INDEPENDENT SOLAR RESEARCH · 4 STATES
Home solar, explained for your state.
Summit is a research-first solar guide for homeowners comparing rooftop solar. Every page is built from primary sources, the utility tariff for the actual service territory and the NREL production model for the actual ZIP, not quote-sheet averages. The math reflects the post-25D federal landscape after the December 31, 2025 expiration of the Residential Clean Energy Credit, so homeowners can compare quotes against the current authority record.
STATES COVERED
Pick your state
Solar economics are set at the state and utility level. Net-metering mechanics, REC values, and rebate programs all change at the state line, which is why each state hub stands alone with no cross-state navigation.
- ILIllinois→ComEd + Ameren territory. 89 Chicago-metro suburbs covered, including the federal 25D expiration impact and Illinois Shines REC values.
- WIWisconsin→We Energies + Focus on Energy. 24 Milwaukee-metro suburbs covered, with avoided-cost net-metering math and Focus on Energy rebate timing through August 2026.
- COColorado→Xcel + Solar*Rewards. 24 Denver-metro suburbs covered, with retail-rate net metering and 20-year production-incentive economics.
- OROregon→PGE + Energy Trust of Oregon. 17 Portland-metro suburbs covered, with PGE net metering, ETO $2,500 rebate, and the 2029 property-tax-exemption sunset.
Outside these four states? Summit only covers markets where the team has verified utility tariffs and rebate programs against primary sources. The federal-level 2026 credit topic applies anywhere in the United States.
What changed for homeowners in 2026
One change is federal and applies everywhere. The other two are state-level and live on the state hubs.
01 · FEDERAL
The 30% Section 25D credit expired.
Public Law 119-21 terminated the Residential Clean Energy Credit for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Cash and loan installs in 2026 no longer qualify. Read the topic page →
02 · STATE RULES
Each state has different rules.
IL changed its net-metering rules January 1, 2025. WI uses avoided-cost, not retail. CO layers Solar*Rewards on top of standard NEM. OR has a property-tax sunset in 2029. Each state hub covers the local math in full. Jump to state picker ↑
03 · HOW WE REPORT
Methodology is on the page.
Every page lists the primary sources it draws from, when those sources were last verified, and what Summit will not publish. The funding model, including the referral-fee disclosure, is visible without a click. Methodology →
FROM THE BLOG
Latest
Policy changes, source updates, and the occasional editorial note on how the residential solar industry is reporting the same numbers.
- illinoisHow Smart Solar Billing Changed the Math for ComEd Customers in IllinoisComEd solar can still pencil in 2026, but the old shortcut no longer works. Smart Solar Billing separates instant self-consumption from lower-value net exports, so system sizing and export assumptions matter more than they did under retail net metering.
- wisconsinWisconsin Solar with We Energies: Why Avoided-Cost Net Metering Is Not the Same as RetailWe Energies solar economics depend on self-consumption, not a retail-rate export promise. Net exports are credited near avoided cost, so batteries, load shifting, and system sizing change the answer for Milwaukee-area suburbs.
- buyer-guideHow to Read a Solar Quote in 2026: The Cash $/W, Dealer Fees, and Line Items That Actually MatterA 2026 solar quote should be read backward from the real cash price, not from the financed payment. The missing federal residential credit makes dealer fees, equipment line items, export rules, and dispute rights harder to ignore.
- buyer-guideSolar permitting timelines in 2026: from contract signing to permission to operateA normal residential solar project still takes weeks after the contract is signed. Site assessment, design, permits, installation, utility interconnection, inspection, and PTO are separate steps, and the system is not operating until the utility grants permission to operate.
- buyer-guideSolar warranty terms in 2026: what 25 years actually coversA 25-year solar warranty is usually not one warranty. Panels, inverters, workmanship, production estimates, and financing rights all sit in different documents, and the strongest contract is the one that makes those boundaries visible before signing.
- buyer-guideSolar and your roof: when to install, when to wait, and what removal-and-reinstall actually costsRoof age is one of the simplest solar qualifiers. A clean roof can support a 25-year system. An aging roof can turn a good quote into an avoidable removal-and-reinstall project only a few years after PTO.
- buyer-guideSolar HOA disputes: state solar-rights statutes and what they actually protectState solar-rights laws usually protect the right to install solar, not the right to ignore every architectural rule. The practical path is a complete ARC submission, a statute-aware response window, and a written record of any denial or requested change.
- buyer-guideSolar in 2026 for renters and non-roof owners: PPAs, community solar, and what does not workRenters and non-roof owners have solar options, but rooftop ownership is usually not one of them. Community solar can fit in Illinois, Colorado, and Oregon. Rooftop PPAs usually require the person signing to control the roof.
- buyer-guideSolar production monitoring in 2026: what to ask about, what to skipSolar monitoring is useful when it proves the system is producing, catches failures early, and survives installer turnover. The rest is interface detail. The better question is not which app looks best on day one, but who controls the data in year eight.
- buyer-guideHow solar installers actually size a residential system in 2026Solar sizing starts with production targets, not panel count. In 2026, the right target depends on historical usage, future EV or heat-pump load, and whether the utility credits exports at retail, supply, or avoided-cost rates.
- buyer-guideSolar loans and your credit: what the application actually doesSolar loan paperwork can affect credit before and after installation. The important distinctions are hard pull versus prequalification, equipment lien versus property lien, loan owner versus servicer, and how the payment fits into future debt-to-income review.
- editorialWhy Summit doesn't cover Ohio or Michigan in 2026 (yet)Ohio and Michigan are real solar markets, but they are not interchangeable with Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, or Oregon. Summit is holding scope to states where utility tariffs, incentives, city-level permitting, and consumer-protection context have been built deeply enough to support useful advice.
- buyer-guideShould you install solar in spring or fall? What the data actually saysThe best season for solar is less about catching one more sunny month and more about queue position. Spring and fall can both work, but off-season scheduling often produces faster permits, shorter interconnection waits, and cleaner contractor attention.
- buyer-guideFive solar myths that survived the federal credit expiration in 2026The federal homeowner credit expired, but several older solar claims kept circulating. Five of them cause most of the confusion: five-year payback, equal export credits, guaranteed pre-sale payoff, production guarantees, and a fixed home-value premium.
- buyer-guideSolar batteries in 2026: when pairing pencils and when it does notA battery is a separate financial decision from the solar panels themselves. The case is strongest where the utility credits exports below the retail rate, and weakest where solar already earns retail-rate credit on every exported kilowatt-hour.
- buyer-guideEVs and solar in 2026: sizing for an electric drivewayAn EV in the driveway changes the solar sizing answer. The right system depends less on the current bill and more on the expected charging load, the time of day the car charges, and what the local utility credits for exported solar.
- buyer-guideSolar loans, leases, and cash in 2026: three different deals, three different math problemsThe three ways to pay for residential solar in 2026 are not variations on a theme. Cash, loan, and lease each produce a different bill, a different tax treatment, and a different ownership question. The right comparison runs all three side by side at the quote stage.
- buyer-guideSolar inverters in 2026: microinverter vs string, what the trade-off actually isThe inverter is the part of the solar system that fails first and matters most. The choice between microinverter and string inverter is a real architectural decision with different cost, monitoring, and warranty implications.
- buyer-guideSolar and home resale in 2026: what the data actually says about valueA residential solar install adds value at sale. The size of that value, and whether buyers price it consistently, depends on ownership structure, system age, and local market conditions. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has tracked this for over a decade.
- buyer-guideSolar maintenance in 2026: what a residential system actually needsResidential solar requires less maintenance than most homeowners expect, but it is not zero-maintenance. The actual long-run cost is small and predictable when the install was done well, larger and unpredictable when it was not.
- Property TaxProperty tax and solar: a state-by-state primer for 2026Most states exempt residential solar from property-tax assessment, but the structures and sunset dates vary. Oregon's exemption sunsets July 1, 2029 under ORS 307.175. Colorado, Illinois, and Wisconsin each apply different mechanisms with different durability. Here is what to verify before treating the exemption as a fixed input in payback math.
- Net MeteringHow utility net metering rules actually shape your solar paybackNet metering compensation is the single most important determinant of residential solar payback after correct sizing. The difference between retail-rate net metering and avoided-cost buy-back can shift cash payback by three to five years on the same physical install. Here is how the four regimes work, and what to verify before signing.
- IllinoisIs solar worth it in Illinois in 2026?Yes, for the qualifying profile on ComEd Smart Solar Billing or Ameren Rider NMOS. Illinois Shines RECs continue to layer on top of utility compensation. The January 1, 2025 Smart Solar Billing transition changed the math for new installs more than the federal credit expiration did. Here is the diagnostic.
- OregonIs solar worth it in Oregon in 2026?Yes, for the qualifying profile in PGE or Pacific Power territory. Oregon residential solar pairs standard net metering with a $2,500 Energy Trust of Oregon rebate and a state property-tax exemption that sunsets July 1, 2029 under ORS 307.175. The 2029 sunset reshapes how this decision should be timed.
- WisconsinIs solar worth it in Wisconsin in 2026?Yes, for a tighter qualifying profile than other states. Wisconsin solar economics live or die on self-consumption: We Energies credits exports at an avoided-cost rate near 4.2 cents per kWh, well below retail. Battery pairing and Focus on Energy rebates (deadline August 31, 2026) change the answer materially.
- ColoradoIs solar worth it in Colorado in 2026?Yes, for the qualifying Front Range profile. Colorado has unusually strong solar physics, Xcel layers a production payment on top of standard net metering, and a state property-tax exemption survives despite the federal credit gap. Here is what the math actually looks like in 2026.
- 2026 PrimerIs solar still worth it in 2026 after the 30% federal credit expired?Yes, for the qualifying profile. The Section 25D credit ended December 31, 2025, but the underlying economics, production, electricity rates, system life, still favor a 7 to 12 year cash payback on the right house. Here is how the math actually changed.
Reference articles
Federal policy + buyer guides
- The Federal Solar Credit in 2026Section 25D expired December 31, 2025 under Public Law 119-21. What that means for cash and loan installs in 2026, what Section 48E still covers for third-party-owned systems, and how to spot a stale-data quote.
- How to Read a Solar QuoteA line-by-line walkthrough of a typical residential proposal: system sizing, $/W versus cash price, dealer-fee detection, production estimate methodology, warranty terms, and the questions a quote rarely answers without being asked.
- Solar Quote Questions Worth AskingThe questions that make a solar quote easier to judge. P50 versus P90 production estimates, panel-level monitoring access, UCC-1 lien language in financed deals, embedded dealer fees, and what the FTC Holder Rule actually does when an installer fails.
Summit publishes nothing without a primary-source citation. Pages carry a last-verified date, source list, and a disclosure of the referral-fee funding model. Read the methodology →