Who writes this

Content on NorthSolarCalc is published under the NorthSolarCalc organization byline rather than an individual name. We do not present our writers as licensed engineers, CPAs, or financial advisors, because we aren't presenting individual credentialed authors — the site is written and maintained by the site's operators using the official sources linked throughout.

How we choose sources

We prioritize, in order:

Primary government and regulator sources (IRS, EIA, Natural Resources Canada, state/provincial energy offices)
Established public datasets and tools (NREL PVWatts, DSIRE)
Peer-reviewed or major-institution research (e.g., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Industry data aggregators (e.g., EnergySage, Zillow research), clearly labeled as such

We avoid citing general commercial blog posts as the sole evidence for a specific number or policy claim. Where we can't verify a figure against one of the sources above, we say so explicitly, soften the claim, or remove it rather than presenting an unverified number as fact.

How we handle incentives specifically

Solar incentives are one of the most time-sensitive facts we publish, and one of the most common reasons a solar calculator goes stale. Our policy: an incentive amount is only wired into the calculator's math when it is currently active and linked to an official source in methodology. Expired programs (like the federal 30% residential credit after 2025, or Canada's closed Greener Homes Grant/Loan) are kept as clearly labeled historical information, never as live inputs.

Updates and corrections

Region data (rates, sun hours, incentive status) and articles are reviewed periodically, and the "Last reviewed" date on each page reflects an actual content check, not a build timestamp. If you spot an error, use Contact — we review reports and correct verified errors; we don't guarantee a specific turnaround time, but error reports and data corrections are prioritized over new content.

AI-assisted content

Some drafting on this site is assisted by AI tools, but every published page is reviewed against the official sources cited on it before publishing — an AI draft is a starting point, not a final source of truth. See methodology for how the calculator's underlying numbers are derived and verified independent of any drafting tool.

Independence from installers

We do not accept payment from any solar installer, manufacturer, or utility to change the numbers our calculator shows, to feature a specific installer, or to alter a region page's content. Our only commercial relationship is the referral arrangement described in our affiliate disclosure, which does not influence the calculation itself.