Solar Lease Contracts Trap Homeowners in Unexpected Costs
Homeowners are struggling with the complexities and ongoing costs of solar panel systems. This includes concerns about system performance, unexpected repairs and replacements, confusing contract terms (like leases and escalations), and difficulty finding reliable installers and service providers, especially as local businesses close. The experience is often frustrating due to a lack of transparency and understanding of long-term costs.
SOURCES (60)
“28,500 for a 7.2kw ground mount system, 85% offset. I recently bought an electric car, doesn't reflect the new consumption, which would add ~500kwh a month. Paying 150 on average a month, new bill would be about 30. 10 year loan would be about 280…”
“Hi, I'm in Sacramento, California and under our Title 24 building code there is a requirement to add solar on new build ADU's which we are currently applying for permits for. There is a caveat that if your roof has less than 80 contiguous sq ft which has above 70% annual access for solar then there is an exemption. We live in an area with a lot of tree cover, my title 24 energy consultant initially told me I had a solar requirement, so I went ahead and started getting prices. Once they s”
“Charlotte, NC resident. My energy provider is Duke Energy Carolinas. My energy bills are skyrocketing ($304 this month vs $168 a year ago). Duke has been telling me the past two months that my energy usage jumped ~150%, but I don’t see how that’s possible in my small 1500 sq ft home with heavy tree coverage to the northeast. I’m guessing this is the new normal. Also, I’m wanting to own my installation outright; zero interest in a lease situation. Looking for recommendations for an installation c”
“Good Faith Energy 26.1 kw, 2 Powerwall 3's and 1 expansion pack New 400 amp service keeping my 200 amp main and 100 amp sub panel $53,531 after the HDM PPA submitted by /u/jshelk88 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve been doing research lately, unfortunately the manufacturers are being not super clear They list it as “lithium-ion” but then until you dig in it’s not clear if they mean lfp or nmc. Most places I see use lithium ion to mean nmc, but apparently not to the ups manufactures”
“Hello everyone, Anyone in metro Detroit (Oakland County) that has installed solar and wants to share their experience? I am really trying to understand if it makes sense for my family or not and would like to talk to local people that have already done it. I already have two quotes for low to mid 30k and was looking at installing about 12.9k kwh a year through financing the project. Current payment on average with the current dte prices is 260$. Appreciate any input, thank you! submitted b”
“https://preview.redd.it/di26kgcvmuch1.png?width=1914&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d95cbfb61662c7fe37e8c7422f3c8e0c8f405a9 Had claude update my report and make it pretty. Pulling in data from Home Assistant (it calculates actual costs from my real usage and historical time of day pricing) and then I manually update it with each month's bill + annual true up. SCE on NEM2. Original projection was 9yr ROI - mid 2023, I installed ~200% of my needs cause I knew I'd be going to EVs. Firs”
“What sort of prices post tax credit are we seeing? Hey everyone -- what sort of prices are we seeing post tax credit? Admittedly, I've have not been looking into doing solar until just recently so I missed out all the tax credit boom. Have prices fallen? Are they expected to? The best quote we have is on a 2.27 per watt system of 17.1 kw system (39 SEG 440 panels with Enphase iq8ac) in Ohio. No battery. Not going to lie, we have been hesitant to pull the trigger as the payback puts us a righ”
“Looking to order this 10.5kw system with one powerwall 3 directly from Tesla. I live in the south. And avg 51kw/day. Would this meet my needs? How would it change if I added an EV later? Any ideas on how reliable it is? Im concerned about downtime. No trees or shade and panels are facing southern exposure. Thank you in advance. submitted by /u/pmarchand1060 [link] [comments]”
“What inverter ill buy for this setup? I have 50w solar panel, 10a scc and 12v 12a Li-ion battery? submitted by /u/Alarmed_Cobbler9243 [link] [comments]”
“Something to think about, do you have to get a 220 outlet installed to charge them?”
“Quarter panels are expensive to replace. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s over $11k when it’s done.”
“I just came across a report ranking Fox ESS as the No. 1 global brand for residential energy storage. Before I dive deeper, I'd love to get some honest reviews from this community. If you have a Fox ESS system installed (or if you're an installer who works with them): how is the overall system efficiency? Have you run into any issues with battery reliability or the inverters? Is the post-installation support any good? Is it worth the reputation, or are there better alternatives out there”
“Looking to get this replaced and very interested to hear from installers on which brands should be avoided. Yes, the house has solar, but it doesn't mean I have to go with a heat pump (no rebates worth a damn from SCE). It's currently a 3.5 ton unit for the second floor (with 6 runs) so things can get toasty (vaulted ceilings in master) in the summer vs downstairs. According to the building plans it called for a total of 7 tons of cooling at 9 seer. The upstairs is a total of 1900 sqft.”
“I purchased a home with an existing ~6kw array and a dead older inverter. For some reason it was wired up at 100V which is too low for any inverter I see on the market. Panels are rated for 550V so I figured I’d just rewire at the combiner and double the voltage. i tested for ground continuity, verified the sub-circuits were fully isolated. When I wired up the sub circuits in series, 2 of the 8 immediately tripped an Internal disconnect I was unaware of and 1 circuit blew. the 2 mentioner above”
“How much equipment are you powering? You need to add up the wattages of all your devices including your ac unit. I have a WEN 6500 inverter that struggles because my ac pulls too much when it kicks on and I have a nearly 10000 watt predator genny that’s a beast but super loud.”
“Hi, I have a 6.6kw PV and a 6kw Goodwe 3P hybrid inverter (GW6000-ET-20). I have a quote for a 12.8kw Goodwe battery ( Lynx F G2 Series 12.8 kWh of Usable Capacity GoodWe 1 x LX F12.8-H-20) for AUD $3350 and the installer recommend I should add on a goodwe smart meter for $500 more saying it will be very useful. I am not sure how useful it can be. The current hybrid inverter already come with CT clamps, although not installed and I don’t get it have any feed in tariff. I do wish that I can charg”
“I installed a Sungrow SH10RS 10 kW hybrid inverter with a 44.8 kWh SBR224 battery, connected to my existing 6.6 kW solar panel system I am experiencing an issue with forced charging (grid charging). When the forced charging starts, the inverter imports power from the grid at the full 10 kW. However, after around 30–40 minutes, the grid import rate consistently drops to around 7 kW. Interestingly, the battery has no problem accepting additional power from the solar panels. For example, if the sol”
“Fundamentally, is it safe to assume that if PV is higher than Import, that I'm better than net Zero energy use? https://preview.redd.it/z8wq9txrymbh1.png?width=1510&format=png&auto=webp&s=f1ce72c84795834af1a754bab1ab8bf6492a766d submitted by /u/lunapo [link] [comments]”
“https://preview.redd.it/zj7or14h5mbh1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=764212fa249d85b250434ce9d8328d85296c28da Not bad for a partly cloudy day; it ended up maxing out at 62kW for the day. https://preview.redd.it/p7d990er6mbh1.png?width=928&format=png&auto=webp&s=23751732377bb687a7815d5573261d71cee27634 submitted by /u/NotInTheControlGroup [link] [comments]”
“I recently purchased a home in Illinois (comed). the solar panel was installed in 2023 and is fully paid off. I got my first bill - and realize that I needed to do some things to connect the solar to the grid (I had no idea of this). I just want to make sure I do it right! I know some rules changed and am trying to figure it all out. unfortunately the company that installed the panels is out of business (sun power). is the best thing to do to start with comed and ask them what I need to do?  ”
“I'm in QLD, Australia, and I gather that we have a maximum grid import limit of 14.5kW. I've set my new Sungrow system to "forced charging" between 11a-2p where I get free power from the grid. This is also when my hot water and pool pump run. So, as you can see here, on this day, the system was pulling 12.8kW from the grid - about 6kW load, and then a further 6+kW for the battery charge. I can't see anywhere in iSolarCloud to suggest that there's a maximum set - althoug”
“Details are 17 cents per kw/hr and 0% escalation for 25 years. Monthly payment of $147.32. Total cost for a system producing 10,399 kw is $44,196 Has anyone had experiences with ION? From what I'm reading, there are mixed reviews. One of the benefits of them is they are a large company so they are less likely to go out of business and leave me high and dry as far as customer service, etc. However, I've heard a lot of people had bad experiences with them and the PPA model has drawbacks. A”
“I'm working with two quotes that are near identical in size. Quote A: 15.4 kwh system with SEG 440 panels (36k) Quote B: 15.5 kwh system with Trina 445 panels (35k) Quote A company says Trina warranty claim service is hard to work with and often doesn't respond. Any validity to this? Feels like a sales tactic but I have no experience. The panels seem near identical. Any thoughts on which panel is superior -- because quote B is slightly cheaper and larger, although it's incredibly clo”
“My installers just put this on my meter box, however they printed a manual label that says "AND GENERATOR" on it. I tried looking for a more proper sticker that says all 4 but can't seem to find one anywhere? submitted by /u/B1tN1nja [link] [comments]”
“It's about 33C in the shade today. Our sunniest Hoymiles HMS1600 microinverter is reporting 79.8C. They are rated for maximum 65C ambient. It might be 50C ambient under the bifacial panel where the inverters are. Would it make sense to drill holes in our roof and route the panel cables to inverters inside the attic? It's only 37C in the attic. Probably not. These have a good warranty. submitted by /u/morrowwm [link] [comments]”
“Hello, I received a quote from a company in Ohio, for 31 Maxeon 350s for a 10.85 KW DC system with 1 SigenStor BAT 6.0 US + 1 SigenStor BAT 9.0 US for $38,927. I feel like it’s not a bad quote since the price per watt comes out to be 2.27. I’m just wondering what you all think and if I should shop around to find other quotes. submitted by /u/guttrhed [link] [comments]”
“Hello -- really struggling with the decision to go all in on solar. I've got a couple quotes, and the company we feel most comfortable with has put (what we feel) is a competitive offer. 35k cash for 15.4 kwh system. 35, SEG 440 panels and IQ8HC. This is at 109% usage. We are paying about $0.20 a kwh in Ohio. Thoughts on this quote? submitted by /u/cvg1 [link] [comments]”
“I have an 8 kW system that was installed in November 2023 so not quite three years old and it seems to max out about 75% or 6 kW. I will occasionally get more than that but it doesn’t seem like any sustained generation. I’m located in central mass. Maybe this is just what it is in this area. I’m wondering if there’s an issue with my system. For example, today, it’s been quite sunny out without a lot of cloud coverage and I haven’t peaked above 6 kW. Then you can see on June 27. There were spikes”
“Been researching solar panels as a person just now getting into solar for the last week with speadsheet use: cost, size, VOC...all the fun stuff from datasheets. And thanks to this reddit, I tried FB marketplace. I have a person who can send me Trina solar 565's N-type/TOPCon Bifacial (NEG19RC.20-565) for around $120 for total of 36 panels @ $4,271.00. After shipping tax, comes to $5,400'ish @ 0.26 per watt. I have 100' of vertical fencing that I will try these out with in a landscap”
“I had a new solar panel and Tesla battery system installed today. The installer said I need to wait until SDGE installs the collar and gives approval to PTO before I can turn on the panels and battery. What’s the downside if I turn on the panels and Tesla battery now? I have SDGE in SoCal. submitted by /u/brucejk2 [link] [comments]”
“I am not sure if it gets better than this but I got 53 panels/22.3 system size and I hope this is proportionate for the size. submitted by /u/Porkchopsandwiches89 [link] [comments]”
“I'm thinking about running inverter (when there is no pv and no battery) from the utility but not the usual way. when there is pv or when battery is being charged (or in power mixing operations) the Inverter's output is obtained from the DC to AC stage (which gets it's power from the DC Bus if I'm correct). I'm thinking of the inverter's Charger or the Ac to Dc converter to provide the power to the dc bus and use that DC bus to power the inverter's output. so”
“I've got a 50kWh battery and set it to charge from grid today for three hours. The inverter is 10kW rated, so I'm expecting it to charge the battery about 20% per hour. On most days I get roughly the expected 30kWh, or 60% charge, in those three hours, plus the 10% that is always in the battery (minimum beyond which I can not discharge). That's a percentage increase from 10% battery (SOC) to roughly 70%. But today, and a few days ago, the SolPlanet app shows me that the battery got c”
“Hi We use 50 to 60kw per day (run an airbnb downstairs and with 6 extra guests, extra air cons, fridges, guests dryer running middle of the night for hours and guests leaving air cons on constantly even when not home) plus swim spa heating. So yeah we use a lot of power. Looking at upgrading solar and adding a battery. In south East Queensland. So lots of sun. North facing. Proposal 1: remove existing 12 year old 5kw solar, replace with 13.2kw jinko panels, goodwe 10kw inverter (max we are allow”
“I have been having issues with connectivity between my Envoy and the inverters. Random disconnects that point to poor power line communications. My Envoy is plugged into an outlet on the main panel. Was thinking that I might install an outlet from the solar sub panel and plug the envoy into that. My question, is it possible to hardwire the Envoy instead to both phases of the 240V since there are 4 screws in the power side of the enclosure even though the sticker says only L1 and N? This is a Sta”
“We need a place to house the solar components (inverter, batteries, etc). I heard it is not recommended to house inside the house - we live in the Philippines. Our solar guy recommended that we build an exterior room against the house to house the components. Has anyone done this before? My concern is how to ensure there is enough ventilation. submitted by /u/cali_love_sun [link] [comments]”
“I spent ~$40k for installing Solar PV under NEM2.0 last year. I had turned in my application in March 2023, but it took a while to get actual installation and permission-to-operate going. The system became operational officially in Jun 2025. For every month I've been generating excess power as seen below. Bill Period Net Peak Net Off Peak Net Usage Estimated NEM Charges Estimated Total End Date Usage (kWh) Usage (kWh) (kWh) Before Taxes NEM Charges 07/20/2025 -270 -1263 -1532 -$510.27 -$524.”
“Inverter said 2.46kw before cleaning, 3.26kw after cleaning. 9:30am for the first reading and 10:30am for the second reading. Wonder how much gain was from being clean vs a higher yeilding portion of the day. Note all the panels were as dirty as that one in the first picture, I just cleaned them all except one for the pic. I also looked at what it was generating before cleaning the very last panel in that pic, went from. 3.16kw to 3.26kw straight after cleaning that very last panel. submit”
“Greetings. I have just discovered that for at least the last 2 months, my SolarEdge SE7600H-US system has not produced any power whatsoever. I have error code 18xB5. Which in the manual states "DC/AC in-stage over voltage, Contact Support RMA related". I suspect this implies that I need to replace my inverter board. In the SolarEdge Go app, I'm seeing the following data; Power: 0W Voltage: 244 Vac Frequency: 60 Hz P_OK: 10 of 26 Optimizers Communicating Error 18xB5: DC/AC in-stage”
“After 3 years of research, countless phone calls with Enphase, and working through 6-8 different solar companies, I finally found an installer willing to build exactly the system I wanted rather than pushing a standard package. System installation is complete and commissioned. Awaiting final inspection and PTO. System Specs: 23 × SEG-440-BTD-BG panels 23 × IQ8HC microinverters IQ Battery 10C IQ System Controller 6 IQ Meter Collar IQ Relay Kit Essential Loads Subpanel Manual Generator Interlock T”
“16 panel system was installed around five years ago. Got a notice on the app yesterday about abnormal output. Checked the panel to find the PV Monitoring breaker had tripped. Called the install company and they started a claim with LG and gave me three possible outcomes: LG fixes it remotely (is this even possible?) LG finds a replacement and they install LG can't do either 1 or 2 and issues me a check for $250 (worst possible outcome) If option 3 is what happens, are there any drop in third”
“With prime sale going on, are the Anker batteries and panels worth it? I'm looking at Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station with 200W Solar Panel, 1800W Solar Generator, 1056wh LFP (LiFePO4) Battery, 6 AC Outlets, Up to 2400W for Home, Power. I'm happy to pay more for more usage but I want to run dehumidifiers on a regular basis, like 4 - 6 hours at a time. Also good to have for emergencies as well. submitted by /u/Medium-Ad8849 [link] [comments]”
“Does anyone have an estimate on what Virginia rejoining RGGI July 1st 2026 will do to SREC prices here? They used to be worth $50ish and the last ones I sold (we had our system installed in August) netted me $18.75... so I have been saving them since I found out VA is going back to participating. submitted by /u/Skylake1987 [link] [comments]”
“We are considering adding panels, but may not be in the house more than 5-10 years. Normally we could figure that the energy bill savings would result in a higher sale price, but where we live the odds are at least 50% that the house will be torn down to build a much bigger one. Is there a secondary market where we might be able to recoup at least some of the cost of the panels? EDIT: To be clear, I am looking to be a seller, not a buyer. Sounds like I wouldn't get much for my old panels bei”
“Just a couple of happy central Minnesota redditors who were able to get solar installed for at or a little under $2/watt by doing their homework and asking questions. Material costs on projects like this fall in the $1.20/watt range. Less if you go with panels that are in the 390w-400w range (these are 455w). Planset, permits, and utility interconnection is about $0.08/watt. The $3 and up folks are spending way too much on the salesguy, their boss and the sales organization, and advertising for”
“Just wondering as I can’t find for certain if picking generation suppliers for their discounted energy rates would affect my overall price that our utility (UI) pays us as solar producers. Before having solar installed in October, I always opted to pick one of the discounted generation providers available to CT customers that usually saved about 2 cents per kw/hr. My utility pays a fixed rate for net metering based upon their prices including their fixed generation rate. I am not sure, but if I”
“I'm trying to figure out the realistic tipping point for adding storage to my setup. Did you make the decision based on strict ROI or was it driven more by utility rates and having backup power? submitted by /u/dzon1s [link] [comments]”
“Pulled a 355W Canadian Solar mono panel and decided to actually meter it instead of trusting the label. Set it out in full sun and hit it with a Solar MPPT tester. Numbers I got: - Voc: 44.3V - Isc: 9.4A - Vmp: 39.2V - Imp: 9.1A For a 355W mono panel that's pretty much dead-on where I'd expect it — Voc and Isc both sitting right around nameplate, and the power point math works out close to rating given it wasn't perfect STC conditions (real sun, panel flat on the ground, ambient temp”
“Good evening, I had a NEM 1.0 7.28 KW system which was installed in 2015, on a 20 year term. The panels are in two serial connections which feed into a Solar Edge inverter, through a 35 Amp breaker to the Main Panel. I would like to replace the Solar Edge inverter with a Tesla Powerwall3 with 1-2 expansion batteries, mainly for blackouts and peace of mind. Additionally, It is my understanding that Edison will allow customers to add up to 10% more panels with approval to an existing system withou”
“Can anyone help me out? We have solar on our tiny house, which is plugged into electrical as well. I’m not sure what it happening, however the voltage seems to cut out or not be able to switch between the two at night or when it has been cloudy. The output load moves between 120 and 90 V on the SCNE inverter, making a clicking noise while flashing the green light. It is also having problems when it is not plugged into electrical. I really don't know much about solar, so any help would be app”
“I am in Los Angeles and looking to add a battery to my PV system - 17 Sunpower (Maxeon) panels with Enphase IQ7HS microinverters and a Sunpower PVS6. Irregular roof, system generates max of about 41kwh on a sunny day in the summer. I monitor with Home Assistant. Main reason for adding a battery is the ability to go off-grid when the Big One hits - the San Andreas fault is apparently under the most stress they have recorded in the last 1000 years... I was all set on getting quotes for a Franklin”
“New solar array activated yesterday. Interverter is a Solis 1P10K-4G-US with 30xSEG 440 panels, all with Tigo optimizers. I have the soliscloud app installed and it IS nicely displaying the energy generation, but is NOT displaying any information regarding our home's load or what is being exported/imported between our home and our power grid. We do not have a battery. I have attached screen shots. My installer appears to be 'off' for the weekend, so I thought I'd try here for a s”
“Hi everyone, I recently had solar installed. I have 12x460w Hyundai (HiT-H460LE) panels combined with a 10kw Solis 3fase inverter that has 2 MPPT strings input. As my roof is east/west the strings are split in 2. The activation voltage for my inverter is 160v, but the MPPT range is 200-850. Now my system has never worked optimally since installation. In full sunlight it yields 20-40w tops. My theory is because my 6 panels yield a voltage below the MPPT range of 200v. As each pannel does about 31”
“I set up an appointment with a salesman with my wife and I to get some more info on Solar. I had never heard any rave reviews from my friends in Central California but my friend is an electrician and loves his system that has a battery and he told me that the batteries have changed the game. The conversation came up randomly and I thought "what the hell" let's get some info. We use Around 6,000 to 8,000 KW a month and the system is set up to produce 11K and has 2 batteries. The mai”
“Title. I had this solar system installed by Kuubix, who promptly went out of business. The microinverter hasn’t worked since nearly a year ago. Any suggestions for how to troubleshoot this or get it repaired? TIA submitted by /u/Philatangy [link] [comments]”