About WattWise

Independent · Updated quarterly · No hidden affiliate steering

Why this site exists

When we tried to figure out whether solar panels, an EV, or a heat pump would actually save us money, we ran into a wall: every calculator online was built by a company that wanted to sell us that thing. Their payback numbers were always optimistic. Their assumptions were never visible.

So we built WattWise. Every calculator shows its assumptions, lets you override them, and uses public data: NREL sun-hour tables, EIA state utility rates, DOE/SEIA installation cost benchmarks, and current rebate databases.

How we make money (transparency)

We fund the site three ways:

• Display ads (mostly Google AdSense and similar networks). Non-personalized by default.
• Amazon affiliate links on product mentions. This never changes what we recommend.
• Installer referral fees when someone requests quotes. We only partner with installers we'd use ourselves — and the referral fee is the same across our partners, so there's no incentive to steer you to one over another.

Our editorial rules

1. Every calculator shows its math, so you can sanity-check it.
2. We update rate and incentive data each quarter. Last update: Q2 2026.
3. We never take payment from equipment manufacturers for coverage.
4. When we're uncertain, we say so.

Contact

Questions, data corrections, partnership inquiries: hello@wattwise.example.