11.1 Buying a home that already has solar

11.1.1 The seller's solar system doesn't automatically save you money

You need to find out:

• Is the system actually working?
• How much did it save last year?
• Was it bought outright, financed, or leased?
• Even if it was bought outright, does the seller have the original contract, design drawings, and warranty terms?
• When was it installed?
• How long is the warranty coverage?

These questions matter much more than "does the house have solar."

If you skip this before closing, you can end up with persistent headaches — sometimes disputes.

So when buying any U.S. home with solar, always demand the last 12 months of utility bills and review the contract and system documentation. These tell you, qualitatively, whether the system has positive or negative value — and quantitatively, what that value is.

You absolutely want to see utility bills and the solar monitoring app. They reveal whether the system is producing normally, how much it saved over the year, and whether there are anomalous high bills.

We routinely meet new homeowners who only discover after moving in that the solar system has been offline for months. Utility bills normally include 12 months of consumption history or actual amounts paid, plus a usage chart for the recent month and year.

A bill plus monitoring data is to solar what the kitchen remodel and school district are to the home itself. The relevant question is never "does the house have solar" — it's "what is the system worth, positive or negative?" Don't skip the homework. Push the seller until they produce the documents.

11.1.2 What to do when the seller can't produce solar documents

Don't drop the issue easily. It's not a "nice to have."

Even if the seller tells you "the home price doesn't include any premium for the solar," you haven't won. A non-working, unmaintainable solar system can actively reduce the home's value.

First, there are safety concerns — when you don't know why the system stopped, whether water intrusion has occurred, whether wiring has shorted or aged out, that uncertainty itself is risk. Second, if you want to install a new system later, the old system can't just be ripped off — there's removal, transport, roof repair, and disposal cost. That bill isn't small.

So first, demand the most recent utility bills and access to the solar monitoring app. They reveal whether the system is producing, what it saved over the year, and whether there have been bill anomalies.

Also, if the system is still under warranty, get the complete warranty document so you know who is responsible when something fails, and exactly what's covered. Some warranties terminate when the home changes ownership — you must read the fine print.

Homeowner takeaway: when you install solar, email yourself an electronic copy of the full design package. It won't ever disappear. You'll need it for your own use, and you'll need it when you sell the home.

11.1.3 You need to know the install year

The install year directly determines the system's value.

For example, California systems installed before 2023 export at 1:1 retail credit — which is very valuable.

But that pricing arrangement is only valid for 20 years, starting from the date of grid interconnection.

When the 20 years run out, regardless of system size, a battery-less system drops to less than 1/4 of its prior value.

So if the seller's system is approaching the 20-year cliff, you should not pay any premium for it. In fact, you can argue the opposite: "this system is about to lose most of its value, and the cost to remove and upgrade it is non-trivial. Lower your asking price."

11.1.4 Avoid homes with PPA / leased solar if you can

Earlier chapters cover the PPA / lease problems in detail. Read those first.

If a home for sale has a PPA / lease contract attached to its solar, that system is a liability — it lowers the property's value and creates ongoing friction.

The clean exit: have the seller buy out the PPA / lease before closing. Then collect the post-buyout warranty docs along with everything else listed above.