HomiCrew
A two-story colonial house with solar panels across the front roof and a lawn in front.

Photo: Gray Watson User:E090, “Solar panels on house roof”, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted to WebP; shown cropped.

Basics guide

Solar & batteries

Rooftop solar, batteries, inverters, net metering.

On this page12 sections: urgent, quote, red flags, permits…

Is it urgent?

Smoke, flames or a burning smell near panels or a battery? Get everyone out and call 911.

Emergency: call now

  • Burning smell, smoke, sparks
  • Hot or swelling battery
  • Exposed live wiring
  • Roof leak at a panel mount

Within a day or two

  • System offline for days
  • Inverter fault code
  • No battery backup in outages
  • Contained roof leak

Can wait: schedule it

  • Low production
  • One microinverter offline
  • Panel cleaning
  • Net-metering question
  • Quote for a new system
Rule of thumb: None of these later items are emergencies, even if you are frustrated about savings.
The full list, in the guide's words

Safety first: If you see smoke or flames, or smell burning near panels, an inverter or a battery, get everyone out and call 911. If it is safe to reach them, shut off the AC and DC disconnects. A battery that is hot, swelling or beeping needs your installer or the manufacturer right away.

Emergency: call now

  • A burning smell, smoke, sparking or visible flames
  • A hot, swelling or beeping battery
  • Hanging or exposed live wiring, or electrified racking
  • An active roof leak where a panel mounts, during or after a storm

Within a day or two

  • A system that is fully offline with no production for several days
  • An inverter showing a fault or error code
  • A battery that does not provide backup during outages
  • A roof leak that is contained but ongoing

Can wait: schedule it

  • Lower-than-expected production, or a monitoring app that will not sync
  • A single microinverter offline, or panel cleaning
  • Questions about your bill or net-metering credits, system expansion or a new-system quote

This is general guidance, not a diagnosis. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.

What's on a solar & batteries quote

  • Size & productionAsk: how was production estimated?

    The size in kW and the expected yearly production in kWh. Ask how it was estimated: roof direction, tilt, shading and your rate plan.

  • EquipmentAsk: brand and model of each part

    The panels, the inverter or microinverters, and an optional battery, each by brand and model.

  • Mounting & roof workAsk: who answers for roof leaks?

    Racking, flashing and roof penetrations. Ask who is responsible if the roof leaks later.

  • Electrical workAsk: is a panel upgrade needed?

    A main panel upgrade if needed, disconnects and wiring.

  • Permits & utilityAsk: how long until it can run?

    The permit, the inspection, the utility's interconnection approval and permission to operate. Ask about the timeline.

  • Ownership & paymentAsk: the full price, not only monthly

    Cash, loan, lease or power-purchase agreement. Ask for the price spelled out for each, not only a monthly payment.

  • What a good estimate spells out9 things to look for
    • The contractor's legal name, license number if one applies, and contact details, plus your name and address.
    • What work is included, and what is not.
    • The brand, model and size of major equipment and materials, not just standard or builder grade.
    • Who pulls the permit and who pays for it and for inspections.
    • Cleanup, and what happens to the old materials.
    • A start date and a realistic finish date, and what happens if the schedule slips.
    • Warranty terms: what is covered, for how long and who honors it.
    • When and how you pay, tied to finished stages of work rather than just dates.
    • How changes are handled: a written price for any change before the work happens.
Check my quote against this

Know what you're looking at

Red flags

4 of 11

  • Bill or savings promised

    Ask for the assumptions behind any savings.

  • Only a monthly payment shown

    Ask for the cash price, size and loan terms.

  • An ended tax credit offered

    That credit ended. Ask who claims any incentive.

  • An installer you can't verify

    Ask who services it if the company closes.

7 more red flags

  • Pressure to sign today, or a price that is only good right now.

    A fair quote is still fair tomorrow.

  • No written quote, or a quote that is a single total with no detail about what is included.

  • A large payment up front, or a request for cash only.

    Some states limit how much a contractor can ask for before work starts.

  • A license number that does not check out.

    Where your state licenses this trade, look the number up yourself on the state licensing board's site.

  • No proof of insurance.

    Ask for a certificate sent to you directly by the insurer or the agent.

  • A price far below every other quote, followed by extras once the work has started.

  • Someone who knocks on your door uninvited, or who will not give recent local references.

Where homeowners say it goes wrong

  • Promised savings never materialized — the electric bill is still high and they feel misled by the original salesperson
  • The original installer went out of business or won't return calls, so they have an 'orphaned' system no one will service
  • System has been offline / producing nothing for weeks and they're still paying a loan payment on it
  • Net-metering rules changed (NEM 3.0 / net billing) and their credits are worth far less than expected
  • Months of waiting on permits, inspections, and utility permission-to-operate before the system can even turn on

Ask every solar installer

  1. What yearly production do you expect, and what assumptions (roof direction, shading, my rate plan) is that based on?

  2. How do my utility's net-metering or net-billing rules change what the system saves me, and who handles the interconnection paperwork and the wait for permission to operate?

  3. If your company closes, who services the equipment, and how do the panel and inverter warranties carry on?

2 more questions

  1. Are you licensed where this work requires it, and insured? Can I see the license number and a certificate of insurance sent to me by your insurer?

  2. What exactly does the warranty cover, for how long, and who honors it (you, the manufacturer, or both)? Will you put it in writing?

Permits

Work like this usually needs a permit.

Solar installs are usually permitted and inspected, and the utility must also approve connecting the system before you can switch it on. Roof penetrations and a main panel upgrade can add their own requirements.

  • Your building department decides what applies at your address. Rules differ by city and county, and HOA, condo or historic-district rules can add more.
  • Ask who pulls the permit. Normally the licensed contractor does and the price includes it. If a contractor asks you to pull it in your own name, ask why: it can shift responsibility for the work to you.
  • If you are unsure, call your local building department before you sign. Unpermitted work can cause problems with insurance and when you sell.

Words you'll see

Inverter

Converts the DC power from the panels into the AC power your home uses.

What this trade covers

13 kinds of jobsAs the trade lists them
  • Residential rooftop solar PV system design and installation
  • Battery storage / backup installation
  • Solar + storage system add-on / battery retrofit to an existing array
  • Inverter replacement or upgrade (string, microinverter, hybrid)
  • System repair and troubleshooting (low production, offline inverter, faulty optimizer)
  • Panel removal and reinstall for roof replacement (R&R / detach-and-reset)
  • Annual maintenance, panel cleaning, and production health checks
  • Monitoring setup and troubleshooting
  • Net metering / interconnection application and utility permission-to-operate (PTO)
  • EV charger installation paired with solar
  • Ground-mount and carport / pergola solar systems
  • System expansion (adding panels to increase array size)
  • VPP (virtual power plant) program enrollment and battery setup
How people describe itUrgent calls and planned ones

When it can't wait

  • “There's a burning smell coming from my inverter / the box on the wall”
  • “I see smoke or sparks near my solar equipment”
  • “My inverter is making a loud buzzing or crackling sound”
  • “There's a fire near the panels on my roof”
  • “My system is showing an arc fault alarm / red light and I smell something hot”
  • “My Powerwall / battery is beeping, hot, or swelling”
  • “Water is pouring through my roof where the panels are bolted down after the storm”
  • “The disconnect box outside is sparking / making a popping noise”
  • “A panel came loose / blew off the roof in the wind and wires are hanging”
  • “I touched the conduit and got a shock / the metal racking is electrified”

When it can be planned

  • “My production is lower than last month / lower than what I was promised”
  • “My monitoring app stopped updating or won't log in”
  • “One of my panels (microinverter) shows offline in the app”
  • “I want a quote for adding solar / how much would a system cost”
  • “I want to add a battery to my existing solar”
  • “My electric bill is still high even with solar — can someone explain it”
  • “I'm getting a roof replaced and need the panels taken off and put back”
  • “When will my system get turned on / what's the status of my permit”

Rebates and credits

Look up rebates for your ZIP

Rebates and credits change often and differ by state, utility and sometimes county.

  • Start with your state energy office and the ENERGY STAR rebate finder.ENERGY STAR rebate finder (opens in a new tab)
  • The federal 25C and 25D credits ended for property placed in service after 2025-12-31 (IRS: 25C, 25D). Do not count on them for new work, and ask a tax professional about your situation.25C (opens in a new tab)25D (opens in a new tab)
  • Federal credits for homeowner-owned solar (25D) ended for systems placed in service after 2025-12-31. State, local and utility programs, and how your utility credits the power you send back to the grid (net metering or net billing), still vary a lot and change often.
  • Programs often have conditions: a specific equipment rating, an approved installer, or approval before you buy. Confirm the rules before you sign, not after.

Paying for it

Before you finance anything6 basics, then the financing guide

Most home projects can be paid in cash or financed. A few basics before you sign anything:

  • Ask for the cash price and the financed price in writing, for the same scope of work. They can differ, because a financing fee (sometimes called a dealer fee) may be built into the financed price.
  • Compare the total you will pay over the whole loan, not just the monthly payment.
  • Read the fine print on same-as-cash and zero-interest offers, especially what happens if the balance is not paid in full by the end of the promotional period.
  • PACE financing is repaid through your property tax bill and can place a lien on your home. Read the terms closely, and consider asking your mortgage servicer how it is treated, before you agree.
  • Utility and state programs sometimes offer low-rate loans for efficiency work. Check yours before accepting the contractor's offer.
  • Take loan paperwork home and read it. A sign-it-today loan is a reason to slow down.

There is more in the financing guide.financing guide

We are not a lender and do not arrange loans. Financing information here is general education; lenders decide terms.

What an expert knows

Short notes from public sources such as federal agencies, safety groups and trade associations. Each note links to the page it came from, and every page was opened and read on 2026-10-03. This is a starting point, not a complete list of every rule or program, and it is general information, not legal, tax, engineering or insurance advice. Rules and prices vary by place, so confirm what applies at your address.

Types, pros, cons and lifespan6 notes, each with its source
Sizing and choosing4 notes, each with its source
Maintenance by season4 notes, each with its source
Code and permit basics5 notes, each with its source
What moves the price5 notes, each with its source
Common scams5 notes, each with its source
Ask for this in writing5 notes, each with its source
Repair or replace4 notes, each with its source
Questions to ask an expert5 notes, each with its source

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General information, not legal, tax, engineering or insurance advice. Photos credited with their licenses; drawings made for this site. Guide updated October 3, 2026.

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