About WhatMySolarCosts

Shopping for solar in 2026 is confusing for a specific, fixable reason: the math changed and most calculators didn't. The 30% federal residential tax credit expired for systems installed after December 31, 2025 — yet calculator after calculator still subtracts it, quietly showing you 2026 prices with a 2025 tax credit. That's a ~30% error presented as a precise number.

WhatMySolarCosts does the opposite: no email required, no phone number, no sales call. Just cost and savings ranges built from published 2026 industry pricing data, with every assumption documented on our methodology page — including the $0 federal credit, stated up front instead of buried.

What we believe

• Ranges, not fake-exact prices. Any site that tells you solar costs exactly $18,432 for your home is guessing with extra steps.
• Show the work. Every factor in our math is published and sourced. If we're wrong somewhere, you can find it.
• No lead traps. We don't ask for your contact info because the estimate shouldn't depend on it.
• Honest beats exciting. A 9–12 year payback without the credit is less thrilling than the old 6–8 — but it's the truth, and the truth is what a five-figure purchase deserves.

How we keep the lights on

WhatMySolarCosts is free. When it's ready, the site will earn a commission if you request quotes from vetted local installers through our links — the same way a good referral works. That never changes your price, and it never changes our math: the estimator doesn't know or care which installer you'd pick.

Data & sources

Our figures come from SEIA / Wood Mackenzie, EnergySage marketplace data, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and NREL's PVWatts model. Full source list lives in our methodology. We update the data when the industry's numbers move.

Contact

Found bad data or a bug in the estimator? We want to hear about it: hello@whatmysolarcosts.com.