The claim is usually that solar will be installed at no cost to you. Many finance options do not require a down payment (as long as you qualify). But that doesn’t mean it’s free! We’ll help you decide how big a system you’ll need but there will be monthly payments unless you pay cash. Don’t forget that most people qualify for the 30% tax credit as well. See our Financing page for a complete review of the most common options.

Again, solar is never free. A company could name their new solar program whatever they want and call it a “new” program, but that’s just a marketing gimmick. The first year the ITC (Investment Tax Credit) was implemented was 2006. It has gone through a few revisions, and is now up to a 30% tax credit (not a refund) through 2032. So it’s not new!

This one can legitimately be confusing, but there’s never a guarantee about net metering. First of all you may live in a state where there is no statewide law that provides for net metering (e.g. Texas). In states like this there are many regional electric companies that do pay you for extra electricity your solar system will produce. We’ll help you determine which one is best for you, depending on where you live. And for states with net metering laws, those laws can change (like California). It’s still worth going with solar in many situations, but you need to work with a company who knows the laws in your area and who you can trust to speak plainly about what you need to know. If solar doesn’t make sense for you we’ll tell you!

Commonly used by door to door appointment setters and salesmen, they will imply that they are somehow affiliated with your electric company. Usually they will say something like “we’re checking to be sure you know about the electric company’s new program that provides free electricity in your area”. They will either say that they are with the electric company, or at least imply it. Electric companies don’t do this, that would be taking away business from themselves!… 

No. It is not a tax rebate, it is a tax credit that applies to those who already pay enough in taxes every year to qualify for this credit. On line 24 of your 1040 it shows how much tax you owed that previous year. Using a $28,000 10 kWh system as an example, 30% of that is $8400. So if you owed $8400 or more in taxes last year you would get an $8400 reduction in the taxes you owe. If you owed less than $8400 you can carry over this tax credit for the next 4 years, so while that’s great it does not mean you would get the full $8400 credit in year one. Since it is not a tax rebate they don’t send you back the “extra”. For example, if you owed $3800 in taxes they would not send you a rebate for $5000, assuming the above example. But you can carry that over for the next 4 years. ***We are not CPAs, you should seek advice from your professional counsel about tax matters.