Should I Get Solar Panels on My Home?
Answer a few honest questions and our Decision Guide will tell you whether solar is a smart investment for your house, a decent call in the messy middle, or just not the right move.
Published
For most homeowners in 2026, solar panels are still worth it IF you own your home, pay high electricity rates, have a good roof, and plan to stay 7+ years — but the math is meaningfully harder than it was in 2025. The federal 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit that covered 30% of install costs expired December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which typically adds 1-2 years to the payback period. Per EnergySage, a typical 12 kW system now costs around $30,500 with a 10-year payback without federal credits, though high-electricity states like California, New York, Massachusetts, and Hawaii still deliver payback in 6-7 years. The decision flips decisively against solar if you're in a low-rate state (under 12 cents/kWh), have heavy roof shading, plan to move soon, or can't finance with cash or a solar loan — lease and PPA arrangements still work but the economics are dramatically weaker because the leasing company captures most of the benefit via the surviving 48E commercial credit. Net metering policy is now the other critical variable: check whether your utility still offers 1:1 or near-1:1 credit for excess production (California's NEM 3.0 cut this substantially), because without strong net metering the ROI collapses unless you also add battery storage at another $10,000-$15,000.
Sources
- FAQs for Modification of Sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D under the One Big Beautiful Bill — Internal Revenue Service
- Homeowner's Guide to Going Solar — U.S. Department of Energy — Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
- Are Solar Panels Worth It? 2026 Guide — EnergySage