“Where Did the Federal Tax Credit Go?”
This one arrives from neighbors, ads, and memory. The homeowner heard that solar gets a big federal credit, and it did, until Section 25D ended for systems installed on or after January 1, 2026. No phase-down, no partial credit: a hard cliff. The question is rarely hostile. It is usually a person checking their own math.
Script: “You’re right that the federal credit for homeowner-owned systems ended for anything installed after 2025. If you buy with cash or a loan, that credit isn’t in the numbers. A lease or PPA works differently, because the company that owns the system can still claim a federal credit and may reflect it in the monthly rate. At the visit we’ll put every option side by side so you can compare real numbers.” Never tell a cash or loan buyer a credit will apply, and never promise what a lease will save.
“I Want to Own It, Not Rent My Roof”
Ownership used to be the setter’s ally and is now the toughest objection on the board, because the federal credit that made owning cheaper is gone for owned systems. Some households still should own: they have the cash, they plan to stay, and they value having no monthly payment. The honest move is to ask what owning means to them before arguing for or against it. Equity, control, and no bill are three different needs.
Script: “Owning is a fair preference, and for some households it’s the right call. The trade is that there’s no federal credit on an owned system now, so the net cost is higher than it used to be. A lease or PPA has no purchase price, but it has a monthly payment and terms you should read closely. The visit will show both so you can decide with numbers.” Don’t try to win this one on the phone. Book the comparison.
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Book a Solar Call“What Stops the Escalator From Outrunning My Bill?”
Many leases and PPAs raise the payment on a schedule, and homeowners have learned to ask about it. It is a good question, and a setter can’t answer it with a number. The escalator is whatever the agreement says, and nobody can promise what the utility’s rates will do over the same years. A caller who invents a comparison loses the household the moment the contract shows something different.
Script: “That’s the right thing to ask. The escalator is written into the agreement, so at the visit you’ll see the payment year by year next to your current bill, and you can decide whether that trade works for you.” Then make sure the closer does exactly that, with the schedule on paper and the household’s actual bill beside it. Predictions about future utility rates belong nowhere in the script.
“Does a Lease Put a Lien on My House?”
Title and resale worries sit right behind the escalator. Some providers record a notice against the property to protect their ownership of the equipment, and homeowners who hear the word “lien” next to their mortgage get nervous fast. When the home is sold, the agreement is typically either transferred to the buyer, who has to qualify, or paid off, depending on the provider. Setters shouldn’t guess at any of this, and shouldn’t brush it off.
Script: “Good question, and the answer depends on the provider’s paperwork. At the visit you’ll see the exact documents, including anything that gets recorded and what happens if you sell. If you’re planning to move soon, tell us now, because that changes which option makes sense.” Our guide to liens and UCC filings covers what reps can say, and the moving-soon objection covers the timing side.
“Maybe I Should Wait for the Credit to Come Back”
Waiting is the quietest objection and the hardest to answer honestly. Nobody can say what Congress will do, and a rep who promises either way is guessing. What the setter can say is true: the owned-system credit ended by law, a comparison costs nothing, and the household keeps paying its utility bill while it waits. The decision rests on the homeowner’s numbers, not on a prediction.
Script: “I can’t tell you what Congress will do, and I wouldn’t build a decision on it. What I can do is set up a visit where you see today’s options with your own bill in front of you, and you decide from there.” These five answers belong in the script of anyone dialing for you. VA Horizon’s solar appointment setting is human-dialed and built around your written criteria, and every appointment is exclusive and double-confirmed, with no-shows replaced, never billed.
Sources
The external data in this article draws on the sources below. Figures described in the text as estimates or industry triangulations are directional and are not attributed to a single dataset.
- SEIA, clean energy provisions of the OBBBA
- Aurora Solar, 2026 TPO financing trends
- pv-magazine USA, "Experts predict the top trends in U.S. residential solar for 2026" (Dec 15, 2025)