The Solar Comparison Desk

The Solar Comparison Desk

Compare solar quotes on the cash price, not the pitch

Enter up to three quotes and read them side by side. We do the arithmetic on what you type: kW DC, cash price, downpayment, loan principal, APR, term. Your inputs stay in your browser. Nothing is sent, saved, or guessed on your behalf.

Open the comparison desk First time with a quote? Start here

Technicians installing solar panels on a roof
Technicians work on a rooftop solar panel installation (illustrative photo; not a specific project described in this article). Stephen Yang / The Solutions Project · Public domain · source

The cash price is the anchor

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports that some lenders fold markups and fees into the loan principal, raising it 30 percent or more above the cash price, and that these fees are often not labeled as a markup. A financed total and a cash price are different numbers. Put them on the same footing before you compare anything else.

Read next: Compare cash and financing on the same footing · What a comparison can and cannot estimate

Four questions the form does not answer

  1. Does the monthly payment step up after 18 months? The CFPB describes loans where the required payment rises unless a large prepayment, typically about 30 percent, is made.
  2. Which panel and inverter models are named? Get the model numbers and the manufacturer documents before trusting a warranty summary.
  3. Is that savings figure from the quote or from us? Energy savings are hard to predict and vary by location and season, per the CFPB.
  4. Who confirmed the roof can take it? The Department of Energy advises builders to make sure the roof can support panels and racking. That is a site-specific check.
Residential rooftop solar array in Portland, Oregon
A residential rooftop solar photovoltaic installation in Portland, Oregon (illustrative photo). Cboyce89 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

What this desk does not do

It does not apply a tax credit percentage, a utility rate, a savings estimate, a tariff, or a roof-suitability ruling. The federal residential tax credit is non-refundable and depends on your federal tax liability; the CFPB notes a seller does not know your tax situation. Other financing, such as PACE loans repaid through property taxes, is a separate product with its own risks.

Where the guidance comes from

Published by NovCog.