Global Solar Project

Nonprofit home solar guidance

Clear, honest help choosing solar for your home.

Global Solar Project is a nonprofit project of Juice Box Jams. We don't install panels. We explain how solar works, what it really costs and how to compare your options, so you can make the choice that's right for your home. Sometimes that choice is to wait.

Learn how solar works Compare your options

Look up your state's solar rules · See a 10 kW example

What we do

Explain it plainly

How panels, inverters, net metering and solar credits work, without the sales talk.

Show our sources

Every price, rate and rule on this site comes from a public source with a date, so you can check it yourself.

Help you compare

Buying, a loan, a lease or a PPA. What to ask installers, and the warning signs in a solar pitch.

How home solar works

  1. Panels make power. Sunlight hits the solar cells and makes direct-current (DC) electricity, even on cloudy days, just less of it.
  2. An inverter converts it. It turns DC into the alternating-current (AC) power your outlets use.
  3. Your home uses it first. Lights, AC, appliances and car chargers run on your own solar power before buying any from the utility.
  4. Extra goes to the grid. With net metering, the utility credits your bill for every kWh you send out. At night you use those credits.
  5. You may earn solar credits. In some states every 1,000 kWh your panels make earns a credit (an SREC) that you can sell.
  6. It lasts. Panels usually carry 25-year warranties and lose only about half a percent of output a year.

What solar costs

Home solar is priced per watt of panel capacity. In 2026 the national average quote is about $2.60 per watt before incentives, so a 10 kW system is roughly $26,000.

$2.55/WMaryland: about $25,500 for 10 kW
$3.16/WWashington DC: about $31,600 for 10 kW
$2.55/WVirginia: about $25,500 for 10 kW

The price usually covers panels, inverter, racking, wiring, permits, utility hookup and installation. It goes up for steep or complex roofs, premium panels, a roof that needs repair first, or a battery. It goes down with state rebates and solar credits. The 30% federal tax credit for buyers ended after 2025.

Example: a 10 kW system on a typical home

A home that uses 1,050 kWh a month (12,600 a year) buys a 10 kW system with cash. About 25 panels, roughly 550 square feet of roof.

Maryland

Power price
21.4¢/kWh
Bill today
$225/mo
Solar makes yearly
12,600 kWh
Share of your use
100%
Bill savings, year 1
$2,696
SREC income
~$504/yr
Price, before incentives
$25,500
Pays for itself in
~8 years
25-year savings
~$63,365

Income-qualified homes may get up to $7,500 back (MSAP). Maryland details

District of Columbia

Power price
26.0¢/kWh
Bill today
$273/mo
Solar makes yearly
12,500 kWh
Share of your use
99%
Bill savings, year 1
$3,248
SREC income
~$4,625/yr
Price, before incentives
$31,600
Pays for itself in
~4 years
25-year savings
~$76,316

DC SRECs are the most valuable in the US, but their price ceiling falls each year. District of Columbia details

Virginia

Power price
17.6¢/kWh
Bill today
$185/mo
Solar makes yearly
12,100 kWh
Share of your use
96%
Bill savings, year 1
$2,134
SREC income
~$417/yr
Price, before incentives
$25,500
Pays for itself in
~10 years
25-year savings
~$50,159

Systems up to 25 kW pay no property tax in Virginia. Virginia details

How we figured it: power prices are EIA residential averages for August 2026. Output is NREL PVWatts for a 10 kW south-facing roof, cut 12% for a typical roof. Prices per watt are EnergySage Marketplace averages (October 2026). SREC values are 2026 market levels from our state guides and can change. Bill savings and 25-year savings are bill savings only (SREC income is extra). They assume full 1:1 net metering, today's prices with no rate increases, and 0.5% yearly panel wear. Your home will differ.

Compare the ways to pay

Buy with cash

Best for: the biggest lifetime savings. You own the panels, the credits and any rebates.
Watch for: a large upfront cost, and no federal credit for buyers since 2026.

Solar loan

Best for: owning with little or nothing down.
Watch for: dealer fees hidden in a low rate. Ask for the cash price and compare.

Lease or PPA

Best for: $0 down and no upkeep. A company owns the panels.
Watch for: yearly price increases, 20 to 25 year terms, and what happens if you sell the house.

Waiting is a fair choice too: if your roof is due for replacement, your home gets a lot of shade, or you may move within a few years.

How to compare solar quotes

Ask every installer for

  • The price per watt (total price ÷ system watts). Compare it to the averages above.
  • Expected yearly output in kWh, and how it was figured.
  • Panel, inverter and workmanship warranties, in writing.
  • Who keeps the solar credits (SRECs) and any rebates.
  • The full cost of a loan, lease or PPA over its whole term.

Warning signs

  • Pressure to sign today, or a "deal" that ends tonight.
  • "Free solar" or "government program" pitches.
  • Promises of the 30% federal credit for buying a home system. It ended after 2025.
  • Savings that assume big yearly rate increases.
  • No license number, or no written production estimate.

Get at least two or three quotes, check the installer's license with your state, and read the contract before you sign. Many states give you a few days to cancel a home sale.

Solar laws and incentives in every state

Net metering, SRECs, rebates, tax breaks, HOA rules and deadlines for all 50 states and DC, with sources.

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaColoradoFloridaGeorgiaIndianaKansasMaineMassachusettsMinnesotaNew JerseyNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOklahomaPennsylvaniaSouth DakotaTexasWyomingConnecticutMissouriWest VirginiaIllinoisNew MexicoArkansasCaliforniaDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaHawaiiIowaKentuckyMarylandMichiganMississippiMontanaNew HampshireNew YorkOhioOregonTennesseeUtahVirginiaWashingtonWisconsinNebraskaSouth CarolinaIdahoNevadaVermontLouisianaRhode Island

Find your state

Is my home a good fit?

Roof direction

South-facing roofs make the most power. East and west roofs often make 10 to 20% less and can still pay off.

Shade

Trees and nearby buildings matter. A few hours of shade at midday can cut output a lot.

Roof age

If your roof needs replacing within about 5 years, do that first. Removing and reinstalling panels later costs extra.

Want a second opinion on your home?

If you live in Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia, we'll look at your roof's sun and your power prices and explain your options in plain words: whether solar makes sense, which way to pay fits, and what a fair price looks like.

Free, with no pressure. You decide what happens next, including nothing at all.

Ask for a free home review

2 minutes. No cost, no pressure.

Questions

Is Global Solar Project an installer?

No. We don't install or sell panels. We explain how solar works and help homeowners compare their options. If you decide you want quotes, we can help you find installers. Whether you talk to anyone is up to you.

Is the home review really free?

Yes. No cost and no obligation.

What about the federal tax credit?

The 30% credit for homeowners who buy a system ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. With a lease or power purchase agreement, the company that owns the panels may still get a business credit and pass some savings along.

Will solar work when the power goes out?

Not by itself. For safety, grid-tied systems shut off during an outage. A battery keeps your essentials running.

How long does it take?

Usually 1 to 3 months from signing: design, permits, a 1 to 2 day install, inspection, then utility approval to switch on.

Do I have to agree to texts?

No. The text box is optional. If you leave it unchecked, we'll follow up another way.