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Apr 03 2025
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Image of solar panels installed on a roof

Best Financing Options for Solar & Battery Storage in 2025

By Solar Loans: Financing Rates, Loan Terms, and More, Solar Financing No Comments

Homeowners installing solar panels and batteries in 2025 are smart to try to get ahead of tariffs, utility rate increases, and the risk of the solar 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit going away early. However, they’re faced with interest rates that are significantly higher than they were just a short couple of years ago. These higher interest rates can slow down the return on investment in solar, but should homeowners wait? 

Financing solar in 2025

In 2024, it was anticipated that the Federal Reserve would continue to ease the Federal Interest Rate (solar rates are typically tethered to the 7-year Treasury Bond market) as inflation was cooling. However, the latest Fed statements seem to indicate that there will only be a slight lowering of interest rates for the rest of 2025, with most pundits thinking a total drop of around .25%. Given macroeconomic uncertainty driven by policy changes, it’s hard to predict what interest rates will do in 2026 and beyond.

Given the relatively high interest rates, solar.com recommends homeowners pay for their solar investment in cash if they can. This will achieve the lowest value of solar power possible and is a safe place to invest money in an otherwise highly volatile market. 

But, for homeowners who are looking to finance their solar, what are the best options? Read more about the different solar financing options available. 

In 2025, solar.com Energy Advisors typically recommend using a solar loan to finance a solar system — if the homeowner can efficiently monetize the 30% federal tax credit. If they can’t, then a solar lease or PPA is the best option. 

 

 

Solar Financing: Rate Buydown vs No Buydown

Although there are many different types of solar loans available, the key question homeowners should ask themselves is whether they want to “buy down” their rate or not.

Solar loans with buydowns

Solar loans that advertise low APRS, such as 2.99 or 3.99, typically come with a 30-40% premium to buy down the rate. So, the homeowner is effectively borrowing more money to get a lower interest rate. These products work well to help get the bill as low as possible on a monthly basis, but work against the homeowner if they want to pay the loan off early, either because they are in a position to do so, they’d like to refinance, or because they want to move. 

Solar loans without buydowns

Seemingly higher interest rate loans, with a 7.99 – 8.99 APR, typically have very low or no rate buydowns. Although the APR seems significantly higher, the total balance of the loan is lower. These higher interest rate loans provide homeowners the greatest flexibility with their solar investment. They can refinance if rates drop in a few years, or pay off the principal balance at any time without leaving their rate buydown on the table.

In spring 2025. solar.com recommends solar loans with low or no rate buydowns as being the right product for most homeowners. 

The bottom line

How you finance or pay for your solar investment is an important part of the process of going solar. Working with ethical sales consultants and companies that fully disclose all rates and fees allows homeowners to make the right choice for their individual situation and needs. 

Ready to speak to a professional about what it means to go solar? Explore your solar financing options with an unbiased Energy Advisor on solar.com.

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Mar 27 2025
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image of snow melting off of rooftop solar panels

Removing Snow from Solar Panels

By Solar Panels for Home No Comments

Solar.com Energy Advisors get this question all the time from homeowners who live in snowy areas — “How do I remove snow from my solar panels?” We get it, snow is blocking you from generating that clean energy to charge your car, run your heat pump, and lower your electricity bill. But is it worth doing it yourself? 

 

 

How should I remove snow from my solar panels?

Generally, the best way to remove snow from your array is to let Mother Nature do her thing. Although it may not feel like it in the depths of winter, the weather will eventually get warmer and sunny enough to melt the snow off your panels and wipe them clean in the process. Solar.com discourages using brushes or shovels on or near the array, as you might dislodge the panel-to-panel or home-run wiring connections and create a host of problems.

Solar panels operate at a higher temperature than the ambient temperature, which helps promote “sluffing” of the snow off the panels. Even when completely covered with snow, some light will get through, and the radiant heat from your home will help keep the panels warmer from the underside. On a bright day that remains freezing, it’s entirely possible to see a couple of inches of snow melt off your panels on their own. 

It’s worth being aware of what’s underneath your solar panels as snow slides off them and move anything you don’t want buried in snow (grills, patio furniture, people, etc). If you have a steep pitch or a metal roof, it may be worth installing clamp-on guards or snow fences to prevent sudden “panel avalanches.”

Image of snow

How to clear snow and ice from solar panels

If you’re absolutely insistent on removing the snow yourself, be sure you use a device without hard edges (a soft cloth brush would work well) and be sure to not walk on your panels. And, it goes without saying, if you’re on your roof, you should be taking all necessary safety precautions, including using a harness or fall arrestor. 

The one place you might want to consider clearing snow from is if you notice a snow or ice damn on the roof or gutters beneath your array, you can clear that using a brush or shovel, being careful not to make contact with any of the solar panels or racking elements. You should wear head and eye protection as the dislodged snow and ice can come down quick. 

The bottom line

Snow and solar panels get along better than you might think. With a little sun, snow will melt and slide off your panels and leave them squeaky clean and ready to power your home!

Ready to learn how your roof can generate inexpensive clean power — even if you live in a snowy area? Compare multiple solar proposals at once with a solar.com Energy Advisor.