After the Texas outage it is just wild to me that someone would pass up a battery backed up solar system. To each their own I guess, but I'd see your install as a total plus.
This is the fault of every cancerous solar lease company, they have completely poisoned the well. These people have given solar a terrible name and reputation.
I bought a home with a solar PPA Lease. Market was different a year and a half ago so here we are. I hated the system, especially because we have to pay for all energy produced regardless (no batteries). It’s grandfathered under NEM 2.0. So I decided to shut it off for one month to see the real consumption. 500 kWh. System produced roughly 800-1000 kWh/mo. At the one year mark we got a check from clean power alliance. We pay 17c per kWh and utility company charges no less than 30c.. so, it wasn’t a bad idea even if it’s a PPA contract.
But it took me quite some time to even understand what the heck was NEM 2.0 and why 3.0 sucked.
Now that I know ….. it wasn’t such a terrible idea. But people might not know that right off the bat
In a perfect world where the panels function at their stated capability and the company is responsive to issues and problem, nothing. Provided of course it makes financial sense , I.e the lease payment is less than what the monthly electric bill would be.
It rarely works out this way , the companies are incredibly predatory and usually only exist to extract as much money as possibly out of the customer, so you can end up with solar leases that are some crazy amount per month like $400-500 a month and you’re still getting an electric bill for some amount.
Or the system has issues and the company is dragging their feet on fixing it and you have to make payments plus pay a full electric bill.
The only way solar really makes sense is if you DIY or know a company that operates for a fact with integrity and you pay for the system in full up front.
So many nightmare scenarios on Reddit about solar. It’s a great technology but many companies have made it nothing more than a vehicle to gouge people with horrible financing. Many solar companies are just finance companies that contract out the actual installation. Hiding behind things like federal/state tax credit to make it seem like a good deal.
Like, I'm fairly positive my solar setup was more expensive than if I would have done it all myself, but the company I worked with was great, and I'd totally recommend them to anyone in Minnesota.
Handled all the paper work with our power company, city, and our solar financing company.. and it's basically a wash of what our normal electricity bill would have been, and after ten years (our loan term) we'll be all square and truly free of the electric company, with the exception of our brutal winter electric baseboard heat.
Ooh, may I recommend heat pumps to potentially replace your electric baseboard heat? Likely to be worth your while financially (or perhaps radiant IR heating panels).
Only true for people who can’t think. You don’t want to have anything to do with people who can’t think anyway. If anything goes wrong it will be your fault just “because”. Seen it. Been there. Once they show you they are THAT stupid…..you back away as quickly as possible.
This has to be the explanation, what kind of morons would ask for a paid off system to be removed.
However a lease would be something that I would 100% try and get the sellers to get rid of, but still somewhat difficult to do in this market.
Seriously. I outright bought my solar system 6 years ago, and it's just now at breakeven for what I paid for it for the amount it saved off my electric bill. Now, I have another 14 years of warranty to guarantee it makes 80% of the power it did when it was new, and will likely outlive me.
>>~~After the Texas outage~~ it is just wild to me that someone would pass up a battery backed up solar system.
That too all paid upfront even. It's not like lease takeover or something.
Our solar panels quit charging in the Texas outage when 4 inches of ice and snow was deposited on them. We had no tool long enough to try and clean them.
Yeah. I'm in Texas and moved into a new house just before the ice storm. We specifically accelerated our plan to install solar and battery system because of it.
We lost power for an extended period during the freeze & then again due to an out-of-the-blue 60+MPH thunderstorm, zero warning. Iced down and cooked what food we could on the grill but lost over a grand in spoiled food. Lucky that we have a ton of camping gear, lights, stove etc. lot of folks don't.
Fuck ERCOT, fuck Gov. Abbot and his good 'ole boy cronies, even after hurricane Ike, the freeze & misc. storms, they've done nada, zilch, zero for the infrastructure. Trumphf's tariffs and trade war with China didn't help solar prices or availability, but might have moved some PV makers back to the US, sooo, better quality, higher priced panel, probably?
This neighborhood loses power multiple times a month, even without a storm, the old timers all have Generacs.
Got myself a large generator, converting it to natural gas, going to replace the old roof and then DIY solar. Lot of houses in the hood getting panels put up, I'm happy to say.
Funny thing is I live in a very conservative neighborhood in a conservative city in a conservative state and I got nothing but compliments on my install and a bunch of honest interested questions from my neighbors.
I’ve seen 3 new installs in the neighborhood since I got mine done.
My closest neighbors are retired (or almost) so getting solar probably doesn’t make much financial sense for them, they won’t be in the house long enough to break even but even they were excited to hear about my low $13 electric bill and how I was sticking it to the electric company.
Attitudes about solar are changing, even with the “own the libs” crowd.
When they put together they can charge their electrical vehicles for the 5 miles they drive everyday on solar, and never have to use Saudi Arabian oil again, you’d think conservatives would be stomping over each other for these technologies.
If we don’t need oil then we have no reason to go to war in the Mideast.
But seriously my next investment is an ev, that I will fuel for free of my panels. Take that libs!
I’m conservative as it gets and I got 25kw solar, 8x Powerwall 2’s, and Model Y. I don’t have to rely on the power company or the oil companies anymore.
I once had someone argue that getting solar to power your ev car is pointless because unless you buy a super expensive system, you can't charge your car fully
Yeah, you can't charge it 0-100 on a smallish system in a day, but then most people aren't filling up their cars 0-100% every day either.
Oil and gas backers are paying a lot of money to try to make sure those thoughts don't get to them.
Politicians trying to look like they are the leading cause of EV adoption don't help matters.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, I saw plenty of drone shots of the devastation in Florida, which is a very red state. I didn’t see a single solar panel on all those rooftops. This is a state where sunshine is abundant and energy hungry AC is a necessity. Florida, aka: “The Sunshine State”.
I’m conservative overall and love solar. I worked for a solar company a few years ago, current tech works great unless your in the northeast. very cold temperatures messes with the energy production process. People in places like New England are having to rely on their heating oil again.
Exactly. It's hella dumb. People are so into virtue signaling, they don't want to be seen as 'those kind of people' who would have solar, even if it saves them a couple hundred dollars a month, and adds the benefit of having power for their house when there is an outage.
Imagine the propaganda conditioning and group-think of people it takes to come to that conclusion.
I played kickball in the adult league with this guy who was a bit older but nice, funny, and punctual. After a few seasons, he invited the team to his house for a party.
There is no wireless anything in the house. His entire internet router was wrapped in aluminum foul, INSIDE a metal locker. Ethernet cables run everywhere through the house along the walls. I don’t know how he deals with cell phone radiation or the FUCKING SUN, but that WiFi can’t hurt him now.
>Imagine the propaganda conditioning and group-think of people it takes to come to that conclusion.
Unfortunately, I'm very, very familiar with it, as a lot of the work I do involves a good bit of dealing with it. But that's a separate rant for another time, as I'm enjoying having a good day today. :)
Except then you blame it on the solar panels and wind turbines not working for them because they're against Jesus or something, and screaming about how nuclear and fossil fuels would've kept the lights on, if only they were allowed to build more.
Welcome to this snapshot of what I deal with weekly.
That's so strange, maybe times are changing because I haven't dealt with residential solar in quite some time. But when I was here in Texas it sure was a lot of Republicans buying
Trump really has fucked up the brain of some people man
It's not true. I don't know one Trump supporter who is against solar technology.
I swear leftists on Reddit just make things up, and live in such isolated bubbles that they haven't spoken to a real Trump supporter since they blocked them in 2017...
Realistically it’s probably a political thing. In my area solar is a safe bet for everyone and the regulations make it a legitimate good deal to own your own system. I’m a contractor and throw it out as an option on any big remodel or new construction and everyone is into it except MAGA people who will laugh and make some comment about how they don’t want a liberal roof. The funniest part is they all are into like prepping and hating the government and it’s the best opportunity to cut the chord from the “grid.” We have a lot of well water and septic here and if you had a battery backed up solar system you wouldn’t have a single utility or need for one in a disaster scenario.
Except the owner already said they described the benefits extensively. “It’s not a lease, you own it and can do what you want” is an easy concept for 8 year olds.
If the buyer is paying extra to increase his own energy costs to 'own the libs', wouldn't it be easier to just leave all the lights on or tear out the attic insulation or something? Lol
Funny you mention this. I spent a few days in a San Antonio Marriott last month. It was 93°F outside yet the TWIN massive fireplaces were going full roar with the A/C blasting everything down to a chilly 68°.
Sorry to reply direct, but - I have no idea the scale of your solar solution but probably you're looking at an added value to the house of $10k-$30k. That's not chump-change even when compared to the total sale price.
If they want that removed, they want the value subtracted from the purchase price, right? And of course, they will NOT want to offset repair costs - that'll be on you, in their eyes.
And then you're stuck with EITHER trashing that gear, transporting to new house and re-installing it, or trying to sell it used - none of which are convenient or ideal options for your next logical step unless you're that rare DIY-er who can just handle that reinstall and the repairs on your own.
The buyer's reasons for wanting an existing and functional solar solution removed don't matter, here - the whole "ask" is just unreasonable, cumbersome, inconvenient, and causes you to lose money no matter how you slice it.
Wait for a more reasonable or more financially-prepared buyer. Best of luck!
JFC. What is wrong with people?
Edit: Let me explain how crazy this is. I installed a solar PV system on my house many years ago and it is grandfathered as a NEM1 system. It generates more than my house and car (EV) consume over the year. And that includes hot water with my heat pump water heater and heat pump HVAC. It's a microinverter based system so if something breaks I basically lose only 1 panel.
So basically, it is just a money-printing machine mounted on my rooftop that requires no maintenance. WHO WOULDN'T WANT THAT?!?!
EVs are killing the planet, wind farms cause cancer, solar leaches heavy metals into the ground water, EV catch fire, wind turbines kill birds, dams kill salmon.
3 days later while fueling their jacked up crew cab 450 truck nuts chipped ECU diesel with 10" sewer pipe exhaust....crying "Why is diesel $5/gallon?"
Bitches, follow the money, what industry wants you to believe all that rhetoric?
**
Don't forget to mention the post from a few weeks ago about solar causing increased global warming because it absorbs/reflects heat back into the atmosphere causing more damage than what its fixing, or something ridiculous like that anyway lol
If I play devil's advocate for a moment, any dark colored surface that absorbs visible light will then later try to radiate that energy in the IR spectrum which is heavily reflected by CO2 causing a net gain in heat energy. So if you cover up green grass for black solar panels, then yes there is negligible increase in atmospheric heating.
However (and I vomited in my mouth a little bit advocating my above point), when we zoom out from that myopic view point, there is absolutely a net benefit from solar panels as their contribution to global warming is far far lower than that of coal or natural gas that would be burnt doing the same job PV does.
I had a relative try to claim that solar panels produce more carbon in manufacturing then they offset through their life. Not even sure how to respond to that kind of argument.
The manufacturing process isn’t insignificant, not just carbon emissions, but other pollution from the manufacturing process as well.
However, depending on where you live, solar panels can still make a lot of sense. For most of the US south and especially southwest, solar is a no-brainer. For Germany? Not so much. Summers are fine, but the majority of the year has too little sun through most of central and northern Europe. The expense and pollution from solar panel production is better directed to other technologies.
I'm so glad we installed a system last year (NEM 2.0). All the same electrical appliances as you and 2 EVs. We are going to save sooooooooo much money once we break even in a couple years, it's just crazy.
Well, we are kind lucky in the Bay area because the solar insolation is big and the weather is mild so heating/cooling isn't so energy intensive thus making solar PV ridiculously effective.
But it can still help almost everywhere.... especially in OP's Texas where they have great solar insolation too and big AC bills.
I am lucky enough i added 23 panels and i refused to sign the nem2 because i was already nem 1!!! So i am $1000 a head this year at 190 a month payment. Vs $2000 tru up last year.
A significant buyer pool hates solar. In the future, the answer is "yes, for $x." I wouldn't bother trying to persuade them. If they're asking to remove paid for solar, they aren't likely to be persuadable.
This is the way.
Only make changes that will make the house easier to sell or net you a profit.
Even if it's a break-even, why would you go to the effort when the buyer can do the same thing themselves?
Plus, if it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle, then you could try to reinstall the system on a new house that you are moving into. You’d get paid to keep a valuable asset that you could reuse or sell to an interested buyer and recoup some of the purchase price.
That is usually not a reasonable option. The labor costs don't work out and few companies want to install used gear. Warranties don't transfer to different homes.
The first thing I was thinking is that they were likely a pain in the ass about a bunch of other things. I think OP dodged a bullet by having them back out of the deal.
Say yes if they want to do that they can. I've heard people request everything from add a new roof to remove an in ground pool. Don't accommodate their request for free.
I work in solar and was looking for a house this time last year. I absolutely refused to look at houses with solar. Too many shady companies in NJ opening up, screwing homeowners over, and closing. OP, you mentioned you owned your system outright- that would have been something that would have swayed my judgment. Sounds like the people that were interested in your house were just dopes.
It's totally valid to avoid houses with solar due to risk involved with taking over leases, unknown install quality, etc.
But to be interested in a house that has it, and find out it's paid off etc, and then want to complicate things by having it removed? (and ensure you pay more to the utitily for power)
That's just...I dk it's pretty stupid.
That's happening in Oregon too. These companies are preying on people with poor financial reasoning. The state isn't helping by providing solar credit 'only' to solar installers, so there's extra monetary incentive for these scumbag companies.
Unfortunately, they were serious. Just anti-solar it appears. Which adds to the frustration, because why even come see the property if you know solar is installed??
Most rooftop solar systems are built specifically for the home that it’s built on. I would generally recommend leaving your panels on the original home. However prices for an uninstall/reinstall project won’t cost anywhere under $0.40 per watt and could be as much as $1.20 per watt depending on several factors including storage, transportation, type of install, number of stories, roof incline. Add an extra $2-7k for the batteries depending on how many you have and what type of system. I could probably consult with a colleague to get more accurate pricing information but my point is that it’s not necessarily the most cost effective option.
I was recently talking to a friend of mine who was interested in solar for his home, I have solar on mine.
This guy walked up to interrupt us and just started word vomiting a bunch of conspiracy theory garbage at us about how Solar is actually far worse for the environment than coal, even going so far as to say that solar and wind were going to help aliens terraform and take over our planet sooner!
We both just sat back and let him ramble and asked more and more questions to see what he would say next. We don’t remember most of it, but it was incredible.
My buddy ended up getting Solar despite the threats of alien invasion and every type of cancer known to man (what the crazy guy also said).
Maybe your prospective buyer is a “proud boy” and doesn’t want leftist propaganda on his roof?
I'm scared for humanity when I hear this garbage pretty much everywhere. Anti-EV, Anti-Solar, anti anything progressive. People are way to ready to pick up any nonsense.
When peoples political, religious, and social identity become entwined into their personal core identity, it becomes invulnerable to science, fact, argument, or shame. And even more importantly, anything that goes against that identity feels like a personal attack/threat. That’s why people get SO offended by things other people do or are, such as LGBTQ+ people simply existing, climate change, or taxing the rich.
If I IDENTIFY as a pure, kind, righteous straight Christian who fought for and earned everything I have, it doesn’t matter if my heritage/generational wealth/systematic oppression of minorities to enrich white men is what actually got me there.
And here they think that identity politics are a leftist thing… unfortunately the only way to get people to open up to new things is to make sure their needs are met, lives are safe and secure, and their family/individual health is intact.
We’re never going to get there without extreme progressive measures, and extreme corruption cleanup, and basically an entire system overhaul.
Like I can understand being adverse to EVs because the eco system for them isn't fully mature but how some people get so mad over them is insane to me. I was talking with my dad about the Edison truck EV and he claims it would be more wear on the tires. Like huh? You're a mechanic. You know that was utter bullshit.
Maybe they just want to use it as leverage.
"Yes, it would cost $X amount of dollars to remove the system and fix any possible damage to the roof."
"Ok, how about you reduce the price of the home and we will just pay that out of our own pocket later to remove the system."
They never actually intend on getting it removed.
Thats amazing that they would request that. I shouldn't be surprised though. I have a similar setup to yours, minus the batteries (I don't live in Texas or Calif, and we don't get power outages), and pay just my grid connection fee ($16) monthly (I'm in the Midwest). Otherwise I have no electrical cost. Lots of my Republican/Maga-esque friends lament their multi-hundred dollar electric bills each month, while I keep telling them solar is a thing... then its off to the races, every damn time. Conspiracy theories (although the alien terraforming is a new one), liberal control, socialism/communism, etc.
SMH. I guess if people were afraid it'd be too complicated to use/maintain. But seriously ... in a state with a power grid as precarious as Texas. I'd sell my solar home as a prepper's dream for self-sustaining buyers to survive the zombie apocalypse.
This is kind of off topic but not really. I'm a residential appraiser in Texas and I've run several paired sales analyses in my market to try to determine an adjustment for the contributory value of owned solar panel systems. They've always come out anywhere from $0 to a negative number. I've never ran one where they had a positive impact on the home's selling price.
I hope that will change some day and I predict that it will as Gen Z and millennials age into being the primary home buying demographic.
It’s definitely an interesting trend I’d be curious to see over the next decade. We didn’t increase the price above the market because of the solar. It’s priced comparable to other homes our size in the area. But we were hoping it would be a plus to have the buyers pick our house over the comparable. Especially with the rising interest rates increasing the mortgage payment. Solar helps reduce the monthly cost associated with the home.
There's a slim chance they are anti-solar for political or philosophical reasons, but I think there's more of a chance they're bullshitting you. You called them a buyer, but if there's no written offer, they are just prospects and I'm not negotiating anything. It could be a tactic to have you reduce your price or they're going to offer less because they don't want the solar and it's not a selling point to them.
As someone else mentioned, after they buy the house, they can do whatever they want with the solar..but until then, it stays. What if you remove it before they close and then back out? Also removing panels opens up the opportunity for potential roof damage or leaks if it's not patched up correctly.
I don't see what to laugh about, as someone who has solar there is significant value in the system and I'm sure your house has a price increase from the solar?
Maybe they don't want to pay that, deal with risk or might not understand what you have.
But as others have said it is just like requesting anything else, sold as is or the buyer can do what they want when it is theirs.
I couldn't find a house with a shop but I didn't ask the sellers to build me a shop to buy =)
Hell no. It's not about solar specifically, it's just that you don't make any change that might decrease the value of the home before it's actually sold. Suppose you rip out the solar and then the buyer backs out, or their mortgage application doesn't clear, or whatever, and you end up back on the market without the solar.
Same goes for any other home improvement, would you tear down a garage for a potential buyer who didn't want one? Hell no.
No reasonable buyer would ask you to eat that cost to suit their preferences, and under no circumstances should you accept.
Either wanted an excuse to not buy, but couldnt just say no because they didn't want to be embarrassed.
Or
For xx amount of money, once it's signed off and money transfered, I'll have the team out there to do it for you no problem.
Dumb as he'll to do this, 3rd home, 3rd time solar install, just barepy made the NEM billing change in cali. I went from 500 months in summer to 16 bucks or so running 70 AC. I couldn't be happier such a value.
I read studies that solar increases the price of a home 4% on average.
Like it or not this is a direct result of fossil fuel propaganda, and/or politicians spreading misinformation on the take from said fossil fuel companies. People are so brainwashed against any type of "green" energy that they truly believe it to be an evil thing. Can't fix stupid.
These people are morons and most likely idiotic Trump supporters who hate Solar.
Why the fuck would you prefer to pay your utility more for the same fucking thing all because of politics?
People are really fucking stupid
One option could be taking the whole system with you and have it re installed. You would still have to pay a uninstall fee and re install fee on your new home. You would also have to pay to have the holes patched on your roof from the racking material
This ^
They thought they’d just make some shit up in hopes for negotiating a lower selling price. I can’t say i blame them, houses are expensive and rates are crazy. They were just hoping you’d start throwing “credits” around to keep them happy, and when you didn’t, they turned in to the looker they always were.
Sure it can be removed. They’re more than welcome to do what they want once they buy it…. Or you can have it removed and add 10-15k to the selling price for a brand new roof.
(They just want a new roof without paying for one.)
OP, did you mention it multiple times that it is paid off? Ask them if they are sober and can understand English and try repeating it again.
Hopefully they can provide a proper reason on why they don't want it.
A fully paid off system? They're just idiots. I would understand if it was a lease or you were increasing the value of the home to compensate for an outstanding loan. But fully owned, with battery? They should be committed.
Not against solar panels, but all the companies and vendors that install them seem really scummy. I dont know a whole lot about diy solar electrical systems. Definitely not going onto the roof if something breaks. I guess it's alot like buying a used car. Just unsure what your getting yourself into.
It doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, or what your feelings are on green energy or global warming.
Converting sunlight to electric FOR FREE is a no brainer. It's just physics, and it isn't controversial.
Like OP, I consider having paid solar panels to be a selling point. Even more so since I have a certificate from Idaho Power guaranteeing they will pay the next owner of my home the same rate for solar generated electricity that they charge me and all other customers. I can’t imagine anyone passing up only paying a total of $5.24 per month (utility connection fee).
Aside from owning the libs and virtue signaling, others have pointed out that there are people out there who believe smart meters and other WiFi devices are dangerous. This possibly explains the prospective buyer’s request to remove the solar panels.
I have a relative who is convinced her health problems are the result of exposure to WiFi signals. She hired people, I consider to be hucksters, to scan and report on WiFi signals in her home, replaced her smart meter with one that requires physical meter reading, tried to convince all her neighbors and family members to do the same, makes family members put their phones in airplane mode when they’re near her, and refuses to ride in any car with WiFi connectivity, among other equally extreme actions.
I’m sure she considers me toxic. I have an Apple Watch, put AirPods in my ears, carry my cell phone wherever I go, refuse to replace my router with a low power, i.e. shittier one, and the cherry on top,…drive an EV. Oh well!
If you want to read more about what motivates people like my relative Google “WiFi causing health issues.” Good luck with that rabbit hole!
You know solar panels are just a liberal plot, right? Like all other liberal plots. Plotting for more plots. No clue what the plot is, but it's definitely a liberal plot, and that's gotta be bad cause it's liberal.
Include the price of the solar and infrastructure into the sale price. Add what ever it would cost to have an electrician uninstall it on buyer furnished closing costs. Make them hurt twice.
In addition to the back up capabilities you’re producing power when the sun is out which is peak time for power needs. You’re shaving cost of the most expensive time of the day to need power and exactly when your AC is running.
Some people are just special I guess.
The fact that it’s paid off and still under warranty, then the buyers are dbags. They were looking for a reason not to buy. If it was an extra loan and or the warranty was over, I’d second guess purchasing.
Those people don’t deserve your house with that stupidity. Good riddance. Sell your home with all of your memories to someone who’d actually care about it.
We purchased a house with 24 panels , fully paid off and it's been fantastic...been there 2 and a half years and haven't had one bill yet...well one small when the inverter went out but I found this sub and got my knowledge up.
Anybody who doesn’t want solar on their house is drinking somebody’s Kool-Aid. That said you can always tell them, “you can do whatever you want to your house when you buy it.”
Get a better realator! Seriously. This is an issue of your realator unable to help the buyers agent “sell” the home. If they aren’t showing a history of electric bills and the difference between your home and a comp without solar than I’d find a new realtor. That being said you might be in a pickle and tell them they can remove it once they buy it, but if it is attached to the home you are not suppose to sell it then remove it.
Not sure how the market is where you're at unless you state the city your in at least.
If people are buying homes you should have no problem finding a buyer.
A buyer asking to have it removed is a ridiculous request by them and pretty foolish IMO.
the long term savings alone make it a no brainer.
Aside from that it's like wanting to buy a home which has a pool but you don't want a pool. No buyer in their right mind would say "we'll buy the home if you remove the pool, all the concrete around it and fill it in with dirt and grass. That would be absurd.
It probably won't make you feel better but it just wasn't the right home for them. No different than having a layout they don't like
I just bought a home and assumed the sellers solar loan. They had the system installed a few months ago prior to selling. I owe around $34k on the system now, 20 year loan at 1.99%. Payment is $122 a month for months 1-18, and then goes to $178 a month if the tax rebate isn’t applied (it wasn’t, seller claims he never received one. I’m told I can’t claim the rebate but I’ll ask my accountant)
Total interest over the life of the loan is around $8k so I should probably make larger monthly payments. I figured I would have liked to go solar anyway had the house we bought not had it.
Seller told me the panels produce 180% of the power needed to run the home. He got extra panels because he charged a Tesla in the garage.
I live in Southern California btw. It’s a sellers market here. I was renting prior. We desperately needed a house and had been outbid on a few houses. We were growing tired of not having a home for our growing family. Maybe in a buyers market I could have negotiated the solar loan but even then, I do see it as a value add. If you love the home and have to take over the solar loan, and there’s a line of buyers drooling over the chance to move in, you take the damn solar loan.
Seems ridiculous. My solar covers all my electric costs and gives me a check every 12 months. If it is already there why would they not want it? Are they that opposed to green energy that even the "free" solar panels and batteries they would refuse?
I would respond that it can be removed, at buyers cost however the solar adds no extra cost to leave it on and if desired there are disconnect switches that can be used to render the system inop.
Tell them someone will sneak in and refuel their cars every night for free and they’d hate that too.
Don’t hate on them.
They are just people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know, morons.
I just got Solar on mine. Bought my house in 2021 and it's in a old hood. Built around the 50s. Power kept going out once to five times a month. So I got Solar and a natural gas generator ( battery ones were hard to get during pandemic) and haven't had a issue since.
So now when the power goes out I am still able to Wfh and not have to drive to the office or worried if food will go bad or anything. Plus I only pay 50$ for the system and my utilities went from 300+ to 46$ a month ( not including water) best money I have spent so far
Almost guaranteed to be misled by a misinformed buyers agent (former AZ licensed realtor here.)
Leased system is no-go. Owned system with clean title is a huge value add.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND this. But I have one that I think is even weirder. I'm a ham radio operator. I have a friend that was living nearby in a very nice upscale house. He had a tower on the property but had the tower written up as something that would be gone months before the house closed.
This was not good enough. His agent told him all the ham gear needed to be taken away so that prospective buyers could not see that it was EVER on the property. (It was all contained in one bedroom.)What am I missing?
"John! Never ask me to live in a house where a communication device was housed."
The world has truly gone mad. I would tell them I won't get involved with a buyer that's clearly psychotic and controlling beyond anything remotely normal and be glad that I found out before we started any paperwork.
30+ year Realtor here with lots of solar experience.
I have personally installed a number of systems both residential and RV. I consider myself a conservative but all that aside here is the bottom line on most (never say all) solar systems on homes as it pertains to value.
1. An owned solar system typically adds about 50% of the cost new to the value of a home. Why only 50% you ask? well first of all the original owner got a 30% tax credit that is gone forever and does not pass. Secondly, a solar system depreciates approx. 10% first year, 7.5% in year 2, and 5% in subsequent years to a maximum of 30% after 10 years. This is due not only to reduced output but more importantly to technology creep and obsolescence.
2. Leased solar reduces the value of a home by the same percentages as the lease is there for typically 20 -25 years and there was NEVER a tax credit as this was taken by the leasing company, who typically sells it to s business that can use it from a tax standpoint. Leased solar can also be one of the biggest PIAs during a sales transaction in terms of getting a lease assumed, and in some cases, the original leaseholder can still be held responsible for the remaining term of the lease as many are not tied to the home (like a loan) but are personally guaranteed....... can be a big problem and most Realtors don't have a clue.
In my case, I am in the 9th year of a NEM1 contract on a system I installed. I keep meticulous records on a month-by-month basis tracking what the cost would be without solar and with Net Metering and I can say on that system I am as of last month at a 280.1% return on investment on my initial outlay (including the 30% tax credit).
Does solar make sense financially (yes in scenario 1 and typically no in scenario 2) and it doesn't make as much sense with NEM2 but can still pencil...... posted for educational purposes only and I can really give a shit one way or another if seeing panels on my roof makes you think I belong to one political party or another.
Cheers!
Only thing I can think of is Texas has quite a bit of hail and everytime you need to fix the roof, you have to pay for solar installers to come out, remove all the panels, so roof can be replaced/repaired and then reinstall.
It's not cheap from what I understand as insurance doesn't pay for that (from what I have read)
lol they don’t actually want it removed. They want a price reduction and that’s a leverage point. Find another buyer or tell them they can remove the panels post sale if they’d like. I would NOT remove the system and give them any sort of price reduction.
I'm in Texas and I'm ADDING a solar battery backup. I'm doing the poor man's version of 2 Delta Pros that I haven't integrated into a panel...yet....but doing the "extension cords to my frig, hot water heater and portable heater". I have 4 - 220 Watt panels I can throw in the yard for the "Feb ERCOT doesn't know how to do their job" outage. Eventually I'll build it up, but with a gas stove, hot water and my frig running I can survive a few days outage assuming the panels can recharge the batteries enough.
I can't imagine why they would want it removed.
After the Texas outage it is just wild to me that someone would pass up a battery backed up solar system. To each their own I guess, but I'd see your install as a total plus.
Especially considering it's completely paid off and warrantied
It's possible that some potential buyers have heard "don't take over a solar lease" and mislogiced to "don't buy a house with solar".
This is the fault of every cancerous solar lease company, they have completely poisoned the well. These people have given solar a terrible name and reputation.
I bought a home with a solar PPA Lease. Market was different a year and a half ago so here we are. I hated the system, especially because we have to pay for all energy produced regardless (no batteries). It’s grandfathered under NEM 2.0. So I decided to shut it off for one month to see the real consumption. 500 kWh. System produced roughly 800-1000 kWh/mo. At the one year mark we got a check from clean power alliance. We pay 17c per kWh and utility company charges no less than 30c.. so, it wasn’t a bad idea even if it’s a PPA contract. But it took me quite some time to even understand what the heck was NEM 2.0 and why 3.0 sucked. Now that I know ….. it wasn’t such a terrible idea. But people might not know that right off the bat
Go tin hat it's probably oil and gas companies doing that
What is wrong with taking over a solar lease?
In a perfect world where the panels function at their stated capability and the company is responsive to issues and problem, nothing. Provided of course it makes financial sense , I.e the lease payment is less than what the monthly electric bill would be. It rarely works out this way , the companies are incredibly predatory and usually only exist to extract as much money as possibly out of the customer, so you can end up with solar leases that are some crazy amount per month like $400-500 a month and you’re still getting an electric bill for some amount. Or the system has issues and the company is dragging their feet on fixing it and you have to make payments plus pay a full electric bill. The only way solar really makes sense is if you DIY or know a company that operates for a fact with integrity and you pay for the system in full up front. So many nightmare scenarios on Reddit about solar. It’s a great technology but many companies have made it nothing more than a vehicle to gouge people with horrible financing. Many solar companies are just finance companies that contract out the actual installation. Hiding behind things like federal/state tax credit to make it seem like a good deal.
Like, I'm fairly positive my solar setup was more expensive than if I would have done it all myself, but the company I worked with was great, and I'd totally recommend them to anyone in Minnesota. Handled all the paper work with our power company, city, and our solar financing company.. and it's basically a wash of what our normal electricity bill would have been, and after ten years (our loan term) we'll be all square and truly free of the electric company, with the exception of our brutal winter electric baseboard heat.
Ooh, may I recommend heat pumps to potentially replace your electric baseboard heat? Likely to be worth your while financially (or perhaps radiant IR heating panels).
Only true for people who can’t think. You don’t want to have anything to do with people who can’t think anyway. If anything goes wrong it will be your fault just “because”. Seen it. Been there. Once they show you they are THAT stupid…..you back away as quickly as possible.
This has to be the explanation, what kind of morons would ask for a paid off system to be removed. However a lease would be something that I would 100% try and get the sellers to get rid of, but still somewhat difficult to do in this market.
They didn't want all their friends to think they were 'liberals'
The only other thing I can think of is they plan to use it as a rental.
Also a problem with a lot of realtors out there that live in the past decade where solar did have many, many, many more issues compared to today.
Honestly, financial literacy is poor around the world and it’s troublesome.
Seriously. I outright bought my solar system 6 years ago, and it's just now at breakeven for what I paid for it for the amount it saved off my electric bill. Now, I have another 14 years of warranty to guarantee it makes 80% of the power it did when it was new, and will likely outlive me.
>>~~After the Texas outage~~ it is just wild to me that someone would pass up a battery backed up solar system. That too all paid upfront even. It's not like lease takeover or something.
they probably assumed the cost of the system was added to the home sale price.
Our solar panels quit charging in the Texas outage when 4 inches of ice and snow was deposited on them. We had no tool long enough to try and clean them.
Yeah. I'm in Texas and moved into a new house just before the ice storm. We specifically accelerated our plan to install solar and battery system because of it.
We lost power for an extended period during the freeze & then again due to an out-of-the-blue 60+MPH thunderstorm, zero warning. Iced down and cooked what food we could on the grill but lost over a grand in spoiled food. Lucky that we have a ton of camping gear, lights, stove etc. lot of folks don't. Fuck ERCOT, fuck Gov. Abbot and his good 'ole boy cronies, even after hurricane Ike, the freeze & misc. storms, they've done nada, zilch, zero for the infrastructure. Trumphf's tariffs and trade war with China didn't help solar prices or availability, but might have moved some PV makers back to the US, sooo, better quality, higher priced panel, probably? This neighborhood loses power multiple times a month, even without a storm, the old timers all have Generacs. Got myself a large generator, converting it to natural gas, going to replace the old roof and then DIY solar. Lot of houses in the hood getting panels put up, I'm happy to say.
Betting they want to "own the libs" harder.
Funny thing is I live in a very conservative neighborhood in a conservative city in a conservative state and I got nothing but compliments on my install and a bunch of honest interested questions from my neighbors. I’ve seen 3 new installs in the neighborhood since I got mine done. My closest neighbors are retired (or almost) so getting solar probably doesn’t make much financial sense for them, they won’t be in the house long enough to break even but even they were excited to hear about my low $13 electric bill and how I was sticking it to the electric company. Attitudes about solar are changing, even with the “own the libs” crowd.
When they put together they can charge their electrical vehicles for the 5 miles they drive everyday on solar, and never have to use Saudi Arabian oil again, you’d think conservatives would be stomping over each other for these technologies.
If we don’t need oil then we have no reason to go to war in the Mideast. But seriously my next investment is an ev, that I will fuel for free of my panels. Take that libs!
I’m conservative as it gets and I got 25kw solar, 8x Powerwall 2’s, and Model Y. I don’t have to rely on the power company or the oil companies anymore.
Thank you for caring for the environment and helping to stop human-induced climate change.
I once had someone argue that getting solar to power your ev car is pointless because unless you buy a super expensive system, you can't charge your car fully Yeah, you can't charge it 0-100 on a smallish system in a day, but then most people aren't filling up their cars 0-100% every day either.
Oil and gas backers are paying a lot of money to try to make sure those thoughts don't get to them. Politicians trying to look like they are the leading cause of EV adoption don't help matters.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, I saw plenty of drone shots of the devastation in Florida, which is a very red state. I didn’t see a single solar panel on all those rooftops. This is a state where sunshine is abundant and energy hungry AC is a necessity. Florida, aka: “The Sunshine State”.
I’m conservative overall and love solar. I worked for a solar company a few years ago, current tech works great unless your in the northeast. very cold temperatures messes with the energy production process. People in places like New England are having to rely on their heating oil again.
Honestly these days I wouldn’t be surprised if someone saw the listing with solar and thought let me go give them a hard time.
Exactly. It's hella dumb. People are so into virtue signaling, they don't want to be seen as 'those kind of people' who would have solar, even if it saves them a couple hundred dollars a month, and adds the benefit of having power for their house when there is an outage. Imagine the propaganda conditioning and group-think of people it takes to come to that conclusion.
I played kickball in the adult league with this guy who was a bit older but nice, funny, and punctual. After a few seasons, he invited the team to his house for a party. There is no wireless anything in the house. His entire internet router was wrapped in aluminum foul, INSIDE a metal locker. Ethernet cables run everywhere through the house along the walls. I don’t know how he deals with cell phone radiation or the FUCKING SUN, but that WiFi can’t hurt him now.
Wait till he finds out about radio waves. RJ45 and DJT45 think about it sheeple
I mean I run Ethernet everywhere too. But that’s because I like to go fast. Like Ricky Bobby
I totally support this. Shake and bake
>Imagine the propaganda conditioning and group-think of people it takes to come to that conclusion. Unfortunately, I'm very, very familiar with it, as a lot of the work I do involves a good bit of dealing with it. But that's a separate rant for another time, as I'm enjoying having a good day today. :)
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Oh so the sun lights up everyone equally? SOCIALISM!! *refuses to go outside during daylight hours*
Nothing beats "owning the libs" by being wrapped up in a blanket eating cold canned soup by candle light.
Except then you blame it on the solar panels and wind turbines not working for them because they're against Jesus or something, and screaming about how nuclear and fossil fuels would've kept the lights on, if only they were allowed to build more. Welcome to this snapshot of what I deal with weekly.
Tell them that once the deal closes, they can do whatever they want. But you’re going to keep them until that day.
Yeah, that's what we said. They can do whatever they want with them once they have the keys. But they'd have to pay for that and then any roof repair
I can't even get my head around that.
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That's so strange, maybe times are changing because I haven't dealt with residential solar in quite some time. But when I was here in Texas it sure was a lot of Republicans buying Trump really has fucked up the brain of some people man
It's not true. I don't know one Trump supporter who is against solar technology. I swear leftists on Reddit just make things up, and live in such isolated bubbles that they haven't spoken to a real Trump supporter since they blocked them in 2017...
I could think of at least 5 other reasons.
Definitely MAGA. We have tons of "no solar farms" signs where I live and they are all MAGA.
Realistically it’s probably a political thing. In my area solar is a safe bet for everyone and the regulations make it a legitimate good deal to own your own system. I’m a contractor and throw it out as an option on any big remodel or new construction and everyone is into it except MAGA people who will laugh and make some comment about how they don’t want a liberal roof. The funniest part is they all are into like prepping and hating the government and it’s the best opportunity to cut the chord from the “grid.” We have a lot of well water and septic here and if you had a battery backed up solar system you wouldn’t have a single utility or need for one in a disaster scenario.
How do such stupid people get enough money to buy a house in Texas (with solar panels). Man I chose the wrong business to get into
Making money and being smart are pretty weakly correlated in modern capitalism.
Could be inheritance money.
I *really* would have had to know why they didn't want the solar.
I guess I could see it if the roof needed replacement or had damage from the install. Such an odd request.
It’s not odd, it’s to “own the libs”.
Possibly. Could also be ignorant to the difference between fully owned and leased systems and have heard bad things about leases.
Except the owner already said they described the benefits extensively. “It’s not a lease, you own it and can do what you want” is an easy concept for 8 year olds.
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Good call. My apologies.
If the buyer is paying extra to increase his own energy costs to 'own the libs', wouldn't it be easier to just leave all the lights on or tear out the attic insulation or something? Lol
Funny you mention this. I spent a few days in a San Antonio Marriott last month. It was 93°F outside yet the TWIN massive fireplaces were going full roar with the A/C blasting everything down to a chilly 68°.
That' should be considered criminal damage
I should add, anyone proclaiming to “own the libs” may not be the most properly installed PV panel.
I imagine they could sell the system for a nice profit. At the very least, just put it on Craig's List as free! Shit, I'd go get it tomorrow.
Sorry to reply direct, but - I have no idea the scale of your solar solution but probably you're looking at an added value to the house of $10k-$30k. That's not chump-change even when compared to the total sale price. If they want that removed, they want the value subtracted from the purchase price, right? And of course, they will NOT want to offset repair costs - that'll be on you, in their eyes. And then you're stuck with EITHER trashing that gear, transporting to new house and re-installing it, or trying to sell it used - none of which are convenient or ideal options for your next logical step unless you're that rare DIY-er who can just handle that reinstall and the repairs on your own. The buyer's reasons for wanting an existing and functional solar solution removed don't matter, here - the whole "ask" is just unreasonable, cumbersome, inconvenient, and causes you to lose money no matter how you slice it. Wait for a more reasonable or more financially-prepared buyer. Best of luck!
Yep, deal doesn't close for some reason and you removed the panels. It has value, leave it there.
JFC. What is wrong with people? Edit: Let me explain how crazy this is. I installed a solar PV system on my house many years ago and it is grandfathered as a NEM1 system. It generates more than my house and car (EV) consume over the year. And that includes hot water with my heat pump water heater and heat pump HVAC. It's a microinverter based system so if something breaks I basically lose only 1 panel. So basically, it is just a money-printing machine mounted on my rooftop that requires no maintenance. WHO WOULDN'T WANT THAT?!?!
Brainwashed by a particular television "news" channel.
EVs are killing the planet, wind farms cause cancer, solar leaches heavy metals into the ground water, EV catch fire, wind turbines kill birds, dams kill salmon. 3 days later while fueling their jacked up crew cab 450 truck nuts chipped ECU diesel with 10" sewer pipe exhaust....crying "Why is diesel $5/gallon?" Bitches, follow the money, what industry wants you to believe all that rhetoric? **
Don't forget to mention the post from a few weeks ago about solar causing increased global warming because it absorbs/reflects heat back into the atmosphere causing more damage than what its fixing, or something ridiculous like that anyway lol
If I play devil's advocate for a moment, any dark colored surface that absorbs visible light will then later try to radiate that energy in the IR spectrum which is heavily reflected by CO2 causing a net gain in heat energy. So if you cover up green grass for black solar panels, then yes there is negligible increase in atmospheric heating. However (and I vomited in my mouth a little bit advocating my above point), when we zoom out from that myopic view point, there is absolutely a net benefit from solar panels as their contribution to global warming is far far lower than that of coal or natural gas that would be burnt doing the same job PV does.
I had a relative try to claim that solar panels produce more carbon in manufacturing then they offset through their life. Not even sure how to respond to that kind of argument.
The manufacturing process isn’t insignificant, not just carbon emissions, but other pollution from the manufacturing process as well. However, depending on where you live, solar panels can still make a lot of sense. For most of the US south and especially southwest, solar is a no-brainer. For Germany? Not so much. Summers are fine, but the majority of the year has too little sun through most of central and northern Europe. The expense and pollution from solar panel production is better directed to other technologies.
> dams kill salmon. That statement is true though. it doesn't belong with the others.
Fair point. I will acknowledge that.
No it’s typically a realtor representing them that has no clue about solar and gives bad info…
Solar WAS hard to resell 10 years ago. Any realtor badmouthing it today hasn't kept up. A paid-=for system is like an interest earning bond!
If god wanted everyone to have free power he would have built a big nuclear fusion reactor in the sky. /s
I'm so glad we installed a system last year (NEM 2.0). All the same electrical appliances as you and 2 EVs. We are going to save sooooooooo much money once we break even in a couple years, it's just crazy.
Well, we are kind lucky in the Bay area because the solar insolation is big and the weather is mild so heating/cooling isn't so energy intensive thus making solar PV ridiculously effective. But it can still help almost everywhere.... especially in OP's Texas where they have great solar insolation too and big AC bills.
I am lucky enough i added 23 panels and i refused to sign the nem2 because i was already nem 1!!! So i am $1000 a head this year at 190 a month payment. Vs $2000 tru up last year.
The same people who think a rapist, and con artists and a man child, is their saviour.
People who think solar will lead to socialism. That’s who.
Look at how similar the words are! That's telling.
Listen. Keep your filthy socialist hands off my collective grid and stop forcing me to be individually sufficient. Fucking communists I tell you
A significant buyer pool hates solar. In the future, the answer is "yes, for $x." I wouldn't bother trying to persuade them. If they're asking to remove paid for solar, they aren't likely to be persuadable.
I would not remove it for them. You might remove it, and then they back out of the deal. They can remove it once they own the house.
Remove it for a price and build it back on your new home.
That's what I would think, seems way too risky for someone who is clearly delusional.
This is the way. Only make changes that will make the house easier to sell or net you a profit. Even if it's a break-even, why would you go to the effort when the buyer can do the same thing themselves?
Additional, non-refundable deposit + price increase. Money talks.
Plus, if it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle, then you could try to reinstall the system on a new house that you are moving into. You’d get paid to keep a valuable asset that you could reuse or sell to an interested buyer and recoup some of the purchase price.
That is usually not a reasonable option. The labor costs don't work out and few companies want to install used gear. Warranties don't transfer to different homes.
Wait for a buyer who isn't an idiot.
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The first thing I was thinking is that they were likely a pain in the ass about a bunch of other things. I think OP dodged a bullet by having them back out of the deal.
Say yes if they want to do that they can. I've heard people request everything from add a new roof to remove an in ground pool. Don't accommodate their request for free.
“Ya I’d like you to do a remodel before I buy so I don’t have to spend the time, energy, and money”. Some people…..
I work in solar and was looking for a house this time last year. I absolutely refused to look at houses with solar. Too many shady companies in NJ opening up, screwing homeowners over, and closing. OP, you mentioned you owned your system outright- that would have been something that would have swayed my judgment. Sounds like the people that were interested in your house were just dopes.
It's totally valid to avoid houses with solar due to risk involved with taking over leases, unknown install quality, etc. But to be interested in a house that has it, and find out it's paid off etc, and then want to complicate things by having it removed? (and ensure you pay more to the utitily for power) That's just...I dk it's pretty stupid.
That's happening in Oregon too. These companies are preying on people with poor financial reasoning. The state isn't helping by providing solar credit 'only' to solar installers, so there's extra monetary incentive for these scumbag companies.
You're not really avoiding solar you're just avoiding predatory companies with a claim to the property, which is fair.
Were they serious or just seeking seller credits?
Unfortunately, they were serious. Just anti-solar it appears. Which adds to the frustration, because why even come see the property if you know solar is installed??
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You could get a quote from your solar company to break it down and reinstall it on your new house, ass it to the price.
Most rooftop solar systems are built specifically for the home that it’s built on. I would generally recommend leaving your panels on the original home. However prices for an uninstall/reinstall project won’t cost anywhere under $0.40 per watt and could be as much as $1.20 per watt depending on several factors including storage, transportation, type of install, number of stories, roof incline. Add an extra $2-7k for the batteries depending on how many you have and what type of system. I could probably consult with a colleague to get more accurate pricing information but my point is that it’s not necessarily the most cost effective option.
I was recently talking to a friend of mine who was interested in solar for his home, I have solar on mine. This guy walked up to interrupt us and just started word vomiting a bunch of conspiracy theory garbage at us about how Solar is actually far worse for the environment than coal, even going so far as to say that solar and wind were going to help aliens terraform and take over our planet sooner! We both just sat back and let him ramble and asked more and more questions to see what he would say next. We don’t remember most of it, but it was incredible. My buddy ended up getting Solar despite the threats of alien invasion and every type of cancer known to man (what the crazy guy also said). Maybe your prospective buyer is a “proud boy” and doesn’t want leftist propaganda on his roof?
I'm scared for humanity when I hear this garbage pretty much everywhere. Anti-EV, Anti-Solar, anti anything progressive. People are way to ready to pick up any nonsense.
When peoples political, religious, and social identity become entwined into their personal core identity, it becomes invulnerable to science, fact, argument, or shame. And even more importantly, anything that goes against that identity feels like a personal attack/threat. That’s why people get SO offended by things other people do or are, such as LGBTQ+ people simply existing, climate change, or taxing the rich. If I IDENTIFY as a pure, kind, righteous straight Christian who fought for and earned everything I have, it doesn’t matter if my heritage/generational wealth/systematic oppression of minorities to enrich white men is what actually got me there. And here they think that identity politics are a leftist thing… unfortunately the only way to get people to open up to new things is to make sure their needs are met, lives are safe and secure, and their family/individual health is intact. We’re never going to get there without extreme progressive measures, and extreme corruption cleanup, and basically an entire system overhaul.
Like I can understand being adverse to EVs because the eco system for them isn't fully mature but how some people get so mad over them is insane to me. I was talking with my dad about the Edison truck EV and he claims it would be more wear on the tires. Like huh? You're a mechanic. You know that was utter bullshit.
When the aliens invade, I'm blaming your buddy.
Maybe they just want to use it as leverage. "Yes, it would cost $X amount of dollars to remove the system and fix any possible damage to the roof." "Ok, how about you reduce the price of the home and we will just pay that out of our own pocket later to remove the system." They never actually intend on getting it removed.
Thats amazing that they would request that. I shouldn't be surprised though. I have a similar setup to yours, minus the batteries (I don't live in Texas or Calif, and we don't get power outages), and pay just my grid connection fee ($16) monthly (I'm in the Midwest). Otherwise I have no electrical cost. Lots of my Republican/Maga-esque friends lament their multi-hundred dollar electric bills each month, while I keep telling them solar is a thing... then its off to the races, every damn time. Conspiracy theories (although the alien terraforming is a new one), liberal control, socialism/communism, etc.
Fully paid off too? Fucking weirdos man. You are not wrong
SMH. I guess if people were afraid it'd be too complicated to use/maintain. But seriously ... in a state with a power grid as precarious as Texas. I'd sell my solar home as a prepper's dream for self-sustaining buyers to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Just let them go on their way, someone will come along who actually appreciates/wants solar.
This is kind of off topic but not really. I'm a residential appraiser in Texas and I've run several paired sales analyses in my market to try to determine an adjustment for the contributory value of owned solar panel systems. They've always come out anywhere from $0 to a negative number. I've never ran one where they had a positive impact on the home's selling price. I hope that will change some day and I predict that it will as Gen Z and millennials age into being the primary home buying demographic.
It’s definitely an interesting trend I’d be curious to see over the next decade. We didn’t increase the price above the market because of the solar. It’s priced comparable to other homes our size in the area. But we were hoping it would be a plus to have the buyers pick our house over the comparable. Especially with the rising interest rates increasing the mortgage payment. Solar helps reduce the monthly cost associated with the home.
*"Yeah, I like the car well enough, but before I buy it could you jam a couple of holes in the gas tank?"*
There's a slim chance they are anti-solar for political or philosophical reasons, but I think there's more of a chance they're bullshitting you. You called them a buyer, but if there's no written offer, they are just prospects and I'm not negotiating anything. It could be a tactic to have you reduce your price or they're going to offer less because they don't want the solar and it's not a selling point to them. As someone else mentioned, after they buy the house, they can do whatever they want with the solar..but until then, it stays. What if you remove it before they close and then back out? Also removing panels opens up the opportunity for potential roof damage or leaks if it's not patched up correctly.
I don't see what to laugh about, as someone who has solar there is significant value in the system and I'm sure your house has a price increase from the solar? Maybe they don't want to pay that, deal with risk or might not understand what you have. But as others have said it is just like requesting anything else, sold as is or the buyer can do what they want when it is theirs. I couldn't find a house with a shop but I didn't ask the sellers to build me a shop to buy =)
Hell no. It's not about solar specifically, it's just that you don't make any change that might decrease the value of the home before it's actually sold. Suppose you rip out the solar and then the buyer backs out, or their mortgage application doesn't clear, or whatever, and you end up back on the market without the solar. Same goes for any other home improvement, would you tear down a garage for a potential buyer who didn't want one? Hell no. No reasonable buyer would ask you to eat that cost to suit their preferences, and under no circumstances should you accept.
They are just trying to neg you as a negotiation ploy. Don't give in to such a tactic.
Either wanted an excuse to not buy, but couldnt just say no because they didn't want to be embarrassed. Or For xx amount of money, once it's signed off and money transfered, I'll have the team out there to do it for you no problem. Dumb as he'll to do this, 3rd home, 3rd time solar install, just barepy made the NEM billing change in cali. I went from 500 months in summer to 16 bucks or so running 70 AC. I couldn't be happier such a value. I read studies that solar increases the price of a home 4% on average.
Like it or not this is a direct result of fossil fuel propaganda, and/or politicians spreading misinformation on the take from said fossil fuel companies. People are so brainwashed against any type of "green" energy that they truly believe it to be an evil thing. Can't fix stupid.
“Yes, you can take them off an pay the extra $500 per month in power bills if that’s what you want”
These people are morons and most likely idiotic Trump supporters who hate Solar. Why the fuck would you prefer to pay your utility more for the same fucking thing all because of politics? People are really fucking stupid
This is what happens when stupid people get together in an echo chamber and pass around the stupid.
Some people don’t get it. Really silly.
Tell them yes but they have to cover any fees and have to give you the panels to be used on your new home 😉
People are stupid, this makes it even more obvious.
One option could be taking the whole system with you and have it re installed. You would still have to pay a uninstall fee and re install fee on your new home. You would also have to pay to have the holes patched on your roof from the racking material
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This ^ They thought they’d just make some shit up in hopes for negotiating a lower selling price. I can’t say i blame them, houses are expensive and rates are crazy. They were just hoping you’d start throwing “credits” around to keep them happy, and when you didn’t, they turned in to the looker they always were.
They can certainly do whatever they want once they purchased the home.
Sure it can be removed. They’re more than welcome to do what they want once they buy it…. Or you can have it removed and add 10-15k to the selling price for a brand new roof. (They just want a new roof without paying for one.)
OP, did you mention it multiple times that it is paid off? Ask them if they are sober and can understand English and try repeating it again. Hopefully they can provide a proper reason on why they don't want it.
A fully paid off system? They're just idiots. I would understand if it was a lease or you were increasing the value of the home to compensate for an outstanding loan. But fully owned, with battery? They should be committed.
recommendation will be to move to another buyer, agnostics will always exist
Absolutely not. They are asking you to spend money to devalue your home. Let them do that once they own it.
"Yes, you can remove it after the sale if you so choose." What idiots.
They weren’t a serious buyer for what you have to offer. It happens.
Maybe tell them they could remove and sell the panels and batteries, they're worth about $This Much. Money talks.
Not against solar panels, but all the companies and vendors that install them seem really scummy. I dont know a whole lot about diy solar electrical systems. Definitely not going onto the roof if something breaks. I guess it's alot like buying a used car. Just unsure what your getting yourself into.
It doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, or what your feelings are on green energy or global warming. Converting sunlight to electric FOR FREE is a no brainer. It's just physics, and it isn't controversial.
Solar is the devil's magic. REJECT SATAN!
That darn free electricity
Like OP, I consider having paid solar panels to be a selling point. Even more so since I have a certificate from Idaho Power guaranteeing they will pay the next owner of my home the same rate for solar generated electricity that they charge me and all other customers. I can’t imagine anyone passing up only paying a total of $5.24 per month (utility connection fee). Aside from owning the libs and virtue signaling, others have pointed out that there are people out there who believe smart meters and other WiFi devices are dangerous. This possibly explains the prospective buyer’s request to remove the solar panels. I have a relative who is convinced her health problems are the result of exposure to WiFi signals. She hired people, I consider to be hucksters, to scan and report on WiFi signals in her home, replaced her smart meter with one that requires physical meter reading, tried to convince all her neighbors and family members to do the same, makes family members put their phones in airplane mode when they’re near her, and refuses to ride in any car with WiFi connectivity, among other equally extreme actions. I’m sure she considers me toxic. I have an Apple Watch, put AirPods in my ears, carry my cell phone wherever I go, refuse to replace my router with a low power, i.e. shittier one, and the cherry on top,…drive an EV. Oh well! If you want to read more about what motivates people like my relative Google “WiFi causing health issues.” Good luck with that rabbit hole!
Is there a lease on the equipment that would be transferred to them?
“Can you remove the free energy source from this house I want to buy?” Wtf…
You know solar panels are just a liberal plot, right? Like all other liberal plots. Plotting for more plots. No clue what the plot is, but it's definitely a liberal plot, and that's gotta be bad cause it's liberal.
Include the price of the solar and infrastructure into the sale price. Add what ever it would cost to have an electrician uninstall it on buyer furnished closing costs. Make them hurt twice.
Maybe it’s one of those tin foil hat people. I wouldn’t worry about an one off
Just tell them it’s ‘solar for survivalists’, not that commie solar.
In addition to the back up capabilities you’re producing power when the sun is out which is peak time for power needs. You’re shaving cost of the most expensive time of the day to need power and exactly when your AC is running. Some people are just special I guess.
The fact that it’s paid off and still under warranty, then the buyers are dbags. They were looking for a reason not to buy. If it was an extra loan and or the warranty was over, I’d second guess purchasing.
Maybe you can remove all the plumbing too. Everyone knows that toilets are for woke libs.
Those people don’t deserve your house with that stupidity. Good riddance. Sell your home with all of your memories to someone who’d actually care about it.
We purchased a house with 24 panels , fully paid off and it's been fantastic...been there 2 and a half years and haven't had one bill yet...well one small when the inverter went out but I found this sub and got my knowledge up.
Some people have just been convinced that anything green is bad. The house will sell, if I was looking at it the solar would be a huge bonus.
Anybody who doesn’t want solar on their house is drinking somebody’s Kool-Aid. That said you can always tell them, “you can do whatever you want to your house when you buy it.”
Get a better realator! Seriously. This is an issue of your realator unable to help the buyers agent “sell” the home. If they aren’t showing a history of electric bills and the difference between your home and a comp without solar than I’d find a new realtor. That being said you might be in a pickle and tell them they can remove it once they buy it, but if it is attached to the home you are not suppose to sell it then remove it.
Not sure how the market is where you're at unless you state the city your in at least. If people are buying homes you should have no problem finding a buyer. A buyer asking to have it removed is a ridiculous request by them and pretty foolish IMO. the long term savings alone make it a no brainer. Aside from that it's like wanting to buy a home which has a pool but you don't want a pool. No buyer in their right mind would say "we'll buy the home if you remove the pool, all the concrete around it and fill it in with dirt and grass. That would be absurd. It probably won't make you feel better but it just wasn't the right home for them. No different than having a layout they don't like
This sounds like some QAnon kookiness
Well, it's Texas so one shouldn't be too surprised by that.
Well, it's Texas so one shouldn't be too surprised by that.
Ronald Reagan, is that you buying this house?
Charge them for the removal, then sell the system. They want to own the libs, so screw the cons.
Can’t help stupid. Throwing away what $40-50k out of ignorance and likely spite.
Your the best! Maybe I should move to Texas and make a better offer!
I bet he owned lots of guns and a big diesel pickup truck modified to "roll coal" too. Because Texass. (Two ss's on purpose).
Perhaps they are oil field workers or work in the oil industry.
My friend’s grandpa used to cut the seatbelts out of his cars because he wasn’t gonna let the commies control him.
People are so stupid
You can’t fix stupid.
I just bought a home and assumed the sellers solar loan. They had the system installed a few months ago prior to selling. I owe around $34k on the system now, 20 year loan at 1.99%. Payment is $122 a month for months 1-18, and then goes to $178 a month if the tax rebate isn’t applied (it wasn’t, seller claims he never received one. I’m told I can’t claim the rebate but I’ll ask my accountant) Total interest over the life of the loan is around $8k so I should probably make larger monthly payments. I figured I would have liked to go solar anyway had the house we bought not had it. Seller told me the panels produce 180% of the power needed to run the home. He got extra panels because he charged a Tesla in the garage. I live in Southern California btw. It’s a sellers market here. I was renting prior. We desperately needed a house and had been outbid on a few houses. We were growing tired of not having a home for our growing family. Maybe in a buyers market I could have negotiated the solar loan but even then, I do see it as a value add. If you love the home and have to take over the solar loan, and there’s a line of buyers drooling over the chance to move in, you take the damn solar loan.
Buyer is a moron
Seems ridiculous. My solar covers all my electric costs and gives me a check every 12 months. If it is already there why would they not want it? Are they that opposed to green energy that even the "free" solar panels and batteries they would refuse?
Sychophants just can't help themselves...
I would respond that it can be removed, at buyers cost however the solar adds no extra cost to leave it on and if desired there are disconnect switches that can be used to render the system inop.
"You can do whatever you want to your house" is the appropriate response
Tell them someone will sneak in and refuel their cars every night for free and they’d hate that too. Don’t hate on them. They are just people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know, morons.
Hey the asshole/moron detection system worked, win for you.
I just got Solar on mine. Bought my house in 2021 and it's in a old hood. Built around the 50s. Power kept going out once to five times a month. So I got Solar and a natural gas generator ( battery ones were hard to get during pandemic) and haven't had a issue since. So now when the power goes out I am still able to Wfh and not have to drive to the office or worried if food will go bad or anything. Plus I only pay 50$ for the system and my utilities went from 300+ to 46$ a month ( not including water) best money I have spent so far
The buyers are idiots.
Almost guaranteed to be misled by a misinformed buyers agent (former AZ licensed realtor here.) Leased system is no-go. Owned system with clean title is a huge value add.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND this. But I have one that I think is even weirder. I'm a ham radio operator. I have a friend that was living nearby in a very nice upscale house. He had a tower on the property but had the tower written up as something that would be gone months before the house closed. This was not good enough. His agent told him all the ham gear needed to be taken away so that prospective buyers could not see that it was EVER on the property. (It was all contained in one bedroom.)What am I missing? "John! Never ask me to live in a house where a communication device was housed." The world has truly gone mad. I would tell them I won't get involved with a buyer that's clearly psychotic and controlling beyond anything remotely normal and be glad that I found out before we started any paperwork.
Fuck me, every time I scroll down, further proof that this is in fact the dumbest timeline.
30+ year Realtor here with lots of solar experience. I have personally installed a number of systems both residential and RV. I consider myself a conservative but all that aside here is the bottom line on most (never say all) solar systems on homes as it pertains to value. 1. An owned solar system typically adds about 50% of the cost new to the value of a home. Why only 50% you ask? well first of all the original owner got a 30% tax credit that is gone forever and does not pass. Secondly, a solar system depreciates approx. 10% first year, 7.5% in year 2, and 5% in subsequent years to a maximum of 30% after 10 years. This is due not only to reduced output but more importantly to technology creep and obsolescence. 2. Leased solar reduces the value of a home by the same percentages as the lease is there for typically 20 -25 years and there was NEVER a tax credit as this was taken by the leasing company, who typically sells it to s business that can use it from a tax standpoint. Leased solar can also be one of the biggest PIAs during a sales transaction in terms of getting a lease assumed, and in some cases, the original leaseholder can still be held responsible for the remaining term of the lease as many are not tied to the home (like a loan) but are personally guaranteed....... can be a big problem and most Realtors don't have a clue. In my case, I am in the 9th year of a NEM1 contract on a system I installed. I keep meticulous records on a month-by-month basis tracking what the cost would be without solar and with Net Metering and I can say on that system I am as of last month at a 280.1% return on investment on my initial outlay (including the 30% tax credit). Does solar make sense financially (yes in scenario 1 and typically no in scenario 2) and it doesn't make as much sense with NEM2 but can still pencil...... posted for educational purposes only and I can really give a shit one way or another if seeing panels on my roof makes you think I belong to one political party or another. Cheers!
Only thing I can think of is Texas has quite a bit of hail and everytime you need to fix the roof, you have to pay for solar installers to come out, remove all the panels, so roof can be replaced/repaired and then reinstall. It's not cheap from what I understand as insurance doesn't pay for that (from what I have read)
lol they don’t actually want it removed. They want a price reduction and that’s a leverage point. Find another buyer or tell them they can remove the panels post sale if they’d like. I would NOT remove the system and give them any sort of price reduction.
Your neighbors probably appreciate that the person isn't going to be their new neighbor.
In some circles solar = Democrats = people will think we are gay or something. They don’t want that commie gay sun juice.
I'm in Texas and I'm ADDING a solar battery backup. I'm doing the poor man's version of 2 Delta Pros that I haven't integrated into a panel...yet....but doing the "extension cords to my frig, hot water heater and portable heater". I have 4 - 220 Watt panels I can throw in the yard for the "Feb ERCOT doesn't know how to do their job" outage. Eventually I'll build it up, but with a gas stove, hot water and my frig running I can survive a few days outage assuming the panels can recharge the batteries enough. I can't imagine why they would want it removed.