Questions answered

Home solar questions, answered

Q: Is solar worth it in 2026 now that the tax credit is gone?

It can still pay for itself, just more slowly. The 30% federal credit for homeowners is not available for systems installed after December 31, 2025, so you now pay the full price, which EnergySage puts at about $2.60 a watt on average before incentives. At each state's own average price, and if every kWh your panels make replaces one you would have bought, a system pays back in about 8 years in Massachusetts and about 15 years in Washington. A high electricity price and good sun shorten payback; a low price, less sun on your roof or a low credit for power you export lengthen it.

Q: Do solar panels work during a power outage?

Not on their own. A solar system installed without a battery stops producing during an outage, even on a sunny day, so it cannot feed power onto lines that utility crews expect to be dead. To keep power in an outage you need a battery system that runs your home as its own small 'energy island' while the grid is down, usually for the circuits you choose.

Q: Do I need a battery with solar panels?

No. A grid-tied system works without one: the panels supply your home while the sun is up, and where your utility offers net metering the extra earns a bill credit. A battery adds backup power in outages and lets you use daytime solar at night. It also adds cost: EnergySage put home battery prices at about $1,130 per kWh in the first half of 2026, and the federal credit that covered battery storage ended after 2025.

Q: Do solar panels work on cloudy days and in winter?

Yes, but output drops in winter, a lot in northern states. In our PVWatts model, which runs on ten years of real hourly weather, clouds included, 1 kW of south-facing panels in Michigan makes about 57 kWh in January against about 138 kWh in June. In Arizona the same panels still make about 119 kWh in January. Size a system on its whole-year output, not a summer day.

Q: How long do solar panels last?

There is no fixed end date: systems lose a little output each year. An NREL-led study of about 2,200 commercial, industrial and utility solar sites found a median performance loss of about 0.75% a year. At that rate a system still makes about 83% of its first-year output after 25 years. Check your panel warranty for the output the maker guarantees.

Q: What is net metering?

Net metering is an arrangement between a solar owner and the utility that credits you for the solar power you send to the grid. How much each exported kWh is worth depends on your state's and your utility's rules, and the Department of Energy notes your savings depend on how much the utility pays for that extra power. Ask your utility, or an installer, exactly how it credits exports before you sign.

Q: How many solar panels does it take to charge an EV?

For 1,000 miles a month in a compact SUV like the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD (31.1 kWh per 100 miles, EPA), you need about 3,732 kWh a year. That is about 2.1 kW of panels (6 panels of 400 W) in Arizona and about 3.2 kW (9 panels) in Washington. Panels make that energy in daytime, so unless the car charges at midday, net metering or a battery covers the timing. Safety first: Roof solar is permanent electrical work: it needs a licensed installer, a permit and your utility's approval to connect.

Q: Is plug-in balcony solar legal in my state?

As of our October 15, 2026 review, 10 states have passed plug-in solar laws: Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Utah and Vermont already, and California, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Virginia from 2027. Most cap a kit at 1,200 W, and most require a kit certified by a testing lab. Elsewhere, connecting any generator to the grid falls under your utility's normal interconnection rules, so ask the utility first. Safety first: Use only a kit certified for plug-in use (look for UL 3700, or the listing your state names) with an inverter that shuts off in a power cut. Plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip, keep within your state's size limit and give the utility any notice your law requires. In Maine, kits over 420 W need a licensed electrician and a dedicated circuit.

The questions homeowners type into Google and ask on solar forums most, answered from the IRS, the Department of Energy, NREL's PVWatts model, EIA prices and EnergySage's price data. Short answer first, then the numbers.

Updated October 25, 2026. Every answer lists the sources we read it from. If we couldn't back an answer, we left the question out.

Is solar worth it in 2026 now that the tax credit is gone?

Payback here is the installed price divided by one year of bill savings. It uses EnergySage's average price per watt in each state, our PVWatts estimate of what 1 kW of south-facing panels makes there, and EIA's average home electricity price. It assumes every kWh the panels make is worth the full retail rate, which is only true if you use it all yourself or your utility credits exports at full price.

Years for 1 kW of rooftop solar to pay for itself, before any state incentive
State	Installed price per watt	kWh a year from 1 kW	Electricity price	Payback
Massachusetts	$2.90	1,270	30.2 cents	about 7.6 years
Arizona	$2.26	1,794	15.4 cents	about 8.2 years
New Jersey	$2.59	1,280	24.1 cents	about 8.4 years
Florida	$2.12	1,441	15.3 cents	about 9.6 years
Texas	$2.25	1,373	16.0 cents	about 10.2 years
Ohio	$2.58	1,261	18.8 cents	about 10.9 years
Michigan	$2.88	1,205	21.7 cents	about 11.0 years
Washington	$2.49	1,158	14.4 cents	about 14.9 years

The Department of Energy lists what drives your own number: how much electricity you use, the size of the system, whether you buy or lease, how much sun your roof gets, your utility's rates and how much it pays for the extra power you send back. State and utility rebates, where they exist, shorten payback; DSIRE lists them.

Panels also lose a little output each year (see how long panels last, below), which stretches payback slightly.

Worked example

A 6 kW system in Ohio at EnergySage's $2.58 a watt costs about $15,480. It makes about 7,568 kWh a year (PVWatts, Columbus), worth about $1,424 at Ohio's average 18.8 cents per kWh. $15,480 ÷ $1,424 a year = about 11 years to pay back.

Source: EnergySage: Solar panel cost in 2026 (average cost per watt by state) · Solar savings calculator for Ohio

Run your own numbers: Solar calculator for your state · Your state's energy data

Sources

Do solar panels work during a power outage?

EnergySage gives two reasons a battery-free system shuts off. Solar output changes minute by minute, which the grid smooths out but your home's wiring and appliances could not handle alone. And the main one: line-worker safety. Solar inverters keep checking that the grid is up and shut the panels' output down when they cannot detect it.

Home batteries usually cannot run a whole house, so installers ask which circuits to back up and put them on a critical loads panel. A smart electric panel lets you change that later.

Worked example

During an outage, panels with no battery supply 0 kWh. Add one 13.5 kWh battery and the essentials (a fridge, Wi-Fi, four LED bulbs and two phone charges, about 2.75 kWh a day) run for about 4.9 days before any recharge from the panels: 13.5 ÷ 2.75.

Source: Tesla Powerwall 3 data sheet (PDF) · Home battery sizer

Run your own numbers: Home battery backup guide · Home battery sizer

Sources

EnergySage: Resiliency benefits of solar batteries

Do I need a battery with solar panels?

The Department of Energy describes storage as a way to use solar power when it is needed most, regardless of whether it's sunny at the time: at night, after dinner, or when the power goes out.

At that price, one 13.5 kWh battery is about $15,255. The IRS's Residential Clean Energy Credit listed battery storage technology of at least 3 kWh as a qualified expense, and is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Worked example

13.5 kWh × $1,130 per kWh = about $15,255 for one battery. That is about 8.9 years of the average US electric bill ($142.26 a month, EIA 2024), which is why most people buy a battery for backup rather than savings.

Source: EnergySage: Home energy market, first half of 2026 · Home battery sizer

Run your own numbers: Size a home battery

Sources

Do solar panels work on cloudy days and in winter?

Monthly output of 1 kW of panels, south-facing roof, 20 degree tilt (PVWatts model)
State (city modeled)	January	June	Whole year
Michigan (Detroit)	57 kWh	138 kWh	1,205 kWh
Washington (Seattle)	41 kWh	142 kWh	1,158 kWh
Ohio (Columbus)	62 kWh	133 kWh	1,261 kWh
Florida (Jacksonville)	103 kWh	126 kWh	1,441 kWh
Arizona (Phoenix)	119 kWh	171 kWh	1,794 kWh

Because output swings this much by season, solar calculators and installers size a system on its yearly total.

Worked example

A 6 kW system near Detroit, Michigan: 6 × 56.8 = about 341 kWh in January, and 6 × 138.1 = about 829 kWh in June. Over the whole year it makes about 7,229 kWh, the figure to size it on.

Source: PVWatts solar model (National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly NREL) · Solar calculator for Michigan

Run your own numbers: Monthly output for your state

Sources

How long do solar panels last?

The same study found the rate depends on climate, with panels degrading more slowly in cooler places, and that it did not differ much between module technologies.

For the arithmetic: losing 0.75% a year compounds to about 93% of the original output after 10 years and about 80% after 30. The study measured larger, non-home systems; home systems were not part of it.

Worked example

A 6 kW Ohio system making 7,568 kWh in its first year, losing 0.75% a year, still makes about 6,269 kWh in year 25: 7,568 × 0.9925 to the 25th power, about 83%.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy: Success Story, A Clearer Picture of U.S. Solar Power Performance (NREL PV Fleet) · Solar calculator

Run your own numbers: Solar payback in your state

Sources

U.S. Department of Energy: Success Story, A Clearer Picture of U.S. Solar Power Performance (NREL PV Fleet)

What is net metering?

The Department of Energy suggests checking whether net metering is available in your service area, which system sizes and customer types qualify, the rates, and how the bill credits work.

DSIRE lists net metering and other solar policies by state.

Worked example

Say your panels send 300 kWh to the grid in a month. If your utility credits each at Ohio's average home price of 18.8 cents, that is $56.43. If it credits half that, it is $28.22. Same panels; the crediting rule changes the savings.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration: Electric Power Monthly, Tables 5.6.A and 5.6.B · Solar savings calculator

Run your own numbers: Your state's energy data and incentive links · Solar payback in your state

Sources

How many solar panels does it take to charge an EV?

Safety first. Roof solar is permanent electrical work: it needs a licensed installer, a permit and your utility's approval to connect.

Solar to cover 1,000 miles a month of EV driving for a year
Car (EPA kWh per 100 mi)	kWh a year	Arizona	Florida	Michigan	Washington
Tesla Model 3 Standard RWD (24.3)	2,916	1.6 kW, 5 panels	2.0 kW, 6 panels	2.4 kW, 7 panels	2.5 kW, 7 panels
Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD (31.1)	3,732	2.1 kW, 6 panels	2.6 kW, 7 panels	3.1 kW, 8 panels	3.2 kW, 9 panels
Chevrolet Silverado EV Ext Range WT (47.8)	5,736	3.2 kW, 8 panels	4.0 kW, 10 panels	4.8 kW, 12 panels	5.0 kW, 13 panels

Panel counts assume 400 W panels on an unshaded, south-facing roof at a 20 degree tilt, the same assumptions as our solar calculator.

Worked example

1,000 miles a month × 12 × 31.1 kWh per 100 miles = 3,732 kWh a year. Near Columbus, Ohio, 1 kW of panels makes 1,261 kWh a year, so that takes 3.0 kW, or 8 panels of 400 W.

Source: PVWatts solar model (National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly NREL) · Solar calculator

Run your own numbers: EV charging cost by state · Solar calculator

Sources

Is plug-in balcony solar legal in my state?

Safety first. Use only a kit certified for plug-in use (look for UL 3700, or the listing your state names) with an inverter that shuts off in a power cut. Plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip, keep within your state's size limit and give the utility any notice your law requires. In Maine, kits over 420 W need a licensed electrician and a dedicated circuit.

Utah (HB 340): Signed March 2025; in effect since May 7, 2025.
Maine (LD 1730): Signed April 6, 2026 (Public Law 2025, c. 644).
Virginia (HB 395 / SB 250): Signed April 22, 2026; takes effect January 1, 2027.
Colorado (HB26-1007): Signed May 7, 2026; in effect since August 12, 2026.
Maryland (HB 1532): Signed May 12, 2026 (Chapter 353); in effect since July 1, 2026.
Connecticut (HB 5340): Signed June 4, 2026 (Public Act 26-127); in effect since October 1, 2026.
Vermont (S.202): Signed June 16, 2026 (Act 149); in effect since July 1, 2026.
New Hampshire (SB 540): Signed July 2, 2026 (Chapter 262); takes effect January 1, 2027.
New Jersey (S2368 / A4836): Signed September 1, 2026; the governor's office says it takes effect March 1, 2027.
California (SB 868): Signed September 30, 2026 (Chapter 985); takes effect January 1, 2027.
New York (S8512C / A9111C): pending.

Each law sets its own rules on size, certification, notice to the utility and whether exported power earns credit. Our plug-in solar guide summarizes each one and links to the bill.

Worked example

An 800 W plug-in kit, tilted toward the sun in Utah, makes about 1,293 kWh a year in our PVWatts model, worth up to $171 at Utah's average 13.2 cents per kWh if your home uses every kWh as it is made.

Source: PVWatts solar model (National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly NREL) · Plug-in solar calculator by state

Run your own numbers: Plug-in solar guide and state law details

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