Solar Leases and Buyouts Cost More Than Expected

“Im a first-time solar buyer trying to figure out which of these three quotes actually makes sense. Rural property on PG&E on a well with a booster pump, gas heat and gas water heater, planning to add an EV in the next year or two. I currently only have one confirmed billing cycle so far of 1,043 kWh over 20 days in late June/early July, ~$442 for that cycle. Im currently on a 5-8pm weekday peak plan and I got 3 quotes so far. Quote 1 - Solar Optimum 22.54 kW, 49 panels, microinverters, 2x Te”

“Anyone here in the Sacramento CA area that can recommend an installer to replace a broken string inverter? Has anyone had one recently replaced? What should I expect to pay? Can I buy a refurbished model online and swap it myself? Thanks in advance It’s a Sunpower branded ABB inverter model # PVI-3.0-OUTD-S-US-A submitted by /u/Street-Yak2761 [link] [comments]”

“I'm seeing more and more people switch to solar and it got me wondering what's something you wish someone had told you before you got your system installed? submitted by /u/Far-Record_45 [link] [comments]”

“Quick question about grid-tied systems: Can you actually make a profit from them, or do they just offset your bill to zero? If you feed extra power back into the grid after your bill is already zeroed out, is that just a waste of money? Just wondering because right now, I'm completely off-grid during the summer, but I can't keep up in the winter due to limited solar and battery capacity. I end up constantly flipping between grid and off-grid in the winter, relying way more on the grid. F”

“I am planning to get solar in coastal southern California. We have a 2500 sqft home, 2 adult and 2 toddlers. Want to keep the house around 68-70 F year round. No electric vehicles currently but plan to have a couple in future with about 10k miles/year per car. We just moved in at the beginning of the year so our past 6 months use projects about 7500 kwh per year (estimating summer usage which is difficult given increasing air conditioning). We will mostly charge cars at night. Maybe about 10 per”

“Got my final 2 quotes. Solar living is 17.63 kw system (41 panels) (annual production 16,508)for $47,563 , $2.70 /w, includes snow guards on left side of house and critter guards. Green power energy is $48,510 is 21.07 kw system (49 panels) (annual production 22,100), $2.30 /w . Does not include guards and rep was highly against them; said they have a vendor that can do it for $2,600 (seems high). Both shading reports show a loss of about 30%. Both companies have great reviews though GPE has mor”

“Y/Y consumption: 6,230kWh Location: Puerto Rico Electricity cost: ⁓$0.30/kW Different proposals: A: $27,400 (Annual energy production: ⁓7716kWh) B: $24,822 (Annual energy production: ⁓7425kWh) Panels: A: Philadelphia Solar PS-MNB144(HCBF)-580W B: Sirius ELNSM54M-HC-N 450W I am not sure if the bi facial benefits are worthwhile or as effective. I believe production won't be a problem for either inverter since the systems won't use micro inverters. Batteries: A offers 2 different batteries”

“Does anyone know anything about Sunket? I had a meeting with an installer yesterday to talk about a quote and they were going to propose an array of Sunket panels. It seems all good and well, but the trouble is, I can't find anything about this company online. Looks like a Chinese manufacturer, which I'm not necessarily opposed to off some principle, but I'm more concerned that there seems to be zero footprint anywhere. The installer is local and well known - it's not like they&#”

“I’m curious to hear from people who have already gone through the process. Looking back, is there anything you’d change if you were getting a new solar system installed today? It could be the panel brand, inverter, battery, system size, installer, roof layout, monitoring setup, or anything else. Were there any upgrades you thought were unnecessary but ended up being worth it? Or things you paid extra for that you wouldn’t bother with again? Interested in hearing the lessons people only learn aft”

“I got a cold call from Spartan X a few days ago and (against my instincts) agreed to a short meeting with a sales rep about installing solar panels on my roof. I did some research into the company and PPA's in general beforehand, and was pretty sure I wouldn't be interested. However, after the sales pitch (and I'm not usually the type to fall for a sales pitch), it actually seems like a reasonable option. The salesperson was not pushy and answered all of my questions thoroughly. I ev”

“I have a v guard solar inverter setup in my home. Their app is pv hub 2.0 . But in the app it is not showing how much energy is consumed at our home. I checked my solar team, and they said that provision is not available in India and they are not providing that CT meter in India. Is this true? Has anyone installed a v guard solar inverter at home? #help #question submitted by /u/Hitman1sd [link] [comments]”

“We live in Northern Virginia and are looking at putting solar systems with battery backup. Our house is entirely electric, except for our kitchen cooktop and outdoor grill (liquid propane). We want battery backup for power outages (getting more frequent, thanks Dominion Power and data centers). The big things we want to be able to run during a power outage are a 4-ton heatpump, 2x 240v air handler, 25cu refridgerator, 15cu freezer, sump pump, 1 water heater (we have 2), the oven in the kitchen,”

“One of my number one goals when considering installing a solar array on my house was payoff timeline. I’m Gen-X so while I don’t consider myself that old, I realize I do have a finite time left on this planet. I’ve also lived in my current home for 20 years, and the possibility of moving out in the next 20 is very real. If I install solar, I don’t want it to benefit the next owner more than me. Well, it will definitely benefit the next owner more than me, I just would like to get something out o”

“Just had a critter guard added to my Tesla Solar system. I'm not sure they installed the rotak guard correctly. I was expecting the guard to go under the existing edge paneling. I asked the installer and the owner and they said this was correct. They had one other member come out to estimate the total length needed and I thought he told me it should go under. Has anyone else installed rotak on their Tesla system? This is the only visible panel edge right above my garage. submitted by &”

“It’s not inherently bad in most cases, it just begs the question of why? Do you also pay the electric company mid cycle to cover charges before they send you a bill? Do you pay mid cycle for your phone or water bill? Why treat any other bill that accrues balance based on daily usage any different?”

“dang you must live in a mild climate... laughs in montana winter. 1000 kwh in one month last winter since it was below freezing daily and below 0 a couple of those days. thermostat at 68 too”

“So not sure if this sub is the right place for this. But we’re ready to go for solar and we also are going to do a battery of some kind. My question is, I don’t know where to start but also don’t know if it’s ok to ask: “hey I’m in Austin who’s your solar person?” So instead I’ll say what should we look out for when researching quotes for panel installs etc. like I don’t know that I trust the kids walking up to the house claiming they’ve done “7 installs on my street last week” but maybe I shoul”

“I'm planning a 45kW install with all the bells and whistles, but only have space for ~15kW of south-facing panels. There's a very large north-facing roof with a 6:12 pitch where I can easily fit another 30kW of panels. I've researched this quite a bit, but can't find any way to estimate solar production on north-facing panels. The robot said "assume half of normal", but I'd like to get it a bit tighter than that, if possible. We're at approximately 45.5203482, -”

“How TF are you using that much electricity is the better question. And water and gas another $300-$400 a month on top? Are you secretly paying for all your neighbors utilities as well? WTH Fun fact, if you were in SoCal your bill would be about $1,526 for that much electricity. $374 is cheap comparatively.”

“Keeps creeping up. Almost $400 this month. Feel like it’s insane to pay almost $5k per year for power. Our water and gas is another $300-400 on top of this. submitted by /u/strikecat18 [link] [comments]”

“Hello All, Ill try to keep this concise. Got a quote for solar in Denver from Solar Power Pros this past week and we're having a hard time seeing the downside in going with it with a PPA loan. Everything I see on reddit is that PPAs are the devil, and I think I've covered all the angles I can think of regarding it but hear me out please. I have 2 other leads on quotes with Namaste and Sandbox Solar and waiting for their response but everything I'm reading seems like theyll come back”

“I bought a solar field recently from a neighbor - nothing big, just about an acre, and its about 225,000 kWh/year production, on 5 inverters. My current level of expertise is 'I know enough to be dangerous' and I'm still getting the hang of everything. He also has a bunch of backup parts that he's indicated he wants to sell to me, but its been difficult to get him to give me much additional detail on them. The meat of his offer is 6 SE 33 inverters, still in the box, and 1 more S”

“I'm currently looking to get solar panels installed on my house because our energy bills are insane and even a financed option is going to be cheaper than what we pay (even in the summer months). I went through EnergySage because it's easy to get some vendors lined up, and I have 3 quotes - Lunex Power, Viridis, and SGE Solar. I need help understanding these quotes because I don't know what a good price/kWh is and I know nothing about the panels/inverters. Viridis Lunex SGE 17 REC460”

“Hello -- I think we are going to move forward with a solar project with (38k for 39 SEG 440 panels and Enphase iq8ac). We are in Ohio with good net metering rules, but would like to plan for batteries down the road. I've been told by two installers now that it's probably best to wait on batteries for now, due to the net metering but also since battery technology is rapidly advancing and will make the cost much cheaper in the future. Obviously this is speculation, but it feels somewhat va”

“MODS: I think this is of interest to most folks but ... I just got the attached by email and I'm wondering if anyone has looked into the SolarEdge Nexis. I'm considering upgrading since I need a battery. Would be nice to just win the system but I'm curious about Nexis. The link takes you to: https://marketing.solaredge.com/-nexis-takeover-day https://preview.redd.it/a2973q9qk2dh1.png?width=465&format=png&auto=webp&s=e5d4c58343c4db8f71596800a0053e147d8afe2a submitted”

You're not wrong.

“If 8 must believe ai solar panels are a good mine . I want to get 12 kw with a 10kw diverter and 8 kw of batterees. Estimated time is max 4 years is this correct? submitted by /u/Recent-Loan-8544 [link] [comments]”

“I have room for 15kW on my east facing roof in upstate NY/US. It is well shaded by forest till noon, then clear the rest of the day. I'm trying to ballpark the total production for the year. If I can eke out 1/2 to 2/3rds(lets say 7500-10000kWh) production, I'd be happy. Ai suggests more like 1/3rd, or 5000kWh/year. What should I expect? I'm getting into solar with my company and will be doing the work in-house, on my house for education. I'm not terribly concerned with ROI. But”

“Hello recently had Solar installed 14 panels and 2 x 10kw batteries. Installation took ages. Final commission was poor. They explained but not very well. We are set upto Fox Ess. My main question is what do we do with the batteries? What's the optimum with them. We are with Octopus. No EV car yet, that's hopefully next year. Along with electric underfloor heating. So really we are hoping to export majority of what we generate. Which would be the best supplier/tariff? Lots of questions re”

“I am building a solar panel system on my land for my family and have settled on 35 375w panels rated at 13Kw. I don't really understand how everything else works, so can you tell me the components and what they do, like I'm a toddler? submitted by /u/Organic-Language-611 [link] [comments]”

“I already have solar, but it's a single south facing roof so it's easy. My parents (northern UK) are currently getting quotes, they have almost spot on north, east, south and west facing roofs at a low-ish pitch of about 25°. 3 of the 4 companies have specified panels on the north facing roof, all 4 have have specified inverters with 1 less MPPT than the number of roof orientations they plan to install on. To my inexperienced mind that seems really weird, but these are all reputable comp”

“For those who already had solar panels and added a battery later, what actually pushed you to do it? A bad blackout, bill shock, getting an EV, or just finally being ready? Trying to understand the real trigger point, not just the 'why batteries are good' stuff. submitted by /u/alpha_sierra1 [link] [comments]”

Its not very clean

“Before you drop money on a generator, do the math on what you're actually pulling — I made this mistake early on. That combo of a full fridge, freezer, fryer, and hood system is probably 40-50 amps peak demand, which means you need way more generator than most people think (and way more fuel budget than they calculate). I went through two undersized units before learning my lesson. Real talk: generator fuel costs ate into my margins hard until I switched to running off grid power whenever po”

“Hello! This is supposed to be my stationary offgrid solar system. I would appreciate if someone would review it or give me advice regarding the following: What concerns me is: Are polarized DC breaker 25A, 600V C type (yellow lever) and 100v Spd between the panels and the charge controller correctly wired? 2 . Is 125A non-polarized Dihool MCCB DHM1B-125 correctly orientated and wired? The top(line) side would look down to the battery and the bottom(load) side would look up to the solar charge co”

“Hi, I am getting a 12.8 kWh goodwe lynx battery. I am getting conflicting views on whether I can drain the battery down to zero for some nights. There are view that we should keep to 10% SoC and others say it doesn’t matter. I don’t have backup on the battery. Views? submitted by /u/SentenceOk8813 [link] [comments]”

“Hello! I was wondering if anyone in the PNW has heard of any recent discounts on local solar panels. I think it would be fun to find used ones from solar farms or corporate buildings, but I am not sure where to look and my research has hit a dead end. I'm also open to doing a pallet buy with others. I am only looking for 4-8 panels that are hopefully 300W+. Would love to know what y'all have found around here! Thank you for your time. submitted by /u/Dappled_Douglas [link] &#”

“I need to vent before I completely lose it. Trying to source solar modules is slowly driving me insane, and I seriously need to know if I am the delusional one here or if the entire industry is just broken. Here’s the situation: My balcony requires 4 solar modules that are exactly 172 cm long. The measurements are strict, and I can't just magically fit an extra 4 centimeters. What should have been a simple purchase has become an infuriating experience. Today, I have received the wrong size f”

“I’ve already decided to move forward with solar. I’m mainly looking for feedback on whether this system is sized well, whether the battery configuration makes sense, and if anyone has firsthand experience with the HDM prepaid program. Location / Utility East Bay, CA PG&E (Solar Billing Plan / NEM 3) Long-term home (20+ years) House Annual usage: ~19,600 kWh New high-efficiency AC Variable-speed pool pump Likely adding an EV in the next few years I’ve exported my Green Button data and modeled”

“Basically what the title suggests. On marketplace, I found multiple units of 6kW systems, with racks, that were used for 4years at a GM facility. They were professionally disassembled and stored for re-use, but the re-use never happened. Details of what is included in the $1800 below. What you get: 18x USA made Suniva 335w panels in excellent used condition. One complete set of Qcell FlexRack to hold 18 panels: - 2x 30' C channel - 2x 7' C channel - 10x 10' cross bracing - 8x angle b”

“Basically what the title says :) I am located in Los Angeles and am just curious what you guys think it will cost me approximately if I for example ran my unit almost every day? I’m new to all of this so I literally have no idea and just want to know what to expect my electric bill to be approximately. I honestly don’t use much other than my tv as well. I know this is a very vague question but I keep reading that they don’t cost much to run and I’m wondering how true this is? Also any tips are w”

“New to solar here, my third month to be exact. But my bill has gone up every month? I feel like I’m getting screwed. Someone help me understand what’s going on here??? submitted by /u/Ok_Arm_7222 [link] [comments]”

“I'm an electrician who's been working on a building-integrated concept for a few years, and I'd like technical feedback rather than "it'll never work." I'm intentionally looking at this from a first-principles and life-cycle cost perspective. Conventional building envelope A homeowner replacing siding typically has three options: Low-end Vinyl siding Basic insulation Standard windows Mid-range Fiber cement or engineered wood Better WRB and insulation Higher-performa”

“Estoy interesado en instalar un sistema solar para mi casa y revisando internet he visto que hay muchas marcas y pueden abrumarlo a uno, reviews buenos, malos, uno encuentra de todo... hay unas marcas canadienses que son muy buenas según he leído pero no se si se pueden encontrar acá en el mercado Guatemala. también me interesa a través de experiencias, qué sistema pueden recomendar y si hay alguna marca mejor que pueda traer de afuera del país, también me gustar conocer más al respecto, he vist”

“We put a 20kW system in last November. Just panels, no batteries. It has been running great. This is well more than what we currently need, but I have plans in the very near future for more EVs and higher usage in general (farm stuff, building a woodworking shop, etc) and I figured- might as well just size it for that, rather than go through the whole purchase/installation process again. We joined their Hourly Pricing program 5 months ago. Here are the bills I've seen since then. Only one of”

“After recent (2026, don't remember the exact date) updates, Android widget for Solaredge monitoring has become really poor. There's no "current home power consumption", nor the batteries current status. Old widget had all data in a glance. Does anybody know any alternative for Android? submitted by /u/FieriSentio69 [link] [comments]”

“Im new at this so forgive ignorance; Sigenenergy question; Potential tariff requires system to have a 'Sigen Sensor' - system being installed is a 'SigenStor EC 8.0SP'. Does the Ec have the Sensor installed already? submitted by /u/jnrjnrGl [link] [comments]”

“I've been looking into putting solar on my house, and the more I read, the less sure I am about what's actually worth buying. Every company seems convinced the brand they sell is the best. I've seen people recommend REC, Maxeon, Qcells, Canadian Solar... then you start reading about Enphase, SolarEdge, batteries, panel degradation, warranties, and suddenly it's information overload. For those of you who already have solar, if you were starting over today, what would you choose? W”

“I have a champion 11000 invertor, but I've only used it a few times. So far so good.”

Very good point, in hindsight I would have done the same knowing this

“So, originally I was looking to mostly DIY a solar setup. I bought a Used SolarEdge SE7600H and (Open Box, Never Installed) SE10000H along with a dozen brand new P340 Microinverters. last year. I was keeping my eye out for decent deal on panels in my area while trying to find someone to help me with diagrams and permits. Unfortunately I couldn't seem to find any help, and then I was laid off in Jan. While I was laid off I looked into racking and things I'd need, and in addition to the pa”

“I want a smaller system that will only power my solar. I want a battery to make the system work at night. Does anyone have a setup like this. I'm totally made to this new to this but want to learn. submitted by /u/Big_Sector_3590 [link] [comments]”

“What is up with the signaturesolarco.com discount items. They say you can get hybrid inverters and batteries for 70% off. This is from their homepage. They list the same bundle on their site for ~20% off with information on what you're getting. What is the catch with the steeply discounted items? submitted by /u/t2thev [link] [comments]”

“8.4 kW rooftop, PG&E east bay, no battery yet. installer sized us to about 130% of current usage since 150% overage is allowed if you're planning electrification. running the numbers on what to do with midday production now that export credits basically evaporate under the new tariff. rough math: exporting at ~$0.06 and buying back at $0.42-0.45 during peak makes zero sense if there's any way to consume during the day instead. that spread is like 6-7x. my shortlist right now: swap ga”

“To calculate this break-even point, my formula is: solar generation X (supply rate + generation rate + transmission rate) = kWh I did not have to pay for Am I correct in this formula as long as we have net metering? added information: The system is already fully installed and our net metering went in to production last October. I am wishing to calculate and add up what our production is currently "saving" us, so I can know when we break even point happens, not look 10 or 15 years in th”

“Like many homeowners, I have been relentlessly pursued by solar reps and finally had the time in life to start listening and run the numbers. I have listened to several companies and am down to two that I am considering. I'm in California, specifically serviced by PG&E, averaging $0.47/kWh for the last 36 months (high of $0.52, low of $0.35). I'm looking at two different companies and 3 different financing structures. I use 9,229 kWh/yr on average, though the last 18 months have aver”

“Quick update for anyone tracking this: SB 868 (“Plug Into the Sun Act,” Sen. Scott Wiener) has moved fast this session: • Passed full CA Senate 35-1 (May 20, 2026) • Passed Assembly Utilities & Energy Committee 18-0 (June 10-11, 2026) • Now sitting in Assembly Appropriations (suspense file, hearing expected August 2026 due to est. $200K-$500K/yr implementation cost) Key provisions as currently drafted: • Exempts portable/plug-in solar devices up to 1,200W AC from utility interconnection requ”

“Does anyone have any experience with them? Or with ComEd’s current net metering program in general? They are claiming they can zero out my ComEd bill by installing a solar system that produces more than what I use. But ComEd says the credits for power I’d sell back to them are only applied to the “Supply” portion of my bill and that I’ll always have to pay the “Delivery” portion no matter how much credit I earn towards the “Supply” portion. Someone is either wrong or blatantly lying to me. Would”

“I signed the contract last week to get solar installed on my roof and I initially declined any batteries. My thinking was that Ohio has 1:1 net metering, so while solar will pay for itself, batteries won't. But, today I looked at https://www.aes-ohio.com/your-net-metering-bill and noticed that the solar generation is credited against only the generation portion of the bill, not the delivery portion. On my current bills, generation and delivery are each about half of the bill, so now I'm”