Solar 101

Homeowners negotiating solar together.

Thinking about solar? Don't shop alone.

We don't sell solar. We organize the buying process.

Before you compare proposals, know what you're comparing.

Solar proposals can look simple: a system size, an estimated production number, a monthly payment and a projected savings figure. The important details are underneath those numbers.

You don't need to become a solar expert. You do need enough context to ask useful questions and tell when two proposals are actually offering the same thing.

First: what are you actually buying?

Solar isn't one product. You may be looking at a system you purchase outright, a solar loan, a lease, or a power purchase agreement (PPA).

Those arrangements put different responsibilities and costs on the homeowner. A "$X/month" number means something different depending on which product produced it.

Two proposals with the same monthly number can be very different deals underneath. Ask what type of agreement each one actually is before comparing prices.

100% offset does not mean a $0 electric bill.

"100% offset" generally means the system is designed to produce roughly as much electricity over a year as your home has typically used.

Your utility bill can still contain charges, and your actual bill depends on how and when you use electricity and how your utility credits exported power.

That crediting happens through net metering: when your system produces more than you're using, the extra flows to the grid and your utility credits you for it, typically to offset what you draw back at night. The rate and rules for that credit are set by your utility and state, not by the solar company — and they can change over the life of your system.

Offset is a target, not a guarantee. What that target is worth to you depends on your utility's net metering policy.

Look at the roof before you fall in love with the quote.

A solar system is intended to stay on the roof for decades. If your roof may need replacement in a few years, that timing matters.

Replacing a roof after solar is installed can add cost and coordination. Check the roof's age and condition before getting attached to a proposal.

A 25-year system on a roof that needs replacing in 5 years isn't a proposal detail — it's a sequencing problem worth solving first.

Size for where your home is going, not only where it has been.

Proposals often start with your historical electricity use. That's useful—but your future home may use more electricity than your past home did.

If an EV, heat pump, addition, or other major electrical load is coming, bring it up before the system is sized.

If a bigger electrical future is on the horizon, say so now — it's much easier to size for than to add later.

$/W is useful—but it isn't a verdict.

Price per watt can be a quick way to screen proposals when the bids are similarly scoped. It can help you spot a meaningful price difference.

But equipment, roof complexity, system design, project scope, and financing can all change the economics. A lower $/W number isn't automatically the better deal — and it mostly applies to cash-purchase and loan proposals. A lease or PPA is priced as a monthly fee or a per-kWh rate instead, so $/W isn't the right yardstick there.

Match the yardstick to the deal. Ask what's included before deciding what the number means.

Get multiple quotes that are actually comparable.

Three proposals aren't very useful if each installer was given different information or is solving a different version of the project.

Give installers the same basic information and compare the proposals on the same underlying assumptions. That's one reason a group RFP can be useful: the buying process creates a common starting point.

Same inputs, better comparison. The goal isn't simply to collect more quotes. It's to make the quotes easier to compare.

A few terms worth knowing.

Enough vocabulary to make a sales conversation feel less like a foreign language—not a full glossary.

kWSystem power capacity. Think of it as the size of the solar system.

kWhEnergy produced or used over time. Your electric usage is commonly measured in kWh.

ProductionThe amount of electricity the solar system is expected to generate.

OffsetHow much of your electricity usage the modeled solar production is intended to cover.

EscalatorA scheduled increase in the price in some solar agreements, often expressed as an annual percentage.

LeaseYou pay a fixed monthly fee to use the system; the leasing company owns it and is typically responsible for maintenance.

PPAA power purchase agreement: you pay per kWh for the electricity the system produces, rather than a fixed fee or buying the system itself.

Ready to look at actual proposals?

If you already have a solar proposal, use the Decoder to turn the important numbers and terms into plain English. If you're joining the group, start with the homeowner intake so we have the information needed to organize the process.

One tip: most installers don't hand you a written proposal on the spot — they'll usually walk you through the numbers in person first, and send the actual document after a soft credit check. Bring the Decoder to that first meeting and fill it in as the rep talks. It's a good way to make sure they've given you everything you need before you decide anything, rather than after.

Have a proposal? Decode it → Join the Group →