Leasing V. Purchase
When transitioning to solar there are generally two options that a homeowner has: They can either purchase or lease the system. We only show homeowners how to purchase a system because it has more benefits than leasing.
Leasing v. Purchase:
Purchase
A typical homeowner saves anywhere from 40-70% on their electricity expenses.
The homeowner will receive any and all the programs and incentives they qualify for
When the panels are paid off the homeowner can produce electricity for free
The rates will never go up
Helps homes sell faster and for more money
Any excess electricity the homeowner's system produces will be counted as a credit for the homeowner to use when the system is not producing electricity such as at night time. This is the Net Energy Metering program.
Leasing
A typical homeowner will save anywhere from 10-30% on their electricity expenses
The benefits of the programs and rebates will go to the solar company who owns the panels
The homeowner will be stuck in a leasing contract where the homeowner will have a to pay a bill for the solar panels over the next 20-25 years.
This bill will increase each year
It's almost as if the homeowner has just switched utility providers because the homeowner is now just paying the solar company for the electricity produced by the leased panels
The contract makes it hard to sell your house.
Any credits produced by excess electricity from the solar system will be given to the solar company.
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It can make them money
If you produce more electricity than your home uses, you can develop credits with the utility company which can offset future electricity consumption. Some utility companies will also pay homeowners a check once a year for their unused credits (net metering)
You will not receive any more rate hikes from your utility company
Right now, utility companies increase their rates 5-10 percent every year and by transitioning to solar, the homeowner will be given a bill that is fixed to pay off the solar system while all of their energy needs are being produced by the solar system
If the rate hikes continue the way they are, homeowners' bills will double in 8 ½ – 10 years
After the panels are paid off, the H.O. can produce free electricity
This will make them close to $100,000 over the next 25 years
The H.O. will become independent from their utility company–a private company whose sole purpose is to increase profits.
It will help the environment
Solar panels are a form of renewable energy that does not use oil or gas to create power. There is no pollution from the energy they create. The amount of power panels can produce is only limited by the lifetime of the system (25-30 years) and the amount of sunlight they receive.
Ultimately, homeowners want to know how solar will benefit them and what they can get out of the analysis. There are times when some people really just want to help the environment, but the majority of people are only going to consider solar if there is a significant benefit for them. We must know these benefits.
How Solar Makes Homeowners Money
1. By transitioning into solar, they will no longer be subjected to the constant rate hikes of their utility company which will save them money every month.
2. Solar will immediately increase the value of the home by an average of $20,000. This is because solar is considered to be an improvement to the home. Homes with solar are also more attractive to home buyers because they know they will come into a home with a set electric bill instead of having to pay hundreds every month. You can even provide an example: "Let's say FOR EXAMPLE you are currently paying $200 in electricity. It is POSSIBLE, that after transitioning into solar your bill goes down to $100. Now, if you were selling your home, prospective home buyers would compare your house with the $100 steady electric bill, as opposed to your neighbor's home who's bill is $200 and is constantly going up because of rate increases. This automatically makes your home more valuable."
3. The government is PAYING homeowners to clean the air! The government has programs set aside to help homeowners transition into solar in order to reduce our carbon footprint. They will pay for 30% of your solar system in the form of a tax credit.
4. By installing solar, you have your OWN electric company on YOUR ROOF. No more depending on the utility company
