Home solar is the most viable alternative to expensive utility electricity and can lower both your energy costs and carbon emissions.

However, as a cost savings measure, it tends to attract misinformation, shady marketing practices, and downright scams. One of the most common scams is to advertise free solar panels in an attempt to collect personal information or to trick homeowners into signing long-term lease agreements.

Based on internet search traffic, thousands of people a year are looking into claims that they can get free solar panels from Home Depot. In this article, we’ll explore this rumor and the reality of getting solar panels from Home Depot.

Related: How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in 2023?

Can you get free solar panels from Home Depot?

No, you cannot get free solar panels from Home Depot. It’s difficult to say where this myth originated, however, it’s likely rooted in false advertising on social media.

In fact, there’s a similar myth floating around about free solar panels from Tesla that can be traced to Facebook scams designed to collect personal information. Given that Tesla and Home Depot briefly partnered in 2018, it’s possible that the myths about free solar panels cross-pollinated, too.

Regardless, there is no official communication from Home Depot suggesting that homeowners can get free solar panels.

Does Home Depot have solar panels?

Although they aren’t free, Home Depot does in fact sell solar panels and other renewable energy systems. Its solar products include:

• Grid-tied solar systems
• Off-grid solar kits
• Solar accessories (inverters, batteries, and balance of system equipment)

Let’s take a quick look at each category.

Grid-tied solar systems from Home Depot

Grid-tied solar systems are likely what you picture when you think of home solar. These systems are designed to offset a household’s electricity consumption and typically feature 10-20 panels installed by trained and certified technicians. In fact, DIY installation is typically prohibited for systems tied into the local grid.

By connecting to the local grid, homeowners can push excess solar generation onto the grid and pull electricity from the grid when their panels aren’t producing enough. As such, grid-tied systems require permitting and inspection by the local government and utility provider.

Pricing for these systems depends on your electricity consumption, sun exposure, equipment, and energy goals. Some Home Depot locations can connect you with local installers (typically SunRun installers) with varying levels of customer satisfaction, based on the available reviews.

As with any home improvement project, it is crucial to get multiple quotes from vetted local solar installers. There’s no harm in getting a quote from Home Depot. However, there’s no way of knowing if it’s your best option until you compare it with other quotes.

Off-grid solar kits

Home Depot also sells a variety of off-grid solar system kits that include panels, mounting hardware, chargers, and wire. These systems are typically used to charge batteries to power boats, RVs, and electric systems in remote areas.

These kits range from a single 5-Watt panel that can “trickle charge” small systems to 31-panel packs – none of which are free – that can be (carefully) self-installed or installed by a contractor.

While these off-grid kits make solar power more accessible to the general public, they should not be confused with grid-tied solar systems that power entire homes and reduce energy costs.

How can I get free solar panels for my house?

There are a small number of very niche government programs, like California’s Low-Income Weatherization Program, that offer grid-tied solar installations at no cost to the homeowners. However, apart from these programs, “free solar panels” are typically a red flag for scams.

Even if you are able to acquire used or recycled solar panels for free, it costs money to install and connect them to the local utility grid, and many places prohibit DIY installation for grid-tried systems.

While Home Depot offers a variety of solar products, none of them are free, and any unofficial communication that says otherwise should be carefully scrutinized.

The bottom line

Even though solar panels cost money, they’re far more cost effective than purchasing electricity from a utility provider over the long term. By purchasing a solar system, you essentially buy 25+ years of electricity at once at a steep discount and replace your utility bill with a lower payment on your system.

At its core, home solar is a hedge against energy inflation, which has been dramatic in recent years, and gives homeowners unprecedented control over their energy costs.

Connect with a solar.com Energy Advisor to design a custom solar system for your home and generate multiple quotes from trusted installers in your area.

Solar panels are often billed as a way to save the planet, but they’re also a great way to save money on essential energy costs.

In this article, we’ll explore how much solar panels cost based on the number of bedrooms in a house and how you can save money by powering major appliances like air conditioning with solar panels.

First, it’s important to note that every house and solar system is unique, and the prices mentioned in this article are for example purposes only.

What is the cost of solar for a 3-bedroom house?

The average cost of solar panels for a three-bedroom house is just over $20,000 after applying a 30% federal tax credit. However, the size and cost of a solar system depends more on your electricity consumption than the number of bedrooms in your house, and can be substantially impacted by large electrical loads like air conditioning and EV charging. In fact, the pre-incentive cost of solar systems installed on three-bedroom homes ranged from $9,720 to over $50,000, according to data from solar.com.

The average pre-incentive cost of solar panels for a two-bedroom house is around $24,500, or $17,150 after claiming the solar tax credit.

While the number of bedrooms can give you a loose sense of how much a solar system will cost, it’s typically not a direct factor in sizing or pricing.

For example, in the graph below, there’s a general trend of solar costs rising with the number of bedrooms. However, there’s an anomaly with the cost of solar for four-bedroom houses being lower than three-bedroom houses.

That’s because sizing and pricing a solar system depends far more on your electricity consumption, sun exposure, available incentives, and energy goals. For example, a three-bedroom home with two EVs and all-electric appliances would likely need a larger and more expensive system than a four-bedroom home with gas and appliances. 

Square footage of living space or number of bedrooms in your home can give you a rough idea of what solar may cost, but the actual price can vary based on many factors.

Can solar power run an air conditioner?

Yes, home solar systems can provide and/or offset the electricity it takes to run an air conditioner.

During peak solar production hours (late morning to early afternoon), solar panels can provide enough electricity to directly power an AC unit. When solar production is down (at night and on cloudy days) you can pull electricity from the grid to power the AC.

Solar systems are typically sized to offset 100% of your average annual electricity consumption. So, even if you have to pull electricity from the grid to power your AC at times, you can offset it by pushing excess solar electricity onto the grid at other times.

It’s worth noting that solar-only systems are typically shut off by your utility provider during power outages. This is a safety feature to prevent excess electricity from harming the technicians repairing the grid.

Solar systems paired with battery storage remain on activated during power outages, but typically can’t power air conditioning for extended periods of time.

Do solar panels actually save you money?

Yes, people across the US save money with home solar systems. At its most basic level, installing solar panels is like buying 25 years worth of electricity in bulk and at a much lower price per unit.

For reference, the average cost of electricity nationwide was 16.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in April 2023 and over 20 cents per kWh in New York City, Boston, and many parts of California. But with a home solar system, the average cost per kilowatt-hour of electricity is typically around 7 cents per kilowatt hour.

Another way to look at solar is as a hedge against energy inflation. The price of electricity typically rises 2-5% per year, depending on your location. With home solar, you set a flat rate for electricity while people that don’t buy solar panels are at the mercy of utility providers and geopolitics.

To put this in perspective, the average cost per kWh for home solar today is comparable to the average cost of grid electricity 40 years ago.

The bottom line

Based on thousands of systems purchased on solar.com, the average cost of solar panels for a three bedroom house is around $20,000 after claiming the 30% solar tax credit.

Many owners of three bedroom homes have kids, home offices, and other reasons to run air conditioning during the day. Solar panels can power AC units and/or offset the cost of using grid electricity when the sun goes down.

By offsetting your grid electricity consumption with less expensive electricity from a solar system, you can save money on your essential energy costs. The savings increase and accelerate over time as energy costs rise and your solar costs stay flat.

Design a custom solar system to see how much you could save.