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Why Are the Offers for ‘Free’ Solar Panels Bad?

Ultimately, the ads for “free” solar panels are bad because they are dishonest. One solar energy expert even called them “predatory and harmful.”

Many of the ads reference a “new solar stimulus program” supposedly enacted by the federal government. No program like this exists. Although the solar Investment Tax Credit has been in place for over 15 years, the federal government has never just given away solar panels.

Other ads claim that the government or local utilities will “pay” homeowners to install solar panels. This is not true, either. Although electric companies in Colorado and other parts of the country commonly offer incentives to homeowners who go solar, the solar energy systems must meet certain requirements to qualify. The ads make no mention of these requirements, nor do they indicate that their equipment is in compliance with the standards used by local utilities.

Finally, the “free” solar panel ads also bury the fine print when it comes to the obligations customers are under after they enter into contracts with the solar companies running these ads. Solar leases and solar PPAs generally include price escalator clauses that can increase what you pay for solar with little to no warning.

(Compare this to homeowners who own their solar panels. In this scenario, you only pay for electricity if you are (a) connected to the grid and (b) consume more power than your solar energy system generates.)

Furthermore, solar PPAs and solar leases both involve entering long-term contracts with the seller. This can create problems if you need to sell your home; your options include trying to get new buyers to take over the lease or agreement as part of the sale, breaking the lease or PPA and paying a penalty, or paying off the rest of the term and buying the solar panels yourself (which may not be an option for everyone).