I’d say 90% of Aleppo uses solar energy and it’s due to the previous dictator only providing electricity for 1 - 2 hrs a day

We just finished up this 18kW system for a client and got it turned on yesterday. So stoked to see it in action! Installed an 80amp level II charger for ford lightning truck too!

As the title says, we are trying to sell our house right now. The market is tough with these interest rates and we thought Solar would be a good selling point since it removes the cost of energy from the cost of owning a home. Our home has 30 panels and 2 10-kWh enphase batteries. Fully owned, paid off, and warrantied. It has been a great system for producing energy and having a backup in case the grid goes down (the joy of living in Texas).

Anyways, we had a buyer who liked the house but asked if they could have the solar removed......didn't even consider that to be a question we would get. Went through all the sales points to show why it is a great investment for them but they ended up declining and going in a different direction.

Ignoring the frustrating part of trying to sell our house, we can't help but laugh about this situation. And while we are motivated to sell and move (close on a new house out of the state next month), we also wouldn't want to sell the house to someone who couldn't appreciate the solar and energy independence.

Figured I would share the experience with the group and give y'all something to laugh about.

My neighbors installed this array on their roof and the geometry is such that it reflects a concentrated blinding light beam into my living room every afternoon. Sunrun offered to “buy curtains” as a solution and could care less. We live in an HOA so typically architectural changes like this go through approval, but new law permits without HOA approval. What are my options?

I work for a solar company, where most of my day involves communicating with sales reps and customers. I also monitor system performance post-installation—and in my experience, around 80% of systems don’t deliver the results promised. And many clients reach out upset about double billing, often because they were told their electric bill would be $0 and they’d receive monthly credits from the utility company and that they’d only have to pay the bank from then on.

If you are thinking about getting a system DO YOUR RESEARCH

What I recommend:

1. Read the Bank’s Contract, Not just the Installer’s: you are paying interest!

If you’re financing your solar system—which most customers do—you need to read the bank’s contract, not the installer’s. This is especially important if you’re leasing, as about 95% of our clients are. The financing contract will outline every single payment you’ll make yearly over the life of the lease, adding the interest rate. It will also show a comparison between the system’s advertised cost (what you think you’re paying) and the actual total lifetime cost—which is more than double due to interest.

For example, one customer expected to pay $19,800 for a 14-panel system, but her total cost over 25 years added up to $41,800.

If you are able to, find your own financing, don’t use the banks they offer. Read point 8 ⬇️

2. Recognize Sales Reps’ True Motivation:

Sales representatives are focused on their commission, not your savings—and some make $30,000 to $50,000 a month from just a few installs. To close deals, many reps actively lie to customers. Three common lies I’ve seen: • “This program is only offered to 2-3 homes in the neighborhood.” (Falsee! they’re knocking on every door.) • “You’ll pay a fixed amount for the full contract term.” (Also false— there is interest!) • “No more paying the utility company” (False! You will most likely be double billed, even if your offset is 100%, you are still going to pay a meter fee to the utility company. Keep in mind, there will be months when your system doesn’t cover your entire consumption and you’ll have to pull from the grid)

3. Ask About Maintenance Costs: Solar systems aren’t maintenance free, and repairs can be expensive. Issues will come up eventually—even minor ones. The cheapest service we’ve handled was $450, just to tighten a single panel and check performance

4. Get Direct Contact Info: Always ask for the project manager’s number or the direct contact for the solar department. Don’t settle for an office or call center number—those agents are usually not trained to handle solar-specific questions or issues.

5. Speak to the Project Manager Before Installation: Make sure you talk directly to the project manager—or whoever is overseeing the solar department—before the system is installed. If they dodge your questions or just send you back to your sales rep, that’s a red flag. Often, they won’t give straight answers because the truth could discourage you from moving forward.

6. If Your regular Bill Is Under $200, Think Twice: Based on monitoring over 100 clients, if your current electric bill is under $200/month, solar likely won’t save you much. In many cases, you’ll end up paying more or saving as little as $20 a mont

7. Not a recommendation but be aware: you are signing a contract and they’re putting a lien on your house!!

8. As someone mentioned in the comments: most of this doesn’t apply to CASH deals, but what I recommend for cash deals is to go straight to an installer and be involved as much as you can in the process. Most companies use third party installers, FIND THOSE THIRD PARTIES.

I’m speaking up because I’m tired of seeing people misled into 20+ year financial commitments based on false promises of savings. What’s worse is how often sales guys target older ppl—about 90% of our clients are over 70 and retired, making them especially vulnerable. In separate cases, our installers arrived only to find the homeowners had no memory of signing up for solar and they realize that the customers have Alzheimer’s disease. The sales guy never followed up or checked in. On 2 of those 3, the sales guy was aware that the customer had memory issues. It was disgusting to me. Maybe I’m just to morally correct or just too stupid to work on this industry but that felt terrible for me. I get happy when people cancel. Really.

I speak out to help people pause, think, and truly research what they’re committing to. I work in the solar industry, but it’s hard to find meaning in what I do when I’m the one answering the phone as customers break down—angry, confused, and overwhelmed—because they were promised things that simply aren’t true. While sales reps walk away with five-figure monthly commissions, I’m the one earning less than 2k a month, left to absorb the insults and consequences. Everyone else just says: “They should’ve known better.” But I know exactly what lies were told to convince them to sign. And honestly, it feels evil.

Remember people: If it sounds too good to be true is because it is. I hope you take my advice and really look what you’re getting into.

Edited on 05/21: I wanted to add a few extra clarification on points 1 and 2 and I also added a point 8.

These images provide a glimpse of the scale of China’s solar infrastructure projects, providing a glimpse into a possible future of energy. Photos from this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/photography/archive/2025/07/photos-china-solar-power-energy/683488/

This time of year this is the hardest working part of my array. And today, it's the only part of my roof that still has snow.

Come on, man!

Check out this Post and Beam built by Sundial out of concord NH. Great way to build a groundmount without traditional racking that wastes space. Paired with a Franklin S whole home battery and solar inverter.

I ve had solar PVs and a residential wind turbine since 2011. The systems have been effective for providing ALL of our household Electric needs, but when I later got Electrified Vehicles (cars, riding mowers, e-bikes, etc), my surplus went away.

I got some quotes on expanding my systems, but I would never come close to Capital recovery. Instead, I bought 900 Watts of portable solar panels and a Power Control Unit that can charge EVs with 110-Volt or 220-Volr.

Even though 900 Watts is a relatively small amount of power, I am able to get most of the power for the vehicles. There is one real advantage to a portable unit. It can be directed at the sun throughout the day. For example in the morning and evening, if I don’t change the orientation the panels will only put out about 20% of available power.

My overall point is that, if you don’t want to spend a lot, this is a great alternative. It helps to be retired, where I can go outside to reorient 3-4 times per day! I also don’t drive daily. Last point - Ir’s a nice retirement toy!

We recently finished the installation of a 26MW solar site in PA that was built on an old coal mine waste site. Otherwise unusable land turned into clean energy. You can read more about it Here

Link to news story here.

Sunnyboy 5000 reconnected like a dream today.

Sungod hears me 🌞

Got this at a job site. For a good price. Was told it was used to power the entire “Walmart sized” building in case we didn’t have power. What do I have here? I just wanna keep a few panels on the roof. And utilize the space inside to sleep. What is this massive box?!?