The short version: we don't ask for personally identifying information, we don't sell anything you give us, and the one third-party tool we use — Google Analytics — does not load unless you say yes. Full details below.
When you submit the solar ROI calculator, the following data points are transmitted to our server:
Your bill amount and ZIP code are processed in memory and discarded once the response is generated. Neither is written to our database, to any log file, or sent to any third party. The ZIP is used in a read-only database lookup to find its state; the lookup stores nothing.
One thing does leave that request, and one thing is written down:
Like virtually all web servers, ours records the following information about each HTTP request, regardless of which page is visited:
These logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days and are accessible only to the operator of this site. They are not correlated with any other dataset and not shared with third parties. The single exception is law-enforcement requests served on us with valid legal process — in which case we will comply with the narrowest reading of the request.
This site sets no cookies of its own. With your agreement it loads
Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID G-R85KQW70T8), which sets
its own cookies — typically _ga and _ga_<id> — to distinguish
one visitor from another and to measure how many people complete a calculation. We use it to
see which pages are read and whether the calculator is being used; we do not use it to build
advertising audiences, and we do not run remarketing.
Because it only runs for people who agree, what it measures is that group and not our traffic. The share of visitors who finish a calculation once they start one is comparable over time; the counts are not a visitor total and we do not present them as one. That undercount is the cost of asking first, and we would rather pay it than not ask.
It does not load unless you agree. On a first visit you are asked, and nothing is requested from Google until you answer — no script, no cookie, and no request carrying your IP address. Declining is one click, the same as accepting, and the calculator behaves identically either way. If your browser sends Global Privacy Control we treat that as a decline and do not ask.
Until 18 September 2026 it loaded on every page without asking. Saying so on this page was honest, but it was not consent, and the disclosure did not undo the cookie.
The events we send are deliberately thin: that a calculation started, that one completed, or that one failed with a reason such as "validation" and the names of the fields that were left blank. No field values, no results, no location beyond what Google infers from your IP address as it would on any page.
Google receives your IP address as part of any analytics request, along with the events described above. Its handling of that data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy. If you would rather not be measured, a browser-level content blocker or Google's own opt-out add-on will stop it, and the calculator works normally without it. We do not use Facebook Pixel or any other tracking pixel.
If we add Google AdSense in the future (we are not currently running ads), AdSense and its advertising partners may set cookies to personalise advertisements, measure ad performance, and prevent fraud. We will update this page and display a consent notice prior to enabling AdSense. Google's use of advertising cookies is governed by Google's Advertising Policies. You can opt out of personalised advertising at Google Ads Settings or via the industry opt-out tools at aboutads.info and youronlinechoices.com.
Our contact form collects an email address (so we can reply) and the message body you submit. These are emailed to our editorial inbox and retained for as long as needed to handle the inquiry, then deleted within 90 days unless the conversation is ongoing.
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA / CPRA) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), residents of those jurisdictions have rights including access, deletion, correction, and the right to opt out of data sale. Because we do not store personal information beyond rolling 30-day server logs, most of these rights are satisfied by default. If you have a specific concern, please contact us via the contact form and we will respond within the statutory window (45 days for CCPA, 30 days for GDPR).
This site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child has submitted information through our calculator or contact form, please contact us so we can delete the record.
Material changes to this policy will be announced via a banner on every page for at least 30 days following the change. The "last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
Four inputs. Sixty seconds. Every number traceable to a public source.
May we count this visit? If you allow it, Google Analytics counts calculator use among visitors who agree — so it measures that group, not our total traffic. It sets a cookie and Google receives your IP address. It is not loaded unless you agree, and the calculator works either way — we do not send it your bill, ZIP code or results. What we collect.