Buying your dream home is certainly exciting, but negotiating the details of a solar panel lease from the previous owner can complicate the process. One first-time homebuyer asked in the r/Solar subreddit whether others thought they were getting a good deal on a Sunrun lease and if they should move forward with the contract. 

They explained that the home came with a transferable solar panel and a Tesla battery lease with 23 years left, and that the current monthly bill is $175. The owner had just signed the lease in 2024, so the buyout would be fairly high at $40,000, but they were willing to give a $10,000 credit. 

The interested buyer said that buying it out wasn't in their budget, but they considered taking over the lease. That also came with a few downsides, such as a nearly 3% yearly increase in the electric bill and the panels producing only half of the home's estimated electricity usage. 

"Should I not even try to negotiate further as I can be digging myself in a deep debt or is it reasonable with the price increases and current grid in Texas?" they asked. "Please be kind. I'm trying to make sense of all this for my first home purchase."

"Leverage the seller the best you can, but in the back of your mind keep your priorities in reality," one user suggested. Another advised: "Take the 10k and keep the Sunrun lease. It's a fair deal in the sense that you'll probably pay the same as you would for the electricity without solar and battery. Plus now you have home backup when the power goes out."

If you can negotiate a fair lease or buy panels outright, going solar is easily one of the best ways to save on electricity and hedge against rising costs. Plus, it helps protect your home during power outages, especially if you have backup batteries. TCD's Solar Explorer is a great resource for getting instant quotes, finding reliable contractors, and saving up to $10,000 on installations. 

Smart upgrades that slash monthly energy bills

Whether you lease or buy solar, several reputable companies can help you find the right setup for your needs. When you're ready to explore your options, here are just a handful of the benefits you can experience. 

‣ EnergySage can help you save up to $10,000 on installations by curating competitive bids from local installers
‣ Not ready to spend up front? Palmetto's $0-down LightReach solar leasing program can lower your utility rate by up to 20%
‣ TCD's Solar Explorer makes it easy to access exclusive offers from preferred partners

Pairing solar panels with an energy-efficient HVAC system can boost savings, and TCD's HVAC Explorer makes it easy to find the right system and installer for your home and budget, cutting energy costs by up to 50%. 

You can see even more savings by downloading the Palmetto Home app, which unlocks up to $5,000 in rewards when homeowners make simple money-saving changes, such as cutting energy use.

What's the most you'd pay per month to put solar panels on your roof if there was no down payment? $200 or more 💰 $100 💸 $30 💵 I'd only do it if someone else paid for it 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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