Solar at $1.60 a watt.
Because the real number is the point.
Rooftop solar installed at roughly half what Vivint, Blue Raven, or Sunrun will quote you for the same job. Engineered by a Master Electrician. No dealer markup. No 25-year lease. No door-knocker.
What you actually pay. What you actually save.
A typical Wasatch Front home uses 800–1,100 kWh per month. An 8 kW solar system produces roughly 11,000–13,000 kWh per year in Utah's sun. That covers most, often all, of an average home's electric bill.
| System size | At BYOP ($1.60/W) | At industry avg ($3.00+/W) | You save upfront |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 kW (smaller home) | $9,600 | $18,000+ | $8,400+ |
| 8 kW (typical) | $12,800 | $24,000+ | $11,200+ |
| 12 kW (larger) | $19,200 | $36,000+ | $16,800+ |
Price per watt is the single biggest lever on your ROI. At $1.60/W, an 8 kW system pays back in roughly 8–12 years on current Utah rates. At $3.00+/W, payback stretches to 18–25 years — often longer than the panels' warranty.
Yes, the federal solar tax credit expired December 31, 2025. That's one reason price per watt matters more than ever. Without the 30% credit to blunt the sticker shock, buying overpriced solar is a losing proposition. Buying at a fair price still works.
Where the $3-per-watt goes.
It's not the panels. Tier 1 panels cost the same regardless of who installs them. The markup comes from the sales machine in front of the installer:
- Door-knocker commission: 10–15% of contract value
- Sales rep commission: 10–15%
- Dealer-network markup: 15–25%
- Financing kickback baked into the price: 10–20%
- Expensive branded leasing product that still gets a cut
By the time the installer shows up to your house, more than half the price you paid went to people who never touched your roof. I'm the installer. Nobody stands between you and me.
Tier 1 panels. Microinverters
that don't quit.
Canadian Solar.
Longi. Qcells.
Tier 1 panels with 25-year product warranties. I don't have a dealer contract with any panel brand, which means I pick what fits your roof and budget — not what pays me the highest margin.
APS DS3 microinverters
(or Enphase IQ8).
Microinverters at each panel, not a single string inverter that takes the whole array down when it fails. APS DS3 is my default — lower cost, same reliability, same 25-year warranty. Enphase on request.
Racking, conduit,
permits, interconnection.
IronRidge or equivalent racking. Clean conduit runs. City permit pulled in your name. RMP interconnection paperwork handled. Production monitoring app set up before I leave.
You sell low. You buy high.
Rocky Mountain Power credits the solar you export to the grid at roughly $0.05–$0.06/kWh. But they charge you $0.11–$0.13/kWh when you buy power back. That's Utah's net billing rule, and it matters for how you size a system.
The lesson: using your own solar is worth roughly double what exporting it is. Sizing a system that matches your usage — not one that blasts excess to the grid — is where the math works best. I'll show you your actual usage pattern from your RMP bill and size accordingly.
If you want to use more of your own production (and hedge against RMP's future rate changes), that's where adding a battery starts to make sense — see Whole-Home Backup.
Site visit to production.
Four to eight weeks.
- 1. Free site visit. I walk your roof, check your panel, read your last 12 months of RMP bills, and discuss shading. You get an honest number before I leave.
- 2. Design & quote. Panel layout, string design, inverter sizing, production estimate, final price. Nothing moves without your sign-off.
- 3. Permit & interconnection. City permit pulled. RMP interconnection application submitted. 1–3 weeks depending on city.
- 4. Install. Usually one to two days on site. Racking, panels, conduit, inverters, main panel tie-in.
- 5. Inspection. City electrical inspector signs off. I schedule it; you don't need to be home.
- 6. RMP PTO & monitoring. Rocky Mountain Power issues Permission to Operate. I set up your production monitoring app before I leave. System is live.
Solar FAQ.
How much does solar cost in Utah at BYOP?
$1.60 per watt installed. An 8 kW system — typical for a Wasatch Front home — lands around $12,800 before any incentives. That's roughly half what the big solar companies quote for the same job. No dealer markup, no door-knocker commissions, no lease.
Does solar still make financial sense after the federal tax credit expired?
Yes, but the math is tighter than it was — which is exactly why pricing matters. At $1.60/W, an 8 kW system pays back in roughly 8–12 years on current Utah electric rates. At $3.00+/W that dealer-network companies charge, payback stretches to 18–25 years — often longer than the panels' warranty. Price per watt is the single biggest lever on your ROI.
What brands do you install?
Panels: primarily Canadian Solar, Longi, and Qcells — all Tier 1 with 25-year product warranties. Microinverters: APS DS3 (my default recommendation for cost and reliability) or Enphase IQ8 when a customer prefers it. I'm brand-agnostic and not a dealer — I spec what fits the roof and budget.
Should I add a battery with my solar install?
Depends on your goals. If you want lower bills, solar alone delivers. If you want backup during outages, you need a battery — solar alone shuts off when the grid fails. Most Utah solar-only customers come back later to retrofit a battery. If you know upfront you want both, it's usually cheaper to bundle — see our Whole-Home Backup page.
Do you pull permits and handle RMP interconnection?
Yes. Every install includes city permit, inspection, and RMP interconnection application. You don't visit city hall. You don't fill out an RMP form. I handle all of it, and it's priced into the quote up front.
What if my roof isn't right for solar?
I'll tell you during the site visit, and I won't try to sell you a system that doesn't make sense. Heavy shading, a roof needing replacement in under 10 years, or an orientation that's way off true south can all kill the ROI. If it's a no, it's a no. No pitch.
Get the honest number.
Free site visit. I'll walk your roof, read your bills, and give you a real quote before I leave. If the math doesn't work, I'll tell you that too.