Is solar worth it now that the federal credit expired?

For most US homeowners with $100+ monthly electric bills and 5+ years remaining at the property, yes — even without the federal credit. Typical 10 kW system: $25K–$32K installed (gross — the 30% federal 25D credit expired Dec 31, 2025). Payback ranges 10–14 years in high-rate sunny states (CA, AZ, NV, MA, NJ, NY); 15–20+ years in low-rate states. ROI improves substantially in states with strong net-metering (FL, TX still 1:1 retail rate via investor-owned utilities) and erodes in NEM 3.0 markets like California. Adding a battery (additional $10K–$18K) materially improves economics in net-metering-poor states.