These days, solar panels are one of the leading, cutting-edge technologies in the sustainable energy field. And interestingly enough, the days when they were an extremely rare commodity are definitely behind us. In 2020, it’s predicted that more solar panels will be produced in the world than in the entire first decade of the 21st century. And if you’re one of the energy-savvy people who have them on their roofs, you’re definitely doing the right thing. But what can you do if you decide to move away from your current home? Don’t worry – we’ve got all the info you need right here!
Moving Solar Panels 101
So, you have a home that’s equipped with solar panels, but you want to move away. The home you’re buying doesn’t have those panels, so you’ve got a decision to make – do you take the solar panels from the previous house with you? Is this feasible, and better yet – advisable to do? Before making the call, think about these factors:
- Effect on the sale of the old home
- Location of the new home
- Rules and regulations
- Shade or sun
- Potential damage
Selling The Old Property
Before you decide to put the old house on the market, you have to decide whether you’re going to take the solar panels with you or sell them with the old house. And you should know that there are upsides to both decisions, so it isn’t as clear cut as you might think. For instance, if you decide to leave the panels in the old house, your home will have a sizably larger resale value than if you were to take them with you. People who are serious about a green lifestyle will be prepared to pay a bigger asking price.
Of course, it goes without saying that once you put your house on the market and sell it, you cannot take the panels afterward. In this situation, the panels are viewed as a fixture that was sold along with the home.
Logistics and Location
On the other hand, you may want to take the solar panels with you and install them in your new home. But in this situation, the location of your new household will play an important role. If you’re not moving far away, you may want to get in touch with the company that previously installed the panels for you. Then, ask them to take care of the removal and second installation at the new house. That way, you can ensure that your warranty does not get voided in the process.
Of course, if you’re moving somewhere far away, where using the old company isn’t an option, make sure you contact a professional local moving company like Small World Moving TX. Bear in mind that plenty of moving companies don’t want to deal with solar panels due to concerns over the warranties.
Rules And Regulations
Before you decide on relocating solar panels to your new home, make sure you inform yourself on any of the different rules and regulations for solar energy in this area. Talk to representatives from the local electric company and ask for information regarding their solar program. Particularly inform yourself about their policy on reinstalled systems; the fact that you’re installing the panels on a second home may influence grants or tax incentives.
Also, see if the electric company is open to buying excess power from your household, as well as the options you have for connecting your panels to the local grid. Apart from this, there are also potentially different state, city, and county building permits to familiarize yourself with.
Shade Or Sun
This may seem too obvious to mention, but sun availability is pretty important in this context. If your new property is filled with shade and trees, you won’t find the array as effective. So, if that’s the case, you’re probably better off leaving the panels in the old house.
If you’re moving the panels to a different state, you should also think about the seasonal climate conditions in your new region. In other words, if the area you’re moving to has a lot of snow and rain, that means less sun, and less solar energy, making selling the panels with the old house a potentially better option.
Leasing Solar Panels
Many homeowners don’t buy solar panels – they lease them instead. If you’re one of them, and you want to relocate the solar panels to a new home, you must contact your solar company first. Though that’s something you’ll need to do even if you want to sell the home – you still have to terminate the agreement for the lease.
If you don’t take the leased panels with you when you go to a new home, there are some complications for the buyer of the house. Should they want to keep the leased panels, they would have to apply for a lease themselves and meet the credit requirements of the solar company.
Additionally, there’s also a potential situation where a buyer would like to buy your home – but they don’t want to have any leased solar panels. That would represent an additional cost for you, as you would have to buy out the remainder of the lease’s worth before terminating the agreement and moving the equipment.
Conclusion
As you have probably realized by now, there are all sorts of considerations to make when deciding whether to relocate solar panels to your new home. If you’re certain that you do want to go through with it, just be sure that you’re dealing with a professional moving company that can handle such delicate equipment.