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Originally Posted by DJofSD
I had a sales rep knock on the front door with a cold call promoting http://www.vivintsolar.com/ .
The gist of the deal is, for absolutely no cost to me, they install their equipment on my roof and sell to the local power company the solar generated electricity. I get the discounted rate.
This works, in part, b/c CA has a mandate to achieve 33% renewable energy in the future.
Beyond the (to me) obvious questions about potential impacts to my insurance coverage or rates, what else would be prudient to understand about such a proposal.
Looks to good to be true. Where are the pitfalls?
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Looking through the link you provided I found this.
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Maintenance
Solar photovoltaic panels require little maintenance.
There is no need to wash or dust photovoltaic panels, but it is important to keep them clear of shade and debris. Anything above and beyond this is covered by your full service agreement.
Your full service agreement includes a full parts and labor promise for the life of your agreement. Should your system malfunction or break, we will send a repair crew to your home to fix it—for free. Minimal shade and occasional cleaning and inspection are the most important parts of your system's maintenance. The Vivint Solar service team monitors your system output to ensure it is performing properly and will help you if it's not. Most importantly, maintenance and warranty repairs are included in our service as a part of your PPA. Should your roof ever need repairs, the solar panels can be removed and reinstalled for a reasonable fee.
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Since they are responsible for maintaining and repairing the units, I can't see any reason this should increase your homeowners insurance. On the other hand I am certainly no expert.
They also say "Should your roof ever need repairs, the solar panels can be removed and reinstalled for a reasonable fee." The question is what is a reasonable fee. Will the money you save on electricity offset the "reasonable fee" should you have to repair your roof?
I don't think this is "too good to be true" because they are not doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. They are going to make money from the electricity they pay to the power companies, and-if I understand your post-they are not going to pay you rent for the use of your roof.
Solar energy is the wave of the future, but it is also still filled with pitfalls. Companies fall by the wayside all too frequently. I would say you need a lot more information to make a good decision and maybe a lawyer.