Financing

Buying solar outright in 2026

Paying cash still gives the lowest lifetime cost and full ownership of everything the system produces. It is also the route hit hardest by the end of the federal credit, and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise.

What you lost

Until December 31, 2025 a cash buyer claimed 30 percent of the installed cost back through Section 25D. On a $22,000 system that was $6,600. From January 1, 2026 it is zero. There was no phase-down and no safe harbour, and the IRS tests the date installation was completed, not the date you paid.

What you still have

No monthly payment ever. No escalator, no 25-year term, no transfer complication when you sell.
The state incentives are yours. New Jersey's SREC-II at $77 per MWh for 15 years, New York's credit of up to $5,000, Connecticut's 20-year tariff.
Sales and property tax exemptions in all four states we cover.
Every kilowatt-hour is yours, and so is every dollar of bill reduction.

Close detail of all-black monocrystalline solar panels on an asphalt shingle roof with clean aluminium rails — Illustrative photography.

The honest comparison

Because the finance company in a lease or PPA still claims the 30 percent and prices some of it back to you, the gap between cash and third-party ownership narrowed considerably in 2026. Cash still wins over 25 years in most cases. It wins by less than it did, and for a homeowner with little or no tax liability the difference can close entirely.

What we will not do is show you a payback calculation with a 30 percent federal credit still in it. If anyone else does, the whole model behind their quote is wrong.

Savings are not guaranteed. Any figures shown are illustrative examples only and are not a quote, offer or estimate for your property. Actual savings depend on your energy use, utility rates and rate changes, roof orientation, shading, system size and performance, local weather, applicable tariffs and the terms of your contract. Eligibility and savings are determined by your utility, roof condition and roof space, azimuth, tree location, shading, weather and other factors.

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Buying outright

Is buying solar outright still worth it without the federal credit?

Often yes, but the payback period got longer. A system that paid for itself in eight years with a 30 percent credit takes closer to eleven or twelve without one, depending on your electricity rate and state incentives. In New Jersey the SREC-II at $77 per MWh for 15 years does a lot of that work. In Florida, where there is no state incentive at all, the case rests entirely on your utility rate and how much sun the roof gets.

Should I wait to see if the credit comes back?

We have no idea whether it will, and neither does anybody telling you otherwise. What we can say is that it was repealed by statute in July 2025 with no phase-down, and that restoring it would require new legislation. Making a purchase decision on the possibility is speculation. Make it on your electricity rate, your roof and your state's incentives.