All Season Solar / Sunnova

[xasx]

So I recently signed with All Season Solar in NJ and they use Sunnova.
I am starting to get mixed reactions about solar leasing. For me it seems to make sense since I do not want to put money up front. I understand I could save a lot more money by doing it myself, but it seems like I would need to spend $20,000 out of pocket.

My current utility bill is approx $191, they are estimating my new one will be $17 and my lease will be $120. They are promising the system will make 10,872 kwh the first year and 256,131 kwh hours over the life of the system.
They also said I can get any refunds if my system produces more then I use. They keep all of the government rebates and tax benefits.

Has anyone ever dealt with these companies? They only thing I can find about Sunnova is one review on ripoffreport. The rest of the articles have been about the money it has raised. I know a few people who have use All Season Solar in the past, but they used to partner with NJR at that time, so the experience could be different with Sunnova.

What things should I look out for in the contract? Anything else I should know from people who have had an experience with solar leases?

Thank you!

[Jason]

Hi xasx and welcome to Solar Panel Talk.

There are a few threads here dealing with this subject, start with reading those. Regarding the company you mentioned try www.solarreviews.com they may have some reviews about them there, good luck, cheers.

[myfriendSUN]

$30 up front to own my system

I just got my system installed at the end of August and I owned the system.
I used a company which has office in CA and NJ.
The only money upfront was the $30 tips for the guys that did the installation.
I used to pay around $235 a month year round.
Now I am paying $162 a month for 12 years for my system and am paying $18 a month to power company for the basic charge.
My system is supposed to be 100% offset my usage with net metering.
Just wonder why lease instead of own.

[myfriendSUN]

For a $120 lease for 25 years it will cost $36000.
For $162 a month for 144 months to own for 25 years will cost $23328.
Of course for me the labor cost to fix after 10 years will be on me.
The installation company warranty the system for 10 years.
The panels and micro inverters are warranted for 25 years.

[J.P.M.]

I just got my system installed at the end of August and I owned the system.
I used a company which has office in CA and NJ.
The only money upfront was the $30 tips for the guys that did the installation.
I used to pay around $235 a month year round.
Now I am paying $162 a month for 12 years for my system and am paying $18 a month to power company for the basic charge.
My system is supposed to be 100% offset my usage with net metering.
Just wonder why lease instead of own.

I'm not a fan of leases and probably in general agreement with the likely reasoning behind your somewhat rhetorical question. However, I can conjure up scenarios where a residential lease could make sense - for example, the user has no tax burden and a certainty of none in the near future, absolute certainty of not moving for the term of the lease or other combinations of things. Besides, it's a free country, so pay your money, take your choice.

Still, I'd bet the biggest single underlying reason why people lease is that they have little knowledge of the real costs in both money and future flexibility, or the desire to educate themselves in such matters, and most often succumb to the somewhat common American illogic of buy now, pay later (or pay for 20 years in the case of most leases).

I also suspect that most logical reasons for leasing of the type given above and others are, for the most part specious, being in most cases not really applicable to the particular situation, and often and usually used by peddlers to buttress a poorly considered decision that most folks have already talked themselves into without full knowledge or much concern as to what the consequences might be, financial or otherwise.

Solar electricity is an appliance. Renting solar panels is sort of like renting furniture or appliances. In the end it's cheaper to own something than to rent it in almost all cases.

[myfriendSUN]

I'm not a fan of leases and probably in general agreement with the likely reasoning behind your somewhat rhetorical question. However, I can conjure up scenarios where a residential lease could make sense - for example, the user has no tax burden and a certainty of none in the near future, absolute certainty of not moving for the term of the lease or other combinations of things. Besides, it's a free country, so pay your money, take your choice.

Still, I'd bet the biggest single underlying reason why people lease is that they have little knowledge of the real costs in both money and future flexibility, or the desire to educate themselves in such matters, and most often succumb to the somewhat common American illogic of buy now, pay later (or pay for 20 years in the case of most leases).

I also suspect that most logical reasons for leasing of the type given above and others are, for the most part specious, being in most cases not really applicable to the particular situation, and often and usually used by peddlers to buttress a poorly considered decision that most folks have already talked themselves into without full knowledge or much concern as to what the consequences might be, financial or otherwise.

Solar electricity is an appliance. Renting solar panels is sort of like renting furniture or appliances. In the end it's cheaper to own something than to rent it in almost all cases.

It looks like one of the OP's concern was the $20000 money upfront.
For me there was NO money upfront. The company got me two loans. The first loan was for the money from Fed and State. There would be NO interest as far as it was paid off within 12 months. So it would be paid off on time after I get my tax return.
The second loan was the one I am going to pay 12 years.

BTW I have a tenant paying for my mortgage.