What Solar Watch watches
Solar Watch helps a veteran homeowner estimate the right system size from their actual annual usage and local sun hours, folding in big new loads (like an EV or heat pump) so the estimate isn't too small. It frames cost and payback as honest ranges with the math shown — never a single dollar promise — and flags the 2026 federal-tax-credit change that many outdated sites get wrong.
Solar Watch is in beta: the tool is live, and we're recruiting a verified installer partner. There is no solar partner listed yet, so today it points you to the buyer's guide and free roof-check tools rather than a sales team.
Coverage & how it works
| Status | Beta. Tool is live; recruiting a verified installer partner (none listed yet). |
| 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 once a verified partner is signed. |
| 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: we monitor selected public benchmarks and participating partner offers — not every provider or every offer in the market. When a tracked option meets the target you set, we alert you. If nothing beats your number, we tell you to hold.
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 call: LEARN FIRST — read the guide, check your roof, then get 3 quotes
Illustrative only. Not a quote or an offer. Your actual numbers depend on your situation and the provider.
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?
Not yet — Solar Watch is in beta and we're recruiting a verified installer. For now 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.
Learn the topic first
New to this? Our free, plain-language guide walks you through it before you act — no signup.
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 tell you to hold when nothing does.