The going-solar checklist
34 boxes to tick before you sign anything. Print it, stick it on the fridge, bring it to the site visit.
How to go solar without being sold to
10 short chapters in the order you will face each decision, plus a 34-box checklist that prints on two pages.
The short version: 34 boxes
1. Is solar right for you?
- I own my home and expect to stay at least 5–8 years
- My roof has a side facing south, east or west with little midday shade
- I know my annual electricity use (12 months of bills, in kWh)
- I know my electricity price (total bill ÷ kWh)
- I have looked up how my utility credits exported solar
2. How solar works
- I can explain the difference between kW (size) and kWh (energy)
- I know that solar without a battery does not work in a blackout
3. How big a system?
- I have added up 12 months of kWh from my bills
- I have decided whether to plan for an EV or heat pump
- I know the system size (kW) that covers 70%, 100% and 120% of my use
4. Your roof
- I know my roof’s age and condition
- I know which roof faces get midday sun
- I have asked whether my electrical panel needs an upgrade
- I have checked my HOA rules (if any)
5. What it costs
- I will compare quotes on $/W before incentives
- I will reject any purchase quote that claims the 30% federal credit
- I have checked my state and utility for credits or rebates
6. Getting paid for exports
- I know whether my utility offers net metering or net billing
- I know the export credit rate (¢/kWh)
- I asked each installer which export rate their savings assume
7. Batteries & backup
- I have listed the appliances that must run in an outage
- I know their daily kWh and the biggest motor’s surge
- I know whether my rates make a battery pay (net billing or time-of-use)
8. Cash, loan or lease
- I have a cash price from every installer
- For a loan: I know the dealer fee (loan price minus cash price)
- For a lease/PPA: I know the escalator, transfer and buyout terms
9. Getting quotes
- I have at least three written quotes
- Each quote states price, kW, first-year kWh, equipment and warranties
- I have checked each installer’s license and reviews
- I ran each quote through an independent check
10. Install & after
- I have my permit, inspection and permission-to-operate dates
- I have copies of all warranties
- My monitoring app is set up and I check it monthly
- I will compare year one with the estimate
solarplanbuilder.com/guide · Estimates and rules as of September 2026; check your utility and state for current terms.