Getting to the bottom of solar energy

Tackling the important questions that everyone has about the most powerful resource.

Transcript

1. Getting to the bottom of Solar Energy The most commons questions that people ask about solar power on their home.
2. What happens if I move? Most people get a little too hung up on this but their are some really simple answers. Nobody expects to live in the same house for 20 years these days. So a lot people are scared of committing to a solar system for anything longer than 5 years. To answer the question posed we have to ask what kind of solar power agreement you are considering entering into. There are Cash purchases, PPA, and a Lease option.
3. Cash Purchase With a cash purchase you own the solar system outright from day one. This means you can do whatever you would like with your solar system including taking it with you to your new home if you move. This is not recommended due to the custom fit for each home. Systems are warrantied for production so you can guarantee a potential home buyer will have a certain amount of energy the entire time they live there. This allows you the opportunity to sell the home with the solar panels included and bump up the selling price for more money in your pocket.
4. PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) First of all a PPA is NOT a Lease, but it functions almost identically. Since the PPA is designed so that you the homeowner only pay for the power the that system produces it makes it very easy to transfer to a new homeowner. The solar company has a lot riding on the idea that someone has to be living in the home in order for them to be getting paid so you can trust that they will make any kind of transfer quick and easy for you. There are a few prerequisites to attaining a PPA and most of them revolve around your credit score. Most companies look for somewhere in the range of 640-680.
5. Lease Finding a Lease in today’s solar industry is pretty hard to do. The advantage of a PPA over a Lease tends to benefit both parties better so companies are going away from a Lease. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is one of the only remaining utility companies that still offer a lease, so some of you southern Californian’s will find that as your only option. Most Lease qualifications will be about the same as a PPA so the process will be very similar.
6. There is always that one person who asks the improbably question: what if I can’t transfer the solar system when I move? Or what if a potential home buyer doesn’t want the solar panels? Well you have to ask yourself one question: what homeowner wouldn’t want cheaper power? You have done all the leg work getting them up on the roof and now they get to sit back and reap the benefits of your labor. The next thing you should do is write out a pros and cons list and weigh them against each other. With the mass amounts of savings available the odds are pretty good that a prospective homebuyer will see exactly what you have seen in doing your research. Homebuyers have more tools available than ever before to search for and find exactly the home they are looking for. Whether that includes homes with solar panels or homes without solar panels.
7. What happens if my solar company goes out of business? Not a terrible question by any stretch of the imagination. Solar companies have been making crazy promises to customers all across the globe. So how do you make sure you have a company that will be around to fulfill those promises? Well you have to start by looking at how long each of these companies have been around. Newer companies might look sounds great but the older companies have the track record. And yet even some old dogs can get sick and die. After you read through the agreements you should be able to find some answers in the fine print that should give you some kind of protection if said company ever did go out of business, and if not then that could be all the sign you need to avoid that company. A PPA is backed by investors that not only own the rights to these agreements but can also sell them to other companies if need be in order to keep your solar system up and running. Larger companies will already have a plan in place for situations just like this one.
8. How can you be sure that your installer will follow through on the things you can’t see? Any company worth your attention will offering monitoring of your system to make sure things are running tip top. To find out more about specific companies you can go online to many customer review sites and see what others experienced. Sites like the Better Business Bureau are a great way to get the facts. Another way to get answers to questions is to quiz your sales representative on some of your scenarios and just see what they say. You have to know that each representative will give you a “best case” every time and you also have to know the most representatives do not get asked these types of questions every day so it does not mean they are lying to you. The safest thing to do is to get your hands on a copy of the agreement and read through the fine print yourself.
9. Do the research There are plenty of reputable solar companies out there that will be a great option for you. The only thing you have to do is let them come to you. CaliforniaSolarSavers.com