cash price before financing.
9. Current incentives and rebates
The former federal homeowner Residential Clean Energy Credit is no longer available for new 2026 residential installations under current law. However, state programs, municipal programs, electric utilities, rural co-ops and tribal programs may offer rebates, performance payments, financing or storage incentives. Home Energy Rebate programs administered by states, territories and Tribes may also support qualifying efficiency and electrification work, though not every solar purchase is covered. Check your state energy office and utility before signing a contract.
10 solar products and technologies worth understanding
1. Rooftop photovoltaic panels. The core electricity-producing component. Compare efficiency, warranty, degradation and manufacturer stability.
2. Microinverters. Panel-level conversion that can help with complex roofs and module-level monitoring.
3. String inverters. Centralized conversion that can be cost-effective for simpler arrays.
4. Home battery storage. Stores solar or grid electricity for evening use or outage backup.
5. Smart electrical panels. Provide circuit-level control and can support load management and electrification planning.
6. Solar water heating. Uses solar thermal energy rather than photovoltaic electricity and can make sense in some climates and hot-water-heavy homes.
7. Solar attic ventilation. Small photovoltaic-powered ventilation products can help move attic air, though they are not a substitute for correct roof and soffit ventilation design.
8. Solar landscape lighting. Useful where trenching electrical cable is impractical; choose replaceable batteries and adequate panel exposure.
9. Solar security and pathway lighting. Motion-activated fixtures can add useful illumination without extending house wiring.
10. Portable solar plus battery power stations. Useful for camping and limited outage support, but they should not be confused with permanently installed whole-home backup systems.
Questions to ask a solar contractor
- How old can my roof be before you recommend replacement first?
- What production estimate are you guaranteeing, if any?
- What utility tariff did you use in the savings calculation?
- Who handles permitting and interconnection?
- Who warranties roof penetrations?
- What happens if the inverter fails?
- Can the system operate during an outage?
- What loads can the battery actually support?
- What is the cash price before financing?
- What happens to warranties and financing when I sell the home?