Wow it has been two years since I last posted an article on Home Solar Systems and since then a lot has changed. The most notable is the cost of entry that was around $15,000 for a average sized system. Today you can get that same system for free, or at least zero entry cost as nothing is truly free.
How is this possible that companies are installing system at no cost to the home owner. Well it has to do with a contract called a 'Purchase Agreement' which states that you will purchase a specific amount of electricity from the company who is installing the system and who are the owners of the system.
Some of the nice parts about them being the owners of the solar system are as follows. They install and maintain the solar system throughout a predetermined length of time. At the end of that time you have the option to have a new system installed or have that system removed.
We have recently decided to have a system installed owned and maintained by SolarCity. The length of the contract is twenty years at which time we can renew a contract (and get a new system) or have them remove the system at no cost to us. SolarCity will design the system, pull building permits, install the system and of course maintain the system for the length of the contract. In return we agree to purchase a specific amount of electricity from them/the system every month for the length of the contract. The contract does have annual increases that are spelled out in the contract so every year we know what the cost of electricity from the system will cost. Any extra electricity the system creates will feed to the electric company's grid and will help offset the amount of electricity we purchase from them.
Sounds good? Well see, we singed the contract about three weeks ago and are in the phase of them pulling permits. I will update the post as we get to the next phase.
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