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Man plans to leave solar panels behind in home sale, but DIYers say they're worth taking

"You're giving away free money."

Solar panels installed on the ground amid grassy surroundings.

Photo Credit: Reddit

After one man sold his home and planned to leave everything "as is," his grandchild took to Reddit's r/SolarDIY community to ask whether there was "any point" in taking his ground-mounted solar panels with him. 

Here's what to know

In the Reddit thread, the original poster explained that "the idea when he built the house was to have the place run off a combination of solar and a mini hydro electric, but it stopped working for some reason ages ago."

The OP then asked, "Any point in taking them to set up at my house? Or is it more hassle than its worth?"

Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit

Commenters gave the batteries a grim assessment, saying they were almost certainly dead. But users in the thread encouraged the OP to take the rest of the equipment. 

One of the top comments read, "I mean… the batteries are very likely toast but the panels and inverter are worth it if they're free." Another commenter simply wrote, "the mounting system could be useful."

A user even suggested selling the parts on Facebook Marketplace, explaining, "You're giving away free money, harbor freight sells individual 100w panels for $100! There are people willing to pay for these panels and mounting system. You could list everything on Facebook Marketplace for $200 and these panels would be gone in less than two weeks."

Others suggested checking with the selling agent whether taking the equipment was allowed.

For homeowners considering residential solar, some $0-upfront leases may offer electricity savings of hundreds of dollars per month, depending on their circumstances. EasyHome offers a free explorer tool to estimate potential savings and find vetted local installers.

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EasyHome also offers options for exploring battery storage alongside solar. Pairing the two can help households manage electricity costs and provide backup power during outages, depending on the equipment and configuration.

Where can I learn more?

Taking on someone else's solar equipment can mean sorting out ownership, value, and whether you can access its monitoring tools. 

• A new homeowner inherited a solar system but encountered trouble accessing system monitoring.

• In Pennsylvania, a homeowner questioned ownership of extra solar panels left in their garage.

• DIY solar shoppers questioned near-new prices for six-year-old panels and outdated IQ7s.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.

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