Panels-only Solar — The Solar Brief

LIST PRICE

$15,000–30,000

NET (AFTER ITC)

$10,500–21,000

PAYBACK (CASH)

7–11 years

SYSTEM SIZE

5–10 kW typical

Panels-only is the right configuration for homeowners who want the simplest, lowest-cost path to lower bills, in states where utility net metering still makes the export economics work.

When panels-only is the right answer

You're in NJ, MA, FL, or municipal-utility TX with full retail net metering. Excess production gets credited at retail rate, so over-sized systems still pay back.
You're a cash buyer who plans to consume most of your production during the day. Even in California (NEM 3.0), self-consumed panels-only economics work for some daytime-heavy households.
Backup power isn't a priority. You're fine with grid outages cutting your solar production along with your home. (Solar inverters shut off when the grid goes down for safety reasons, unless you have a battery and transfer switch.)
You want the fastest payback. No battery to amortize means lower upfront cost and faster ROI in net-metering states.

When panels-only is the wrong answer

You're in California (NEM 3.0). Without battery storage to capture excess production for evening self-consumption, the export economics make panels-only marginal at best for new installs.
You want backup power during outages. Hurricane season in FL, PSPS shutoffs in CA, winter storms in TX — if grid resilience matters to you, you need battery + transfer switch.
You're on time-of-use rates with high peak prices (AZ, NV). Battery lets you avoid expensive peak-rate consumption — without it, you're still paying premium prices in the evening even with solar on the roof.

What's in a panels-only system

Panels (typically 18–32 modules at 400–440 watts each), inverter (microinverters or string-with-optimizers), racking and mounting hardware, monitoring system, electrical interconnection from roof to your main panel and to the utility meter. That's it. No battery, no transfer switch, no critical-loads subpanel.

Typical equipment in our network

Panels: REC, Q Cells, Panasonic, or Silfab tier-1 modules — all with 25-year performance warranties and similar real-world degradation rates (0.4–0.6%/year). The differences are minor at the residential level; pick the brand your installer is most experienced with.

Inverters: Microinverters (Enphase) for most residential installs — they give you panel-level monitoring and tolerate partial shading better. String inverters with optimizers (SolarEdge) are slightly cheaper but increasingly less common in new residential installs.

What the federal ITC actually saves you

A $20,000 list-price system becomes a $14,000 net cost after the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit — assuming you have at least $6,000 in federal tax liability that year. The ITC is a credit, not a refund. If you owe less, you can carry the unused portion forward up to 5 years. State incentives (NJ SuSI, MA SMART, AZ $1K credit) further reduce net cost. Your installer's quote should itemize all the credits you qualify for in your area.

Honest financing read

Cash: Lowest lifetime cost. Highest upfront. Best for homeowners who can write the check without disrupting their financial plans. You claim the federal ITC directly.

Solar loan: Spreads the cost over 10–25 years. You still own the system and claim the federal ITC. Adds 2–4 years to payback because of interest. Most common path for premium-suburb homeowners.

Lease / PPA: Lowest upfront (often $0 down), highest lifetime cost. The leasing company owns the system and claims the federal ITC — not you. Selling the home with a leased system is sometimes friction. We generally recommend lease/PPA only if the homeowner cannot qualify for a loan or doesn't have tax liability to use the ITC.

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