# Solar Examiner

> Independent reporting and buying guides on residential and community solar. Every article opens with the short answer, links its primary sources, and carries publication, update and last-verified dates.

How to use this site as a reference:
- Each article has a plain-markdown version: add `index.md` to the article URL (listed below).
- All articles with metadata, as JSON: https://solarexaminer.com/articles.json
- Full text of every article in one file: https://solarexaminer.com/llms-full.txt
- Rules for citing and reusing our work: https://solarexaminer.com/for-ai/
- Sitemap: https://solarexaminer.com/sitemap.xml

Figures are reported "as of" a date. Check the "last verified" date, and prefer the primary source linked at the end of each article for anything you will rely on.

## Start here

- [Rates by State](https://solarexaminer.com/rates-by-state/): Find your state's electricity rate changes. States with a published article are linked; the rest are coming soon.
- [Methodology](https://solarexaminer.com/methodology/index.md): How Solar Examiner finds, checks, dates and presents the figures in its reporting.
- [Editorial policy](https://solarexaminer.com/editorial-policy/index.md): The standards Solar Examiner holds its reporting to, including independence, sourcing, updates and how sponsored content is labeled.
- [Corrections](https://solarexaminer.com/corrections/index.md): How Solar Examiner handles errors, and a public log of the corrections we publish.
- [About](https://solarexaminer.com/about/index.md): Solar Examiner is an independent publication covering residential and community solar and the electricity rates that drive solar savings.
- [For AI assistants and developers](https://solarexaminer.com/for-ai/index.md): How AI assistants, search tools and developers can read, cite and reuse Solar Examiner's reporting, with machine-readable versions of every article.

## Electric Rates

Utility rate changes, rate cases and net-metering rules, and what they mean for your bill and your solar savings.

- [Ohio Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/ohio-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): Ohio's default electricity supply rates reset on June 1, 2026 and run to May 31, 2027. Here is what AEP Ohio, AES Ohio and FirstEnergy customers pay, and what to check this fall. (2026-09-30)
- [New Jersey Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/new-jersey-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): New Jersey's supply rates were reset on June 1, 2026. We checked whether anything changes on October 1 and what it means for PSE&G, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric and Rockland Electric customers. (2026-09-30)
- [Michigan Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/michigan-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): DTE and Consumers Energy both won electric rate increases in 2026, and both have new requests pending. Here is what took effect, what did not change on October 1, and what is next. (2026-09-30)
- [Massachusetts Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/massachusetts-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): Massachusetts basic service rates for Eversource, National Grid and Unitil changed on August 1, 2026. We checked what, if anything, changes on October 1 and what comes next. (2026-09-30)
- [Illinois Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/illinois-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): Ameren Illinois and ComEd reset their default electricity supply prices on October 1, 2026. Here are the exact rates, what they cover, and what it means for homeowners with solar. (2026-09-30)
- [California Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/california-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): As of September 29, 2026, PG&E, Southern California Edison and SDG&E have not published an October 1 residential rate change. Here is what is in effect, what to check, and what could still change. (2026-09-30)
- [Florida Electricity Rate Changes for October 2026: FPL Refund Ends and What Changed in 2026](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/florida-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): FPL's one-month September storm refund ends with October bills, and Duke Energy Florida's June-to-September reduction was scheduled to end after September. Here is what changed and what to expect. (2026-09-30)
- [Texas Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/texas-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): Oncor's new delivery rates took effect June 1, 2026. Here is who sets which part of a Texas electric bill, what changed this year, and what to check as October begins. (2026-09-30)
- [New York Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/new-york-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): NYSEG and RG&E customers have been on temporary electric rates since June 1, 2026 while regulators finish a larger rate case. Here is what changed and what could still change. (2026-09-30)
- [Pennsylvania Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/pennsylvania-electricity-rate-changes-2026/index.md): Pennsylvania's default electricity supply prices reset on June 1, 2026, rising from about 1.5% at PPL to nearly 12% at Penelec. Here is what changed, and what to watch before the next reset. (2026-09-30)
- [Net metering by state, 2026: where the math still works](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/net-metering-state-guide/index.md): A handful of states have moved to net billing at avoided-cost rates. Here's how to tell which rules apply to your utility. (2026-09-16)

## Equipment

Reviews and guides for solar panels, inverters and batteries, and how they hold up over time.

- [Enphase IQ8M microinverter review: the grid-independent feature actually works](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/enphase-iq8-review/index.md): Sunlight backup power during a daytime outage, without a battery, tested through two real blackouts. (2026-09-19)
- [How to size a home battery without over-buying capacity you'll never use](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/battery-sizing-guide/index.md): Installers often quote by panel count, not by your actual overnight load. Here's the back-of-envelope method. (2026-09-06)
- [Panel degradation rates are quietly improving — warranties haven't caught up](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/panel-degradation-warranty-report/index.md): Field data shows top-tier panels degrading slower than their own warranty documents assume. (2026-08-30)

## Solar Costs & Incentives

What solar costs, how to finance it, and which tax credits and incentives still apply.

- [Treasury's new ITC guidance narrows the domestic-content bonus — here's who still qualifies](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/treasury-itc-guidance/index.md): Updated Treasury rules tighten the steel-and-iron threshold for the 10% bonus credit, effective for projects placed in service next year. (2026-09-21)
- [Community solar subscriptions grew 14% this year — but cancellations are rising too](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/community-solar-subscription-report/index.md): New subscriber growth is real, but so is a churn problem tied to unclear savings guarantees. (2026-09-11)

## News

Short, dated updates on utility rates, incentives and solar policy as they happen.

- [OG&E Asks Oklahoma Regulators for a Base Rate Increase](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/oge-files-oklahoma-rate-case-2026/index.md): Oklahoma Gas & Electric filed a rate review this week asking to raise the average residential base rate by $23.88 a month. Nothing has been approved. (2026-10-02, verified 2026-10-02)
- [Home Solar Prices Edged Up 3% in the First Half of 2026, EnergySage Reports](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/energysage-h1-2026-solar-market-report/index.md): EnergySage's H1 2026 marketplace data shows a median price of $2.57 per watt, more installers quoting leases and PPAs, and strong interest in home batteries. (2026-10-02, verified 2026-10-02)
- [EIA: U.S. Residential Electricity Prices Forecast to Average 18.2¢/kWh in 2026](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/eia-residential-price-forecast-sept-2026/index.md): EIA's September outlook projects the average U.S. residential price rising from 17.3¢ to 18.2¢ per kWh this year and to 18.6¢ in 2027. It is a national average, not your rate. (2026-10-02, verified 2026-10-02)
- [Columbia, Missouri Raises Electric Usage Fees 6% Starting October 1, 2026](https://solarexaminer.com/posts/columbia-missouri-electric-rates-october-2026/index.md): The City of Columbia's electric utility raised usage fees 6% on Oct. 1, 2026. The customer charge did not change, and the power cost adjustment cap was updated. (2026-10-02, verified 2026-10-02)

## Optional

- [Disclaimer](https://solarexaminer.com/disclaimer/): What Solar Examiner's articles can and cannot tell you.
- [Affiliate disclosure](https://solarexaminer.com/affiliate-disclosure/): How Solar Examiner discloses sponsored content and affiliate links.
- [Privacy policy](https://solarexaminer.com/privacy/): What data the Solar Examiner website collects and how it is used.
- [Terms of use](https://solarexaminer.com/terms/): The terms for using the Solar Examiner website.
- [Contact](https://solarexaminer.com/contact/): How to reach the Solar Examiner editorial team to report an error, suggest a story, or ask about sponsorship, privacy or reuse of our content.