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:

1. Gross installed price: Record the full system price before any incentive or credit .
2. 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 .
3. Program incentive: Show any PPA-based reduction as its own subtraction rather than rewriting the gross price .
4. Utility rebate: Include it only after confirming that the serving utility and proposed equipment meet the program's requirements .
5. 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 .
6. 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 .