Editorial Guidelines
Our commitment to accuracy, transparency, and editorial independence.
Our Mission & Editorial Independence
SmartEnergyUSA exists to help homeowners make informed decisions about solar energy and electricity costs. We provide free, comprehensive data on solar panel pricing, installer reviews, state incentives, and electricity rates across all 50 states.
Our editorial team operates independently from our business partnerships. The companies that appear in our directories or advertising do not influence our editorial content, ratings methodology, or recommendations. Our writers and editors are never compensated based on advertiser relationships, and no partner has pre-publication review or approval rights over our content.
When we recommend products or services, those recommendations are based solely on our research and analysis. If we believe a product or service is not a good fit for consumers, we say so — regardless of any business relationship.
How We Research & Verify Information
Every piece of content published on SmartEnergyUSA goes through a rigorous research and verification process:
- 1Primary Research: Our team gathers data directly from government databases, utility company filings, and industry reports. We do not rely on secondary sources when primary data is available.
- 2Cross-Referencing: Data points are verified against multiple sources. If sources disagree, we note the discrepancy and explain our methodology for arriving at the figures we publish.
- 3Expert Review: Content involving technical claims, financial calculations, or policy details is reviewed by subject-matter experts before publication.
- 4Editorial Review: All content goes through a final editorial review for accuracy, clarity, and completeness before publication.
Our Data Sources
We rely on authoritative, publicly available data from trusted government agencies and industry organizations. Our primary data sources include:
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Electricity rates, consumption data, utility company information, and energy market trends. The EIA is the principal federal agency for energy statistics.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Solar irradiance data, system performance benchmarks, cost modeling, and technology assessments. NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary laboratory for renewable energy research.
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
Market reports, installation data, industry pricing trends, and policy analysis. SEIA is the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry.
DSIRE (Database of State Incentives)
State and local incentive programs, tax credits, rebates, net metering policies, and renewable portfolio standards. DSIRE is operated by NC Clean Energy Technology Center.
Utility Company Filings & Public Records
Rate schedules, tariff filings, interconnection policies, and customer data from individual utility companies and state public utility commissions. We regularly monitor regulatory filings to keep our rate data current.
Expert Review Process
Our content is produced and reviewed by a team with direct experience in the solar energy industry, electrical engineering, energy policy, and consumer finance. Our review process includes:
- Technical accuracy review by experts with solar industry experience to verify system sizing calculations, performance estimates, and equipment specifications.
- Financial accuracy review to confirm cost estimates, savings projections, tax credit calculations, and ROI figures use current data and sound methodology.
- Policy and incentive verification to ensure state and federal incentive information reflects the latest legislation and program updates.
- Author credentials are displayed on every article. You can view each author's background and areas of expertise on our authors page.
Affiliate Relationships & Transparency
SmartEnergyUSA earns revenue through affiliate partnerships with solar installers and energy companies. When you request a quote through our platform or click certain links, we may receive compensation from the companies featured. Here is how we handle these relationships transparently:
Clear Disclosure
Pages that contain affiliate links or sponsored content are clearly labeled. We use disclosure statements at the top of relevant pages so you always know when a commercial relationship exists.
No Pay-for-Placement
Affiliate partners cannot pay for higher rankings, more favorable reviews, or preferred placement in our editorial content. Our rankings and recommendations are based on merit.
Free to You
Our service is completely free for homeowners. You will never be charged for using SmartEnergyUSA to research, compare, or request solar quotes. Affiliate partnerships allow us to keep our service free while maintaining high-quality content.
Editorial Firewall
Our editorial and business teams operate independently. Writers and editors are never informed of or incentivized by commercial relationships when producing content.
Content Update Schedule
The solar energy landscape changes frequently — new incentives, rate changes, and market shifts can impact the information homeowners need. We maintain the following update schedule:
| Content Type | Update Frequency |
|---|---|
| Electricity rate data | Monthly, using the latest EIA data releases |
| Solar cost data | Quarterly, based on SEIA and NREL reports |
| State incentives & policies | As changes occur, with a full audit quarterly |
| Solar company information | Quarterly reviews with ongoing monitoring |
| Educational articles & guides | Reviewed annually; updated as needed for accuracy |
Every page displays a "Last Updated" date so you can see when the information was most recently verified.
Report Errors or Suggest Corrections
We take accuracy seriously and welcome feedback from our readers. If you find information on SmartEnergyUSA that you believe is inaccurate, outdated, or misleading, we want to hear from you.
How to Submit a Correction
- •Email us at corrections@smartenergyusa.com with the page URL and a description of the error.
- •Include any supporting sources or documentation that demonstrate the correct information.
- •Our editorial team will review your submission and respond within 5 business days.
- •When corrections are made, we will add a note to the article indicating when and what was corrected.
AI Usage Disclosure
SmartEnergyUSA uses AI-assisted tools as part of our content production workflow. We believe in full transparency about how artificial intelligence is used in our editorial process:
- AI-assisted research: We may use AI tools to help gather, organize, and summarize data from public sources. All AI-gathered information is verified against primary sources by our team.
- AI-assisted drafting: Some content may be initially drafted with AI assistance. Every piece of AI-assisted content is thoroughly reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by human experts before publication.
- Human oversight is mandatory: No content is published without human expert review. Our editors verify all facts, calculations, and recommendations regardless of whether AI tools were used in the drafting process.
- Data accuracy: AI tools are never the sole source of any data point we publish. All statistics, pricing data, and incentive information come from verified primary sources listed in our data sources section above.
Questions About Our Editorial Process?
If you have questions about our editorial standards, research methodology, or content policies, please reach out to our editorial team at editorial@smartenergyusa.com.
You can also learn more about the people behind our content on our authors page or read about our company on the about page.
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