Solar systems are one of the most expensive and beneficial components of the home. So why are so many buyers walking away? It’s lack of knowledge about the system and fear of the unknown. Getting it wrong could cost thousands. We are Certified with SPRK Solar and gather the information needed for Realtors, Sellers, Buyers & Appraisers to understand if the solar is an asset or a liability.
Is the solar equipment owned outright, partially owned, leased, a PPA, or owned by the utility company? We provide a checklist to assist listing agents to market the home appropriately. Collecting information about the loan and warranties combined with a third party Solar and Energy Inspection encourages buyers and appraisers to confidently assess the solar home’s value and facilitate the transaction. This can save hours when dealing with escrow. Solar Inspections cover the performance, condition, and longevity of the system and its components.
Solar panels are built to last 50 years to collect the energy from the sun. Most panels generate between 250 – 400 watts of energy. Their performance is affected by extreme weather, shade from trees, attachment at the roof, and impact issues. A group of panels is an array. These arrays are inspected at the roof and in the attic.
Inverters are where the electricity is converted (from Direct to Alternating Current) to be used by the home or electrical grid. It takes 8-12 hours of sunlight to create 24 hours of power to feed back to the home. The two types of inverters are string and micro inverters. String inverters generally last 10 years. If a string inverter fails, the whole system no longer works. Micro inverters are located under the solar panels and can last 25 years. Depending on how they are wired, problems with a single panel may have very little impact. If each inverter is wired independently, only that panel is affected. If it is wired in series, the failure affects the entire system’s ability up to 60%.
Solar battery storage systems are also evaluated and inspected. Batteries store excess energy from the solar panels for use during power outages and nighttime to increase energy independence. Lithium batteries last 10 -12 years. There are typically 1 to 5 batteries per home. The capacity needed depends on the home’s energy consumption.
Energy consumption can vary depending on the homeowner’s usage. A single person living in a home doesn’t need nearly as much energy as a family of four. Analyzing this information is where the Home Energy Assessment portion of the Pre-listing Inspection is useful. The Energy Report is customizable so the buyer can change it for their personal needs, such as Electric Vehicles. The report will use past history of electrical and energy factors — doors, windows, insulation, and percentage of solar — to generate the average expected electrical bill.
These two reports and loan information take the fear of the unknown out of the equation. Everyone can make wise decisions about the value added by the solar system on every home.