Plan

Planning is the stretch between “solar sounds good” and a system that actually fits your home, your budget, and your local rules. This branch walks the decisions in roughly the order you’ll face them — so you arrive at an installer (or your own install) already knowing what you need and what to ask.

What this branch covers

• Is Solar Right for Me? — the quick gut-check: bill, roof, rules, and how long you’ll stay.
• Site Assessment — whether your roof can host a worthwhile system: space, orientation, and shade.
• System Sizing — matching production to your actual usage without overbuilding.
• DIY vs Professional — an honest look at the real fork, including where a pro belongs even in a DIY job.
• Costs & Budgeting — the full price picture in 2026, after the federal credit changes.
• Financing Options — cash, loan, lease, and PPA, and how the trade-offs shifted this year.
• Incentives & Tax Credits — what federal, state, and utility help still exists, and what no longer does.
• Permits & Inspections — the two approvals every grid-tied system needs before it can switch on.

A theme runs through all of it: 2026 changed the money. The federal residential tax credit expired for owned systems, net metering is narrowing in many states, and that makes running your own numbers more important than leaning on last year’s rules of thumb. Everything here is built to help you understand the method and the variables — not to settle your specific case, which depends on your address, your bill, and your roof.