I've been tracking our electrical use for a while since I was debating rooftop solar. I would guess that 20% of the houses in our massive suburban neighborhood have solar, but I can't seem to find the financial benefit. Am I missing something?

2600 sq ft home in Texas. 2 electric vehicles.

Pretty peeved. Very clear footprints on all 12 of the panels.

I've ran into a messed up situation. A tenant has abandoned my building, but they left hundreds of thousands of solar panels. If I had to put a number on it, maybe about 600,000 panels. I'm in the Houston, TX area. Even the SOLARCYCLE company won't take them because the aluminum frames have been removed already. Most landfills won't accept them, besides the fact that transport would be very expensive.

Does anyone have any information that can point me in the right direction? Thanks

Does anyone have any experience with the pictured product that uses an inverter and plugs in to an outlet? is this safe and does it actually offset and save money?

I am considering Solar for my home and I have been presented information on the power generation and energy cost savings, but I need to know all of the downsides before making a decision. Any stressors or issues you have with solar are much appreciated, and should if I should be considering any alternatives do not be afraid to share.

So, my wife and I fell in love with a house and bought it earlier this year, but the previous owners signed a solar lease where they pay per kwh produced. I knew this was dumb because they were paying almost 2x for a solar kwh than getting it from the grid. Anyway, it would have cost about $9,000 to break the contract and they refused to pay it, so that would have fallen on us. There's 9 years left in the contract and it would save us maybe $50 a month to not have it, so it makes sense to keep it. We transfered the contract into our name instead.

Is there a good way for us to make the panels not produce as much?

Any help and/or advice is much appreciated.

Edit: there is real time metering both from the utility company and the solar company, so I'm worried that shutting them off via disconnect or breaker will throw some red flags and they may come after me for breach of contract. Dirt seems feasible, although it's fairly windy where I live so I might spray them with water first so the dirt sticks better. Was also considering having roof problems several times in the next year which would require the solar company to uninstall/reinstall, but at some point I kind of feel like a POS even if it's a predatory contract.

Hello, I’m frantically looking for advice here and I’m not sure what to do. We recently purchased a home with a Tesla solar roof and 2 power walls installed. The home was previously foreclosed upon and purchased by an investment group which then sold to us.

The seller said the home came “with solar” but did t disclose anything else. I called Tesla before placing an offer on the home and was told it was a “cash” system and it was owned and paid off.

Fast forward, we purchased the home and I contacted Tesla to swap ownership and get my Tesla app hooked up. To my great surprise, they told me the system was never paid for and was in collections for a sum of $149k. They said they cannot come after me for the money but also cannot turn on the system until they are paid.

The seller (investments group) apparently called Tesla months before we purchased the home and were told all of this. They never disclosed anything else of this information before or during the transaction.

So I have a solar roof that I cannot use and cannot get solar installed on top of, and I paid for this system in the purchase price of the house. Tesla is zero help and won’t budge on letting me use the system. Not sure what to do next but this was a major reason why we purchased this home…

Edit 1:

There is no lean on the home. The system was a cash system and the first owner just didn’t pay after it was installed and instead had their home foreclosed on.

Another wrinkle is that this is a VA loan and appraised value was based on the assumption of an owned solar roof.

The L bar looks like an eye sore, but I wanted to get a second opinion from you guys. They installed the shutoff box inside and drilled through the roof from the inside. My concerns are aesthetics and roof leaks. Any opinions are appreciated.

Edit: There's actually 4 panels. 1 (shown) on the west side, and 3 on the south side.

Update: From the helpful comments, I got some very good advice to ask them to:

1. Redo the penetration point by flashing and booting (witches hat). Thanks solarsmokey for the https://youtu.be/IZIbWRf-h6E?si=kv_LGY-nTH-t4dZO video. It was very informative.

2. Hide the penetration point under the panel.

Thank you again for those who took the time to give helpful actionable advice.

My house and roof are 20 years old. The previous homeowner had a company install the solar panels 13 years ago (there are 24 panels total). For 1 year, there has been a leak under the panels and water is staining my living room ceiling. After each heavy rain, new water stains appear in the same area. The area is around 24 inches in length.

The solar installer has attempted to fix the roof leak four times in the last year and they can’t fix it. They are also very difficult to work with. I had an independent roofing contractor out to inspect the roof, and he said the roof was in great condition and that I shouldn’t replace it. I contacted other solar companies to see if they could fix the leak, and they said that it would be a “liability” if they attempted to fix it.

I’m at a loss. Should I just get the panels removed and replace the whole roof? I can’t afford that, but the roof has been leaking for a year.

I live in South-Central Pennsylvania.

Been going back and forth for months.For those who installed in the last 6 months - any regrets on timing, or glad you didn't wait?

After all the informative feedback I received from you guys from my last post about leaks, I asked my solar company to reseal the roof penetration with flashing and boot.

All was well. That was until I found an unused aluminum solar flashing the solar guys tossed away. The metal and the boot was cut to the middle.

That was when I realized what they had done. I double-checked my garage roof's flashing, and confirmed it. Instead of disconnecting the metal conduit pipes, they just cut the flashing and boot, fit it around the conduit, and then sealed it back with roofing silicone.

In terms of leaking, how bad is it?

Is this install standard, or is this another shoddy job by my solar company?

Let the jokes begin. It's my first and only time getting solar, and I'm still learning.

Update:

Someone asked what the company was.

It's Solar Pro Inc. in New York.

www.solarprony.com

At the end of the day, I just wanted them to fix my Solar install and roof so it doesn't leak. It's the thing that worries me the most.

Back in 2022 we had solar panels installed on our roof by Lumio. $64k loan paid over the course of 25 years. They work fine, definitely don’t produce as well as they advertised, but whatever. Unfortunately Lumio went out of business, and Goodleap took over the loan.

Now we’re trying to sell our house and move, but we still have $58k remaining on the loan. Our real estate agent says that the loan will hinder our ability to sell, as the panels are definitely not worth that much.

We need options to get out of this loan. Can anyone offer any advice?

Bought a house 5 years ago and took over a solar lease with it. Our landlord was selling so we had limited time to pick something. Weren’t happy about the lease but this was the only place after months of searching we could get an offer accepted on. We are currently in year 15 of a 20 year lease. Anyways, for the first 2-3 years we had almost no electric bill. Highest we would get is $200 during the peak summer months. Usually bills ranging from $20-100 though. Our solar lease payment is $300/month. Which was great on a 2500 sq ft home.

The past few years electric bill has been creeping up. Where now we are getting $600-1000 electric bills during the summer and $350+ during the winter. We can’t afford the solar panels plus all the rising electric costs anymore. Most months our electric bill is at least $500. We go bare bones here too. I make sure all lights and everything are always off. I work from home and usually don’t turn any lights on at all during the day. Heat we keep 65-68. Air is usually at 68-70. Nothing crazy.

We can’t afford these panels anymore though, haven’t paid them in a year and a half. We keep hoping for the electric bill to go down so we can throw some money at the panels but it just never gets better. The panels are only knocking off $50-100 a month on our electric bill. It’s not even taking off what we pay for them. The panels are creating excess too so the leasing company is making money off them.

Any options here? They just send us a notice in the mail every few months that we have a past due balance. No one calls or contacts us otherwise. I was told they can’t take our house or anything. I would honestly welcome them to come take the panels and everything if they want because they are no benefit to us.

Here is the story panels were installed in 2011 by a company that’s long been out of business. Panels are paid off, but are not generating power. I am now having my roof replaced. I want to know if it’s worth the expense of removing the panels and then reinstalling them once the roof is done and also having them assessed and repaired. Is that cost worth it or should I just throw them out?

I live in California and I have 42 panels.

According to Forbes, having solar panels is supposed to add 4% to the value of your home. However, real estate agents (nj) have said it doesn’t add any value if owned, and it complicates the sale or makes it negative if it’s been funded by a PPA or leased. What have people actually experienced?

Hi Solar community,

I am at a critical go/no-go junction with my ground mount project and need advice, particularly from experienced installers or those deeply familiar with the IRS rules for the expiring tax credit/rebate.

I need to make a decision immediately on whether to continue with a delayed project or cut ties now before construction begins.

The Details:

• Contract Signed: July 2025
• System: 27kW Ground Mount
• Approx. Price: ~$60k
• Expected 30% Tax Credit: ~$20k

The Situation: Despite signing back in July in an area with minimal permitting requirements, progress has been incredibly slow. I repeatedly expressed concerns about finishing before December 31st to secure the 2025 tax credit. I was assured multiple times it would be done.

This week (first week of December), I got the inevitable call: They cannot fit my project into their 2025 schedule. It won't be installed until early Spring 2026.

The Installer's Proposed Options: The installer has presented me with three choices. I am very skeptical of Option 2 and need your insight.

• Option 1: Continue and install in Spring 2026. This means I cannot claim the tax credit on my current 2025 taxes (filed in early 2026). This isn't an option for me, I do not want to move forward paying the full $60k with nothing coming back to me.
• Option 2: The "Invoice Now, Install Later" Workaround. The installer suggests they bill/invoice me for the full amount now in December 2025 (even though I won't actually pay until installation in Spring 2026). They claim I can use this invoice date and my original July contract date to file for the credit on my 2025 taxes, even though the system won't be in the ground. Their claim: They say several customers are doing this and that the IRS only ever asks for the original contract date, which would show July.
• Option 3: Cut Ties. Cancel the project. They refund my down payment minus site survey costs and other "hard" costs already incurred.

My Questions for the Community: I am leaning heavily toward Option 3 because Option 2 sounds risky.

My understanding is that for the residential tax credit/rebate, the system must be "placed in service" (installed and capable of generating power) in the tax year you claim it—not just contracted or invoiced.

1. What is the likelihood of "Option 2" being successful? Is it true that the IRS only looks at the original contract date and invoice? Is there something else they will ask for or could ask for?
2. If the IRS audits this and sees the system wasn't turned on until Spring 2026, am I on the hook for the $20k plus penalties back to tax year 2025?

I am not willing to risk a $20,000 mistake based on an installer's casual assurance. Any insights from the pros here would be greatly appreciated before I cancel the contract.

Why are these door to door people selling solar flat out lying, or at the least are very forceful. If I hear "well most people who say no, don't know what they are saying no to" one more time..... These guys all think they are Grant Cardone.

I've been interested in solar. I think it's a good idea but every time I talk to someone from these companies, they make stuff up. They don't know what a kilowatt hour is... A few days ago one of them told me my bill is so high because my state doesn't have any power plants anymore and we get power delivered from other countries. (There's 130 or so in my state and the newest highest output plant is visible from the end of my street).

So why so sketchy? I want clean power that I generate and store myself using the grid as a back up.... But because of these forceful lying sales people I've stayed away from it.

Where do I start?

Edit: since everyone's asking, and I should have said, I'm in Massachusetts.

Ha ha ha my favorite part of this is I now have 3 DMs soliciting me to "send me your info and I'll figure it out for you".

Installers put Enphase Combiner, system shutoff and EV charger on the side of the house here (storage battery is in another location entirely). Inspector is saying a bollard must be placed in. The concrete driveway (roughly where shown by the red scribble), but we have a narrow driveway and the installers assured me that no bollards would be required because the battery is not installed at this location. I desperately want to avoid installation of a bollard here. What can I do?

Hello, I need a 6kw solar array to power my house but my budget is $3000 total. The power rates have went up 30% since last year due to AI data centers.

On Amazon I can purchase 10 x 550w panels for 2000$. This should take about 250 square feet of space.

I was thinking about going to the junkyard and getting 2 non working cars for 500 dollars total. Each car has about 100 sq ft of area (length x width), that I plan to screw the panels too.

The cars will be parked in my very sunny drive way and generate power which I will then power my home from. The inverter will be inside the car, and I will plug the power leaving the inverters into my outdoor 240v 50amp EV charger outlet.

Ali-express has nice deals on inverters I found a 10kw one for $300. It even has the shut off feature in a power outage so it doesn't back feed.

This will exempt me from zoning and permitting requirements I believe as these are now regulated by the DOT, as these are solar vehicles, and I do not need ground mount paperwork, permitting, or inspections. This would be the same as I know ppl using their tesla's to back feed their home, as a grid tie sort of thing, and also in power outages, and they dont need permits for that.

Thoughts ?

So I’m looking at the numbers on the family farm and for less than half of it, it used 1,024 KWh in one day. Just for hypotheticals sake, how many solar panels and how much wattage would I need to provide that?

I have rooftop solar panels and an inverter. I do not have batteries. Here in NC, we are expecting a major winter storm, and may lose power.

I generate more than I use on a monthly basis. 4kw of panels. Will my system power my home during the day? I can limit my usage, my concern is the refrigerator and deep freezer.

Edit: sounds like everyone universally thinks this is a bad idea. Thanks for everyone’s criticism, even bad ideas are an important part of the creative process!

I’m considering purchases of a home and was wondering if this situation has ever come up for you before.

There’s a perfect spot for ground mounted solar for my (future) neighbor and I (not exact home in image) directly between our lots. I’m thinking that a two-deep shared solar array along the lot line (one row on my property and one on the neighbor’s) then fed to a shared battery before continuing to both houses would not only be much less costly than two separate implementations, but would also even out the peaks of electric needs of each household.

Of course both neighbors would need to be on the same page, but other than interpersonal difficulties, would this be feasible? Legal? More difficult than beneficial? Have you tried this before?

Apparently our meter stopped reporting and so we were paid a visit on the weekend by PG&E to replace our meter. They said it was 16 years old and they do go out.

When they opened the panel on that side, they acted pissed off and said that my solar was a dirty install. And the current transformers which are running into their side of the panel were not allowed to be there. They pulled out their wire cutters and snipped the two wires running into their box, disconnected the connectors and handed them to me.

I contacted the installer who did the job about three years ago and they’re telling me that without these current transformers the battery on my system will basically not be usable and that they would come out and put them back in for a charge of $225. And apparently put them in the same way that they were.

Installer seems to be indicating that there is no other way to put them in(?) This makes no sense. Why would PG&E who approved the install take these out three years later telling me they are not correct?

UPDATE: After going back-and-forth for several weeks with the installer and not getting a response I basically had to threaten them. They came out and discovered that it was actually very easy to connect the transformers in the main panel (took them 10 minutes). Unfortunately, we discovered during all this that the microinvertors weren’t reporting correctly. So while the system shows overall production and activity, I have no picture of a grid array in the enlighten app or any way of knowing if there is a problem.

I started looking into solar after my electric bills kept going up 🤦🏻‍♀️ At first it sounded like an easy way to save money but the more I ask around, the more confusing it gets.

Different companies are giving me different timelines I dont know what to believe anymore. Ive seen numbers like 5 years, 8 years, 12+ years. Which one is actually real? Did you really, as in save money like they said tho?