How Do You Compare Gross and After-Incentive Solar Prices?
Compare solar offers in three layers: the gross installed price, each incentive or credit as a separate line item, and the final after-incentive price . Ask Solar Mike recommends keeping conditional credits, utility-specific rebates, and financing terms out of the gross-price row so you can see whether two Utah proposals actually begin at the same price .
Start with the complete comparison framework in PPA, financing, or cash: what should a Utah solar buyer compare? Then use the worksheet below to normalize each proposal before deciding which structure fits your home .
What belongs in a gross-to-net solar comparison ?
The gross installed price is the amount before incentives, rebates, decision credits, or other reductions . The after-incentive price is the gross amount minus only the reductions that apply to that specific proposal and household . Do not place an after-incentive number beside another company's gross number and treat them as equivalent .
Build the comparison in this order:
- Gross installed price: Record the full system price before any incentive or credit .
- Equipment and scope: Confirm the solar equipment, battery quantity, electrical work, permitting responsibilities, monitoring handoff, and other included work . Ask Solar Mike handles design, contracting, permitting coordination, and project management; installation is performed by licensed, insured crews under our Utah contractor license .
- Program incentive: Show any PPA-based reduction as its own subtraction rather than rewriting the gross price .
- Utility rebate: Include it only after confirming that the serving utility and proposed equipment meet the program's requirements .
- Conditional credit: List the condition beside the amount . Ask Solar Mike's $2,000 Same-Day Decision Credit applies only when the agreement is signed at the first appointment; otherwise the standard price applies .
- After-incentive price: Subtract only the items for which the proposal establishes eligibility .
How should you build a comparison worksheet ?
Give every proposal one column and every cost or reduction one row . Use the proposal documents—not a salesperson's verbal summary—to fill in the cells. A useful worksheet includes:
| Comparison row | What to record |
|---|---|
| Gross installed price | The complete price before incentives or credits . |
| Solar price per watt | The gross solar portion divided by system size, using the same scope for every proposal . |
| Battery price | The installed battery amount before program or utility reductions . |
| PPA incentive | The stated reduction and the program structure attached to it . |
| Utility rebate | The amount, serving-utility requirement, enrollment conditions, and who submits the application . |
| Conditional credit | The amount and the exact action required to receive it . |
| After-incentive price | The arithmetic result after subtracting only applicable items . |
| Contract and ownership terms | Who owns the system during the agreement and what the written transfer terms require . |
Keep scope differences visible. A lower total is not a useful comparison if one proposal omits a battery, electrical work, project-management responsibility, or homeowner delivery records that another proposal includes . Ask Solar Mike provides a commissioning receipt, registration proof, monitoring handoff, homeowner ownership record, named escalation path, and written change-order control .
What do Ask Solar Mike's current gross and after-incentive examples show ?
For solar, standard solar starts at $3.00 per watt installed . Tesla solar panels add $0.35 per watt, making the gross Tesla solar price $3.35 per watt installed . The current rounded figure is $2.35 per watt after the 30% PPA incentive . The $2.35 figure is an after-incentive number, not the sticker price .
For a Powerwall 3 example, the gross installed price is $16,000 . That becomes $11,200 after the 30% prepaid PPA instant rebate, then $9,200 after the separate $2,000 Wattsmart Battery incentive for an eligible Rocky Mountain Power customer . The final subtraction must not be shown for a homeowner served by another utility .
These figures are comparison anchors, not substitutes for a site-specific proposal . The system design, included equipment, and applicable program rows must match before the arithmetic is meaningful . For more context, see the Tesla solar and Powerwall cost guide for Utah.
Which Utah incentive details can change the net-price column ?
The serving utility matters . Rocky Mountain Power's Wattsmart Battery program offers a $2,000 one-time enrollment incentive for a qualifying Powerwall 3, subject to its four-year commitment and program requirements . Read the current terms on the Rocky Mountain Power Wattsmart Battery program page before placing that amount in your worksheet .
Do not assume a city name identifies the utility. Utility service in south Utah County varies by address, and Ask Solar Mike confirms the serving utility as the first step . That verification determines whether a utility-specific rebate belongs in the comparison at all .
Do not add a federal Section 25D residential credit to a 2026 homeowner-price column . The federal Section 25D residential credit is not available for expenditures made after December 31, 2025 . A proposal that still uses a 2026 federal homeowner credit should be corrected before you compare its net amount .
How should you compare a PPA incentive with cash or financing ?
A PPA incentive, a cash discount, and a financed payment are different fields . The Ask Solar Mike prepaid PPA structure applies a 30% instant rebate to the system price on day one because the PPA provider uses the tax benefits and passes that value through as the reduction . That is not the same as a homeowner waiting to claim a federal residential credit .
Compare the complete written arrangement, not only the lowest displayed number . Put the gross system price, program reduction, ownership structure, transfer provision, and any conditional credit on separate rows . Ask Solar Mike's written $0 Transfer Guarantee states that the buyout cost at the scheduled transfer is $0 and that Ask Solar Mike covers the difference if the PPA provider charges more .
Financing terms are customer-specific and should be evaluated from the actual proposal rather than copied from a generic example . Compare the amount financed, payment schedule, fees shown in the contract, and total contractual obligation using the same system scope .
What mistakes make two solar prices look comparable when they are not ?
- Comparing net with gross: An after-incentive figure will appear lower even when the starting prices are identical .
- Counting an ineligible utility rebate: The $2,000 Wattsmart Battery incentive applies to qualifying Rocky Mountain Power customers, not every Utah address .
- Hiding a condition: The $2,000 Ask Solar Mike Same-Day Decision Credit requires signing at the first appointment and is not an unconditional rebate .
- Using an expired federal assumption: Section 25D is unavailable for expenditures after December 31, 2025 .
- Ignoring scope: Equipment, electrical work, project responsibility, commissioning records, and monitoring handoff should be compared before selecting a total .
Frequently asked questions about gross and after-incentive solar pricing ?
Is $2.35 per watt Ask Solar Mike's gross Tesla solar price ?
No. Tesla solar panels are $3.35 per watt installed, gross . The $2.35 per watt figure is the rounded price after the current 30% PPA incentive .
Can every Utah homeowner subtract the Wattsmart battery incentive ?
No. The $2,000 Wattsmart Battery incentive is for a qualifying Powerwall 3 enrolled by a Rocky Mountain Power customer under the program's requirements and four-year commitment .
Should a same-day credit be included in the advertised gross price ?
No. Keep the gross price unchanged and show the credit as a conditional subtraction . Ask Solar Mike's $2,000 Same-Day Decision Credit applies only when the agreement is signed at the first appointment .
Can a 2026 proposal include the federal residential solar credit ?
No. The federal Section 25D residential credit is not available for expenditures made after December 31, 2025 .
What is the simplest way to compare two solar proposals ?
Use matching rows for gross price, equipment and project scope, each incentive, each eligibility condition, contract structure, and the final after-incentive amount . Leave a row blank when eligibility has not been established rather than treating a possible reduction as certain .
Last reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reviewed by Mike Morris, Founder, Ask Solar Mike .
