What Solar Ads Don't Show You
The 2026 residential solar market is built around a handful of framings that mostly serve the seller. None of them are flat lies — most are real structures, marketed in ways that obscure how they work. Each entry below walks through one: the framing, the actual math, and the household profile the structure is genuinely right for.
We're not telling you what to buy. We're telling you what to ask.
“$0 Down” Means “$0 Cost”
Why the TPO lease pitch obscures the actual value capture, and the household profiles for whom the structure genuinely is the right call.
“TPO Means No Maintenance Worries”
What you can and can’t do with a system you don’t own — adding a battery, swapping inverters, choosing your service technician.
“A Low APR Means a Cheap Loan”
The dealer fee and the gross-up: why a low headline APR is applied to an inflated principal, and how to ask for the real cash price.
“Renting Solar Is the Smart Move in 2026”
The affirmative case for ownership in a post-25D market — where the lease pitch wins, and where it doesn’t.
“The 30% Solar Tax Credit Is Still Around”
What actually happened to the residential 25D credit on December 31, 2025, and which credits still apply to 2026 installs.
“25-Year Workmanship Warranty”
A warranty is only as good as the company standing behind it — equipment, workmanship, and production warranties are three different things, and the differences matter.
“We’ll Be Here For You After the Install”
Once PTO is granted, the deal is done. What it actually takes to fund a real post-install service relationship — and what happens to customers when it isn’t funded.
“Save $85 a Month, Every Month”
Why we don’t quote specific monthly savings in our ads, and the five questions to ask before you trust someone else’s number.
“Solar Stimulus Programs Are Available”
What “solar stimulus” euphemisms actually refer to in 2026, and the real inventory of Austin-area incentives.
“Compare 5 Quotes to Get the Best Deal”
Why the marketplace mental model doesn’t work for residential solar — and what to compare instead.