# Methodology

> How Solar Examiner finds, checks, dates and presents the figures in its reporting.

- URL: https://solarexaminer.com/methodology/
- Site: Solar Examiner (https://solarexaminer.com/)


This page explains how we turn source material into an article, so you can judge how far to rely on it.

## 1. Primary sources first

We start from the document closest to the decision: a utility's rate sheet or tariff, a regulator's order or press release, an agency dataset or forecast. We link to those sources at the end of the article. When we have to rely on a news report or a company's own announcement, we say so.

## 2. Answer first

Each article opens with a plain answer to the question in the headline, followed by the evidence and the caveats. A short list of key takeaways or a FAQ may follow.

## 3. Proposals are not approvals

We separate what has been **requested**, what has been **approved**, and what is **in effect**. A utility's request for a rate increase is reported as a request, not as a new rate.

## 4. Dates on everything

Figures are reported "as of" a date, and articles show when they were published, when they were last updated, and, where we have checked, when the facts were **last verified**. Rates and rules change, so check the date before you act on a number.

## 5. Our own math is labeled

When we calculate something ourselves, such as a percentage change between two published figures, we say so with wording like "by our math". Averages, such as a national average price, are not your rate, and we say that when it matters.

## 6. What we do when we cannot confirm something

If we cannot find an official source for a claim, we say we found none, rather than guess. A statement such as "we found no official October 1 rate change" means exactly that: we looked at the sources linked in the article and did not find one.

## 7. What we do not do

We do not give financial, tax, legal or engineering advice. See our [disclaimer](/disclaimer/).

## Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it and note the correction. See [corrections](/corrections/).