What Solar Watch watches
Solar Watch sizes a system from your actual annual usage and local sun hours, folding in big new loads (an EV, a heat pump) so the estimate is not too small.
Cost and payback show as honest ranges with the math visible, never a single-dollar promise. And it reflects the 2026 federal tax credit change that many outdated sites still get wrong.
Run your sizing estimate and set your Watch today; until a partner signs, it points you to the buyer's guide and free roof-check tools instead of a sales team.
What a result looks like
An anonymized example of the read you'd get:
Estimated system size: ~8 kW (about 20 panels)
Illustrative install cost: ~$20,000–$28,000 before incentives
Illustrative payback: a range, with the math shown, not a promise
StandWatch read: LEARN FIRST: read the guide and check your roof before you compare quotes
Illustrative only. Not a quote or an offer. Your actual numbers depend on your situation and the provider.
Run my numbers →Questions
Is there still a 30% federal solar tax credit in 2026?
Not for a homeowner-owned system placed in service after December 31, 2025: that residential credit ended. A third-party owner of a leased/PPA system may have separate business-credit eligibility. The guide explains it in full.
Does Solar Watch give me a quote?
No. It's an educational sizing estimate with illustrative cost and payback ranges, not a quote. Real numbers come from installers after they assess your roof.
Is there a solar partner I'll be sent to?
You can run the estimate and set your Watch today. Partner offers begin as partners sign; until then it points you to the buyer's guide and free tools like Google Project Sunroof and NREL PVWatts.
How do I check my own roof?
Google's free Project Sunroof shows your roof's direction, tilt, and shade from your address. Use it for the roof picture; use our guide and worksheet for the current cost math.
Coverage & how it works
| Status | Open for signups. Partner offers as partners sign. |
| What it estimates | System size from your real usage + local sun hours; illustrative cost and payback ranges. |
| Data sources | Your own usage, state average sun hours, and public cost ranges. NREL PVWatts and Google Project Sunroof for independent checks. |
| Coverage | Educational sizing nationwide. Installer referrals only as partners sign. |
| Federal credit | The residential Section 25D credit ended for homeowner-owned systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025; reflected honestly in the tool and guide. |
| Cost to you | Free. |
Straight talk: today this is an educational sizing estimate with public-benchmark context, never a sales page.
Help with energy bills now
While you weigh a solar decision, LIHEAP can help eligible households with current home heating and cooling bills through your state's program. Find your state's program.
Learn the topic first
New to this? Our free, easy-to-understand guide walks you through it before you act, no signup.
Solar installer serving the military community? StandWatch signs one partner per category, on disclosed flat terms. See how partnership works →
More StandWatch Watches
One free network, six bills covered, each with the same honest read: we alert you when a tracked offer meets your target, and when nothing does, your Watch simply stays active.
