If you are purchasing a rooftop solar array, be sure to ask:
- What is the total installed (turnkey) cost of the system?
- What is the payback period? What are the assumptions underlying that estimate?
- Will I need to finance the array?
- Who gets the tax credits (the “renewable energy credit”)?
- Will I receive “free” electricity once panels are paid for?
- Does the company offer warranties on panels and inverters?
- What are the details of the service contract?
If you are leasing panels in a rooftop array, be sure to ask:
- What is the upfront cost of the system?
- Are there other customers in the vicinity with comparable systems? How much electricity are their systems producing?
- Who gets the tax benefit (the “renewable energy credit”)
- Can the lease be transferred if I sell the house?
- Does the lease company have the right to run a credit check?