Seven years ago, we published a post with this title. It was a simple collection of real answers to a simple question we ask every homeowner we meet: Why solar? Why now?
It remains one of our favorite posts, because it captures something no polished marketing vessel can: the authentic, varied, deeply personal reasons people in our community choose to take control of their energy.
Every day, we’re fortunate to chat with fellow community members who are interested in going solar. A few 2026 anecdotes:
"PG&E's rates have gotten completely out of hand. My bill went from $180 a month five years ago to over $400. I can't keep up with it."
"We lost power for two days during that storm in January. I have a medical device that requires electricity. We can't do that again."
"I got a Rivian last year. I wanted to charge it with sunshine, not from the grid."
"My daughter has been asking me for years to do something about our carbon footprint. She's right. It was time."
"I looked at it five years ago and it didn't pencil. My neighbor told me to look again. I did, and the math is completely different now because our electricity rate is so much higher."
"Honestly? I am done with PG&E. Done. Solar is the closest I can get to firing them as my utility."
"We just retired. We're home all day. Our electricity bill is penal. Solar made sense the moment we ran the numbers."
"We added a battery too. When the grid goes down, our house stays on. That peace of mind is worth a lot to me."
Some things have not changed. Homeowners still come to solar for a mix of financial and environmental reasons. Distrust of PG&E remains a powerful motivator — if anything, more acute than ever after years of rate increases and Public Safety Power Shutoffs. The desire to leave something better for the next generation is universal.
What has changed: batteries are now part of almost every conversation. In 2019, perhaps one in ten homeowners asked about storage. Today, a great majority of homeowners we speak with are interested in solar + energy storage. Storms, outages, and PG&E’s new rate structure (“NEM 3”) have made storage a mainstream consideration, not a peace-of-mind pacifying, nice-to-have investment.
Our opinions, updated for 2026:
Solar and battery storage does not make sense for everyone. If you plan to move within three years, do not proceed. Or your roof needs major work, or your home has significant shading, we’ll be blunt: address those issues first.
If you plan to stay in your home for five or more years and your PG&E bills are consistently above $200 per month, solar likely is a worthy investment. The payback period has changed under NEM 3, but the 25-year return remains compelling.
There is still no urgency to go solar. Anyone who tells you you must sign today -- for any reason -- is employing a sales tactic (erroneously creating false urgency), not sharing information. Take your time. Talk to your neighbors who have solar. Talk to us. We’re available to help you make an informed decision.
