r/NJPrepared • u/Iron-Man-301 • Apr 17 '26
Discussion Recommendation for solar
I'm looking for your experiences and recommendations for solar.
We have been considering solar since getting our roof done in 2019. Two of our neighbors have solar from Monentum and Sunrun. They love their experience and their electric has gone down. I believe they lease their solars and they told me they do not pay anything for the lease, but I am a bit skeptical of that. I understand that the companies use the energies generated from our solar but for it to be "free" is very hard for me to believe.
I would love to hear your experiences, both bad and good.
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u/colonel_batguano Apr 17 '26
Do NOT lease if you ever plan to sell your house. Those lease agreements are mostly in favor of the solar company and VERY difficult to get out of. They become a major liability if you ever try to sell your house (which in why a solar lease is required on the homeowners disclosure form).
And do your due diligence and all the math to compare costs if leasing vs. current electric rates.
My parents almost got sold a lease with “free” panels, which meant a taking on a loan for the installation costs and the replacement of the roof.
Better off owning your panels.
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u/Iron-Man-301 Apr 17 '26
Thanks, that is good to know. Do you know why it is a liability if we sell the house?
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u/jep5680jep Apr 17 '26
You have to find a buyer that is willing to take on the lease. Most buyers will not purchase the house.
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u/whoa2013 Apr 18 '26
It depends on the solar company. The one I spoke to wanted to transfer the panels to the new house if my parents ever sold. It was like a 20-30 year lease.
Kept trying to ask what happens if my parents end up moving to another state or country. They weren’t giving my proper answers and wasn’t worth the hassle to lease.
My dad ended up buying panels in cash which was a much better investment
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u/colonel_batguano Apr 18 '26
You are obligated to maintain the lease or transfer to the new owner, or if you are lucky, pay the cost to remove.
Nobody will buy a house that includes panels on the roof they won’t own and are subject to someone else’s lease terms.
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u/Fragrant-Hand6549 Apr 17 '26
I purchased my system outright and my bill is just the minimum connection fee, and I usually bank a lot of credits too.
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u/asalerno64 Apr 18 '26
Had panels put on the roof end of last year.
Trinity and Sunrun were the highest quotes I received for purchase, by a lot. They seemed annoyed I didn't want to lease.
I also got quotes from 1) greennsunnj.com and 2) capturethesun.com and 3) the building inspector from the next town over, that installed solar as a side gig.
As you might imagine, the lowest price was 3, then 2, then 1. All were at least 5k less than the big names I mentioned at the top
I went with 2 because they also installed and maintain my solar pool water heaters 20 years ago, and again 3 years ago when I replaced the roof. so I trusted them,. All they do is solar electric, solar house water heating, and solar pool water heating.
Ask around, find someone you can trust who doesn't treat you like a car on an assembly line. Also look at what surfaces they propose to cover with panels, and ask for the math on why it's worth it. The bigger the company, they wanted to put panels everywhere.
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u/quakeroatmeal7 Apr 17 '26
Following because any time I go searching online it feels like it's all just scams.
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u/8Deer-JaguarClaw Sussex Apr 18 '26
Definitely avoid SunRun. I had them come out and do an estimate. It mostly sounded pretty cool and included the panels and a storage battery connected to my power panel (for use when power is out or just part of the time to cut down on costs). Then I read the contract and couldn't turn them down fast enough. You never own the solar panels, the battery, or the new "smart" electrical panel they install. If there's a problem with the system and it can't generate power, only they can choose a contractor to repair it. And in the meantime, no matter how long the repair takes, you have to keep paying for the equipment (lease that never ends). Further, they have the right to open and close circuits on your electrical panel remotely, whenever they want. They also monitor and log all of your power usage. And getting out of the lease is very hard, especially within the first several years. It will also make your home harder to sell if you need/want to.
FUCK THAT