The answers you’re looking for

The 30% federal tax credit for homeowners who buy their own system (the Residential Clean Energy Credit, Section 25D) ended on December 31, 2025. If you purchase a system now with cash or a loan, you cannot claim that federal credit anymore.

Although, you may still qualify for state, local, and utility incentives. While homeowners can't directly receive the federal tax credit anymore, installers are still eligible for certain business tax credits. Those savings often pass-through to you when you purchase solar through a lease or PPA payment option. Any incentives that apply to you are already reflected in the net cost and savings on your Aurora estimate. Because tax rules change and depend on your situation, it's always good to confirm what applies to you with one of our energy advocates.

With a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA), the company that owns the system, not you, claims the available business tax credit, and typically factors those savings into the rate you pay.

You do not file for the credit yourself, so compare the total cost over the life of the agreement, not just the monthly payment. The Marketplace prices cash, loan, and PPA or lease for the same system side by side, which makes that comparison straightforward.

Buying with cash or a loan means you own the system and keep the long-term savings and any added home value. Leasing or a PPA means little to no money upfront, but the provider owns the panels and you pay for the power or equipment over time.

As a rule of thumb, ownership saves more over the life of the system, while third-party options lower the upfront hurdle and maintenance costs. On the Marketplace, cash, loan, and PPA or lease are all priced for the same system at once, so you can switch between them and compare like for like.

With a lease, you pay a fixed monthly amount to use the system. With a PPA, you pay per kilowatt-hour for the power it actually produces. In both, a third party owns the panels and handles maintenance. Some providers also offer a prepaid PPA, where you pay for the power up front instead of monthly.

For a PPA or lease, your estimate shows the monthly payment and any annual escalator, so you can see how the cost changes over time.

With a regular PPA, you pay for your system's power month by month, usually at a rate that can step up a little each year. With a prepaid PPA, you pay for that power once, up front, typically at a discount, and then have no monthly solar payment at all.

In both cases the provider still owns the system and handles maintenance, so you get the worry-free side of a PPA with something closer to the economics of buying. Prepaid options are priced on your estimate where available, so you can compare them against cash, loan, and monthly PPA or lease for the same system.

$0-down loans, leases, and PPAs are real and common. But "free" usually means you do not own the system and you are paying over time through your loan payment or power rate.

Read the terms, look at the total cost over 20 to 25 years, and compare against buying. Because the Marketplace prices every payment option for the same system, you can see the full cost of "free" next to ownership before you decide.

On their own, no. For safety, a standard grid-tied system shuts off during an outage so it cannot send power into lines that utility crews may be working on.

To keep your lights on when the grid goes down, you need a battery, or a compatible backup setup, that can safely run your home while disconnected from the grid.

Not necessarily. A battery is worth considering if you have frequent outages, your utility pays little for the power you export, or you simply want backup power. Otherwise, the grid effectively acts as your storage through net metering.

On the Marketplace you can add battery storage to any offer and see it priced on its own, with its own financing, so it is easy to compare solar with and without a battery.

It depends on the battery's size and what you are running. Many homeowners size a battery to cover essentials like the fridge, lights, internet, and a few outlets for a day or more, rather than powering the whole house at once.

In many areas, yes. Through net metering or net billing, the extra power your system sends to the grid earns you credits on your bill. How much each credit is worth depends on your state and utility.

Because your estimate reflects your actual utility rate environment, the savings it shows already account for how your utility credits exported power.

When your panels make more power than you are using, the surplus flows to the grid and you are billed for the net, meaning your total usage minus what you sent back. Rules and credit values vary by utility, and some areas have shifted to lower net billing rates.

The physical installation is often just a day or two. The full timeline from signing to switch-on is usually longer, commonly one to three months, because of design, permitting, and your utility's approval to operate.

Once you connect with an installer through the Marketplace, they become your source for the exact timeline in your area.

Generally it goes like this: you compare estimates and choose an installer, the installer performs a detailed site assessment and confirms the design, then comes permitting, installation, an inspection, and finally permission to operate (PTO) from your utility before you turn the system on.

PTO is your utility's formal sign-off that your system is safe and approved to connect to the grid. In most places you cannot switch your system on until you have it, and it is a common reason installs feel like they are taking a while at the end.

Very little. Panels have no moving parts, rain handles most of the cleaning, and the main things to keep an eye on are overall performance and the inverter over time.

Most panels are built to last 25 to 30 years or more, and typically come with a performance warranty guaranteeing a minimum output for around 25 years. They slowly lose a little efficiency each year rather than failing all at once.

Solar systems usually carry several: a product or equipment warranty, a performance warranty for guaranteed output over time, and a workmanship warranty from your installer. Terms vary, so ask each installer you compare.

Owned solar is generally viewed as an asset and can add to a home's value, since it lowers the next owner's energy costs. Leased systems are more nuanced, because the agreement has to transfer to the buyer.

Aurora Solar is a solar technology company founded in 2013. Our software is used by more than 7,000 solar organizations, including 90% of the top U.S. residential solar companies, and more than 20 million solar projects have been designed on our platform.

In other words, the technology the solar industry already relies on to design and price systems now helps homeowners shop for solar with the same confidence.

It is a free way to get personalized solar estimates and compare local installers on your own timeline. You enter your address, your monthly electric bill, and your utility, and the Marketplace generates estimates from multiple independent installers so you can compare real options side by side. No account or contact information is required to see them.

The Marketplace also gives you the knowledge to make confident decisions at any stage of your journey, and connects you with other energy solutions that match where you are in your goals at the time, whether that is a battery add-on for a new system or maintenance and repairs for a system you already own.

Each estimate is modeled to your specific home, not a regional average. Your roof is analyzed from satellite imagery for its size, orientation, and shading to project how much energy a system would produce, and that is combined with your monthly bill and your utility rate.

The dollar figures come from installer pricing local to you, applied to your modeled system, which is why two houses on the same street can see different estimates.

They are well-grounded modeled projections meant for comparison, not binding quotes. Where there is uncertainty, key figures are shown as low and high ranges rather than a single false-precision number, and applicable incentives are already reflected in the net cost and savings.

The installer you choose confirms the final design and price after an in-person site assessment, which checks things aerial imagery cannot, like roof condition and electrical panel capacity. A confirmed proposal may differ modestly from the estimate. A large difference is uncommon and worth questioning unless you and your installer have chosen to significantly change the system design.

Yes. Cash, loan, and PPA or lease, plus prepaid arrangements where available, are all priced for the same system at once, so you can toggle between them and compare like for like. For each option your estimate shows the relevant details, such as monthly payment, estimated monthly and 25-year savings, and payback period for a cash purchase.

You can also raise or lower the panel count and add battery storage on each offer, with the price updating live. These are adjustments to the estimate; the installer confirms the final design after a site visit.

The Marketplace is free to use, and your estimates are generated anonymously. You can compare full estimates without creating an account or sharing your phone or email.

Your contact details are shared only with the specific installer you choose to connect with, not with everyone on the page, and only at the moment you decide to reach out.

When you're ready, contact an installer and share your name, phone, and email. You'll confirm your information with a one-time passcode by text or email, so your details reach the right installer and no one else.

Next, we'll call you. We'll talk through your system design, answer your questions, and set your installer up to give you a real number, not an estimate.

You don't have to stop at one installer. Line up a few and compare offers side by side. We recommend it.

Compare more than price. Look at reviews and reputation, warranty terms, the equipment offered, and how clearly a company answers your questions. On the Marketplace, each installer's rating, BBB accreditation, and years in business sit right on their offer, so you can weigh them next to the numbers.

Getting multiple quotes is the single best way to protect yourself and to negotiate.

Watch for high-pressure sales, "free solar" claims that quietly hide a lease, promises of a specific tax benefit without anyone knowing your taxes, and quotes you cannot easily compare. Get everything in writing and compare at least a few offers.

Comparing like-for-like estimates side by side, as the Marketplace is built to do, makes a bad offer easier to spot.