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The questions people actually ask about going solar in 2026, answered directly, with a link to the deeper page behind each answer.
General information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Figures reflect the sources on each linked page and change over time; the linked pages carry the details and citations.
The money questions
Does the 30 percent federal solar tax credit still exist in 2026?
Not for homeowners who buy or finance a system. The residential credit (Section 25D) was terminated for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. A third party that owns a leased or PPA system may still pursue a separate commercial credit, with its own conditions, but that credit belongs to the company, not you. Any quote subtracting a 30 percent federal credit from a 2026 purchase is using expired law.
How long does it take solar panels to pay for themselves?
There is no honest universal number. Payback depends on your net cost, your retail electricity rate, your utility's export rate, and how much production you use directly. Full retail netting territories pay back fastest; avoided cost territories reward self-consumption and storage. Run your own numbers rather than trusting a national average.
Is solar worth it if my utility pays almost nothing for exports?
Often still yes, but the design changes. Power you use directly offsets retail rates that keep rising, so the system earns most of its value through self-consumption. Exports become a small bonus rather than the engine. That favors right-sized systems, daytime usage habits, and sometimes a battery, not the oversized arrays that made sense under old net metering.
In many states, no, by explicit statute. Arizona treats solar as adding no value for property tax purposes, Florida excludes 100 percent of a residential system's added value, and Texas exempts the appraised value a solar device adds. Rules vary by state and usually require a one-time filing, so check your state's exemption before assuming either way.
What is the difference between net metering and net billing?
Net metering credits exported power at the full retail rate, one for one. Net billing credits exports at a lower administratively set rate while you pay retail for what you import. California's NEM 3.0, Arizona's RCP system, and SRP's flat export credit are all net billing. The label matters less than the number: what does one exported kilowatt-hour actually earn?
What does California NEM 3.0 actually pay for solar exports?
Avoided cost rates that average roughly 3 to 8 cents per kWh, varying by hour and season, versus retail rates that can exceed 30 to 50 cents. That is why batteries went from optional to central in California: storing midday production for evening use captures retail value instead of single digit export value.
Which utilities still pay full retail for solar exports?
Fewer every year, but they exist: LADWP in Los Angeles still runs retail rate net metering, Florida's investor owned utilities credit exports one for one under state rules, and Nevada pays 75 percent of retail locked for 20 years. Some municipal utilities and cooperatives also still net at retail. Check your specific utility; neighbors a few blocks apart can have completely different deals.
Can my utility change the solar deal after I install?
It depends on the lock. Nevada locks your export tier for 20 years, Arizona's RCP rate locks for 10 years at interconnection, California NEM 3.0 export prices lock for 9 years, and SMUD revisits its rate every four years with a cap on changes. Locks usually protect the export price, not the surrounding rate design, so other charges can still shift. Read the lock terms before you sign.
In full retail netting territories, usually not for the economics. In low export rate territories, a battery often improves the math more than extra panels: shifting a kilowatt-hour from a 5 cent export to avoiding a 30 cent evening purchase multiplies its value. Batteries also add backup power, which is a separate benefit from the arithmetic.
Should I oversize my solar system to bank extra credits?
Under old full retail net metering, oversizing worked. Under net billing it usually backfires: surplus beyond your usage earns the low export rate, and in some places, like San Antonio's CPS, overproduction earns about 2 cents against roughly 12 cent retail. Size to your actual annual usage and spend the difference on storage or efficiency instead.
Panels degrade slowly, typically around half a percent to eight tenths of a percent per year, so a 25 year old system still produces roughly 80 to 88 percent of its original output. Inverters usually need replacement once along the way. Warranties commonly run 25 years on panels, which is why payback math over a 25 year horizon is reasonable.
In many states, no. Arizona voids HOA restrictions that impair a solar device and awards attorney fees to homeowners who win in court, Florida's Solar Rights Act makes prohibitions unenforceable, and Texas voids most HOA solar bans with listed exceptions. HOAs typically retain narrow placement authority. Check your state's solar rights law before accepting a denial.
They are different bets. Buying puts the long term savings and the maintenance risk on you. Leases and PPAs put a company in the middle: lower upfront cost, but the company keeps part of the value, and in 2026 third party ownership is also how the remaining federal credit gets claimed, by the company, not you. Florida is a special case where PPAs are effectively unavailable under state utility law, so offers there are structured as leases or loans.
Three checks: it should not subtract a federal credit for a 2026 homeowner purchase, it should use your utility's actual export rate rather than assuming full retail, and it should model how much production you will self-consume based on your usage, not a generic percentage. A quote that fails any of these is built on assumptions, not your house.
Increasingly, yes. Texas begins requiring residential solar retailers and salespersons to register with the state licensing department on September 1, 2026, with contract and disclosure rules already in effect. Installation work generally requires licensed contractors everywhere; Arizona has a dedicated solar contractor classification and Florida a certified solar contractor license. Verifying a license takes minutes and filters out the worst actors.
What questions should I ask before signing a solar contract?
The five that matter: What is my utility's export rate and is it locked? What share of production will I realistically self-consume? What is the true net cost with no expired credits subtracted? Who owns the system and any tax benefits? And what happens to the agreement if I sell the house? Clear answers to all five is the mark of a serious company.
The solar hub covers the programs, the process, and the companies, or compare providers directly. Many offer free initial consultations; check individual providers for details.
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