Straight answers about going solar — and staying solar.

Honest answers to the questions homeowners actually ask — about money, roofs, batteries, and who to trust. No jargon. No pitch.

Chapter 01
The Money
State Incentives

State Solar Incentives in 2026: What's Available Beyond the Federal Tax Credit

State tax credits, rebates, property exemptions, and SREC programs still available in major markets after the federal expiration.

7 min read
Financing

Cash vs. Loan vs. Lease vs. PPA: What's Actually the Best Deal for You

Total cost, ownership, tax credit eligibility, and who each option is actually right for — honestly compared.

7 min read
Installer Documents

How to Read a Solar Proposal

Line-by-line glossary: system size, offset percentage, production guarantee, escalator, dealer fee, and true cost of capital.

7 min read
Net Metering

How Net Metering Works — and Why It Matters More Than Your Offset Percentage

NEM 2.0 vs NEM 3.0 determines whether your excess solar earns retail or wholesale rates — which changes the math entirely.

7 min read
Decision

Why Go Solar in 2026?

Rates rise 3–4% a year; solar locks in your cost for 25+ years. The financial case, 2026 incentive reality, and honest counterpoints.

6 min read
Home Value

Do Solar Panels Increase Home Value?

Zillow and Lawrence Berkeley Lab data: owned solar adds 3–4% to sale prices. Leased systems complicate deals — here's why.

7 min read
2025 Filers & Battery Rules

Solar Tax Credit 2026: What Expired, What Remains, and What Replaced It

Installed in 2025? You still claim 30% on your 2025 return. Why Section 25D ended ten years early, what the battery storage rules mean, and which state incentives survived.

6 min read
Sales Myths

Is Solar Free?

Your rep said it's free. Here's the honest truth about what solar actually costs — and what incentives are really available.

8 min read
Real Estate

Selling a Home With Solar: What to Know

Owned solar adds ~4% home value. Leases require buyer assumption or seller buyout — know your situation before you list.

7 min read
Real Estate

Buying a Home With Solar: What to Inspect, Ask, and Verify

Owned vs. leased, UCC-1 fixture filings, system age and warranty residue, and the inspection red flags to catch before you close.

9 min read
Chapter 02
Batteries & Grid
VPP Programs

What Is a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and Can You Get Paid to Participate?

VPP programs pay homeowners with batteries to share stored energy during peak demand. The economics deserve a closer look than the marketing gives them.

7 min read
Backup Power

How Battery Backup Actually Works During a Blackout

What a single Powerwall actually covers — and what it won't. How to size for what you actually need vs. what the sales pitch implies.

7 min read
System Types

Grid-Tied vs. Off-Grid vs. Hybrid

Most homeowners don't know what "hybrid" means. Covers interconnection, net metering, and why 99% of residential solar is grid-tied.

7 min read
Market Trends

Why Solar Batteries Are Booming in 2026

NEM 3.0, time-of-use rates, and grid instability changed the math. Why batteries went from optional add-on to essential component.

7 min read
Sizing Guide

How to Size a Home Battery System

A practical guide to figuring out how much battery storage you actually need — based on your goals, your loads, and your budget.

7 min read
EVs

Solar + EV Charging: How to Size Your System When You Drive Electric

Most savings estimates ignore EV charging. An EV adds 2,500–4,500 kWh annually. Learn the math and why Level 2 charging changes your system design.

7 min read
Chapter 03
Your Roof
Methodology

How We Estimate Your Roof's Solar Potential

A transparent look at Solrova's methodology: Google Solar API for roof analysis, PVWatts for production estimates, and every assumption we make.

8 min read
Shading

How Shading Impacts Solar Production

Trees, chimneys, neighboring structures, and seasonal sun angles. When shade is a dealbreaker vs. manageable — and how microinverters change the equation.

7 min read
Orientation

Roof Orientation and Tilt

Why south-facing isn't always the answer. West-facing roofs outperform south-facing in time-of-use markets like California and Texas.

6 min read
Basics

How Do Solar Panels Work?

From photovoltaic cells to your utility bill: a plain-English walkthrough of the full solar energy loop — panels, inverter, your home, and net metering.

7 min read
System Sizing

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

The actual calculation: annual kWh usage ÷ production per panel = system size. Worked example with a real 1,200 kWh/month household and 400W panels.

7 min read
Longevity

How Long Do Solar Panels Last?

Warrantied for 25 years, still operating at ~87% by year 25. What causes degradation, and the biggest warranty risk most homeowners don't ask about.

7 min read
Seasons

Do Solar Panels Work in Winter?

Cold actually improves panel efficiency. Snow causes minor annual losses. The honest picture on winter production in Denver, Chicago, and Boston.

6 min read
Timeline

What Happens After You Sign? The Solar Installation Timeline Explained

2–4 months is normal. The permit-to-system-on sequence, what each stage involves, and when a delay is a red flag vs. expected.

7 min read
Chapter 04
Trust & Protection
Due Diligence

What Questions to Ask Before Signing

The checklist: permit history, insurance, license verification, references from 5+ year old installs, production guarantee in writing.

7 min read
Pre-Sale Checklist

The Homeowner Solar Checklist: What to Ask, What to Have Ready

What to gather before any rep calls, the full vetting questions for every installer, the design questions that catch bad math, and the seven documents to hold before signing.

8 min read
Vetting

How to Choose a Solar Company

Green flags, red flags, and critical questions to evaluate solar installers. Learn to verify licensing, assess financial stability, and choose a company that will still be around in 5 years.

6 min read
Sales Tactics

Spotting Bad Solar Sales Reps and Permit Poachers

Door-to-door pressure, "today only" pricing, and unlicensed operators pulling permits under a borrowed contractor's license. The red flags, how to verify a rep is legit, and what to do if you've been targeted.

8 min read
Installer Failure

When Your Solar Installer Closes: Your Next Steps

What happens to your warranty, monitoring, and system protection when an installer's operations are disrupted. A step-by-step action guide — with real-world context from the April 2026 Freedom Forever Chapter 11 filing.

7 min read
Monitoring

How to Monitor Your Solar System (And What to Do When Something Looks Wrong)

Access your monitoring portal, understand your production data, spot warning signs early — for Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, and more.

7 min read
HOA Rights

HOA Solar Panels: Your Rights by State

Most states prohibit HOAs from blocking solar outright. What they can restrict, what they can't, and how to push back if you've been denied.

7 min read
Chapter 05
Orphaned Systems
Monitoring

How to Reclaim Your Solar Monitoring After an Installer Closes

Your installer's app went dark. Here's how to claim monitoring on Enphase, SolarEdge, SolarLog, and Generac PWRview — step by step.

6 min read
Warranty

Who's Responsible for My Solar Warranty When My Installer Is Gone?

Your installer is gone, but your panels, inverter, and battery still carry manufacturer warranties. Who covers what — and how to file directly.

6 min read
Contractors

How to Find a Solar Service Contractor After Your Installer Closes

What licenses to require, what insurance to verify, what NABCEP means, and the red flags that disqualify a contractor on the spot.

7 min read
Emergency

My Solar System Stopped Working — What Do I Do?

Zero production in your app. The 4-step triage: inverter LEDs, breakers, your meter. What's urgent vs. what can wait.

7 min read
Breaking

Freedom Forever Entered Chapter 11 Restructuring: What It Means for Your Solar System

Freedom Forever filed for Chapter 11 on April 15, 2026 and is currently continuing operations. Guidance on warranty status, monitoring, and contract handling during restructuring.

7 min read