Learn about rooftop solar

The rooftop solar landscape changed substantially between 2024 and 2026. Federal incentives sunset. Illinois rewrote its export billing structure. Colorado closed a battery rebate. Several long-running industry-wide sales practices got hit with state attorney general indictments. This section walks through what is actually true right now, with primary-source citations and a verification date on every page.

By state

Each state has a hub page with utility coverage, incentive landscape, and the cities we've drilled into.

Illinois

ComEd, Ameren, Illinois Shines, and the 2025 buyback rewrite.

Michigan

DTE, Consumers, and inflow/outflow billing math.

Colorado

Xcel territory, municipal utility exceptions, rebate timing.

Oregon

PGE, Pacific Power, and the Energy Trust of Oregon program landscape.

Topics

Cross-cutting guides that apply across states. Each one cites the underlying source and shows when it was last verified.

The federal solar credit in 2026

What changed when the One Big Beautiful Bill ended the residential clean energy credit on December 31, 2025.

Illinois solar buyback rates after January 2025

Smart Solar Billing replaced full-rate export credits. What the per-kWh value actually is now for ComEd and Ameren customers.

How to read a solar quote

The questions to ask, the line items that hide dealer fees, and the gotchas that show up after signing.

What your salesperson won't say

Patterns documented by the CFPB, the FTC, and multiple state attorneys general. What to listen for.

Is the Illinois 25% solar tax credit real?

A widely-published affiliate claim about an Illinois state income tax credit. What primary sources show.

How we work

We treat this site like a public utility, not a marketing funnel. Every claim has a citation, every page has a verification date, and where sources disagree we say so. See the methodology page for source hierarchy and what we won't publish without confirmation.

How we research and verify →