FAQ
2026 Solar FAQ: Estimates, Credits, Calls
Short answer
The short version: the calculator is an estimate, solar is not free, this site is not a government office, and a call happens only if you ask for one and check the consent box.
About this website
It is a research and comparison site. We help you read the numbers and compare installers in our network.
You can learn how equipment works, what public price data says, and how export credits change the math. You can run an estimate from a ZIP code and a bill. You can request a call. You can also leave.
We are not affiliated with any government agency. We do not administer tax credits. We do not install solar. The about page is the fuller description, including the limited license and insurance screen on introductions.
About the numbers
State prices are EIA 2025 averages. Sun hours are rounded NREL-style resources. Savings dollars are a share of the bill you type.
We cite those sources on the pages that use them. A utility tariff can differ from the state average, including under supply-only net metering in Illinois or an inflow/outflow tariff in Michigan. Net metering explains exports. Savings and payback explains why we do not print a payback year.
Berkeley Lab's August 2026 update is the source for the about $3.60 per watt median and the cash and loan subset medians. Those are national descriptions of 2025 installs. Cost says how to use them without pretending they are your bid.
About the federal credit
Section 25D does not apply to homeowner-owned expenditures made after December 31, 2025. Installation completion is the test.
The tax credit page cites the statute, the IRS FAQ from August 21, 2025, and the Congressional Research Service note on carryforwards. We will not tell you that a signature this week restores a credit for a system completed after the deadline. Leases are not your credit, because you do not own the system.
About the call
The consent box starts unchecked. Checking it is how you ask to be contacted. It is not required to buy solar from anyone.
The exact sentence is on the form and on the TCPA consent page. Partners may call, text, and email, including with automated technology. Reply STOP to opt out of texts. How an introduction works is the sequence from estimate to proposal.
Questions on this page
Is this a government office?
No. American Solar Savings is not a government agency and is not affiliated with one.
Is the equipment free?
No. Solar is equipment you buy, finance, lease, or take under a power-purchase agreement. There is no charge from us to use the estimate.
Will the estimate match a quote?
No. A quote needs a roof, a tariff, and a price. The estimate is a bill-offset illustration with the assumptions printed.
Do I have to own the home?
An installation usually needs the owner's permission. You can still request information if you do not own it. We pass that answer on.
Do you publish reviews of American Solar Savings?
No. Where this site shows quotations, they are Google reviews of the installer named on that block. They are labeled that way. They are not reviews of American Solar Savings.
Who do I email about the website?
Use the estimate form, because that is where the consent and the address are collected. The privacy policy has the legal contact for questions about this website.
Can I use my own installer?
Yes. Nothing on the site requires you to take an introduction.
Do panels work in snow?
They produce when the glass is clear. Snow cover pauses output until it sheds or melts. A steep roof clears faster than a flat one. See the winter guide. Panels do not heat the house.
Sources
- EIA Electric Power Annual, Table 2.10, residential average price, 2025
- Berkeley Lab, U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage, August 2026 data update
Figures on this site are cited so you can check them. They are not a quote for a house, and they go stale when the publisher updates them.
See a labeled estimate for your bill
Enter a ZIP code and a typical electric bill. The result is an estimate, not a quote, and it shows the assumptions.