Buying or Selling with Solar:

Does solar increase the value of your home?

Does Solar Add Value to Your Home?

The Vermont housing market has seen unprecedented activity in the last few years, and rising prices.  Anecdotally, we’ve spoken to a number of customers that have sold their homes with solar installed, and ones that have bought them, and we always ask whether the solar factored into the sale.  This question has gotten mixed answers; they’ve reported that the buyers are often happy to have the solar but they don’t know how it impacted the sale.

The Jury is In – Solar Increases a Home’s Value

For many years we were stymied by realtors insisting that the solar was at best, not a factor and at worst, a negative.  We were even asked to remove arrays so that people could move with the equipment, despite the fact that the installation was custom-designed for the home. 

It makes sense that, all other things being equal, that a home with solar would sell for more because of the lower utility cost but that did not seem to be the conventional wisdom.  Thankfully, that has changed and the value added by solar is now widely understood.  You can easily find info on Zillow, Architectural Digest and any number of other sources that will tell you that solar not only results in lower carrying costs, but in higher desirability and a quicker sale.

How You Can Make Sure Your Solar is Considered?

The Appraisal Institute, the nationwide organization that governs real estate appraisers, is now officially on board and has published a form called The Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum.  You can fill this out to document efficiency and renewable upgrades and make sure it is considered in your appraisal.

What Energy Features Raise Value?

The following are among questions asked on the Green Addendum.  They will help the appraiser to quantify the added value.

Type of equipment/warranties:

Not all solar arrays are equal. At Same Sun, we only use Tier One solar equipment made in the USA like the Silfab Elite modules and Enphase micro-inverters. The better performing the equipment, the more worth it will have for your home!

Type of installation/orientation:

With in person site-evaluations, you can ensure your solar array has been placed in the optimal spot for maximum solar generation. The more energy produced- the greater the savings!

Own/Lease:

Although leasing may sound like a good idea in theory, when it comes to solar, owning is best. Not only are there great tax incentives for purchasing solar, but also a return of investment that doesn’t always come along with leasing.  Leases can typically last 20-25 years, meaning if you choose to sell before the lease expires, you may find buyers hesitant to want to take over said lease. On the contrary, when you own your solar panels, it will actually add value to your home and could potentially draw in buyers as an included feature.

Utility Costs (that are being replaced):

With every solar proposal, we provide our best estimate on how much you’ll save in electricity bills and overall costs. If you’re looking to purchase a home with low monthly utility bills, a solarized one is a great option!

Energy Efficiency Measures:

If your home has, for example, good insulation or EnergyStar appliances, this can contribute to your overall utility savings thus raising your home’s value even more.

EV Readiness:

Electric Vehicles are becoming more and more popular amongst consumers. In Vermont, there are over 5,000 EV owners. That being said, when your home has EV charging capabilities, you open up opportunities for greater buyer interest. Adding a level 2 EV charger to your home gives a vehicle owner the power to charge their car right from their own house, and this feature will become more desirable to buyers as the industry continues to grow.

If you are in contract, selling or refinancing a home that already has solar, understanding and making use of the The Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum is important.  Make sure you, your lender or your appraiser have completed the form so that the array’s value can be quantified and correctly added.  

If you’re in the market for a new home, and considering one that already has solar, you should also make use of the Addendum to know what you are buying.  If you are considering a home without solar, it might be the time to embrace it and even roll the cost into your purchase money mortgage.   With additional energy features comes additional value, and solar is worth looking into before missing out on the benefits. If you have any questions on how solar energy can affect your real estate decisions, Same Sun can help:

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Should I Wait?

by Philip Allen

Sometimes, Marlene and I are asked if we regret going solar 17 years ago due to the fact that the modules have improved dramatically in both wattage and efficiency. Our original Evergreen Solar modules on our garage roof were made in Massachusetts and are 180 watts and 15% efficient.

Evergreen is long out of business, and if we were to do the roof now, we would use Silfab 410-watt modules at 23% efficiency. So, yes, a new array is better than the old one. But regrets? None. This array started our contribution to clean energy and our small part in battling climate change, and they have paid for themselves in tax benefits and Green Mountain Power credits.

There are some forms of technology where it is wise to wait. Phones, computers, and TVs, for example. They get faster, smarter, and higher in resolution. But solar arrays ARE the power plant that provides all the kWhs for these things. As long as it is powering your home, it is not obsolete. Solar arrays APPRECIATE.

When we installed our first solar array in 2006, a kWh was worth 8 cents; now, it is worth 18 cents. Our arrays are worth whatever the utility is charging. Our three arrays have produced 167 megawatts, that’s 167,000 kWhs and offsetting 83 TONS of carbon thus far. We expect even the oldest to give us another ten years of free clean energy.

At some point, you have to commit to clean energy. We should have all done this 40 years ago, but it is not too late to begin. Will the technology get better? We sure hope so, but your solar array will never become obsolete because it IS your powerplant, just as the grid is not obsolete though it is 110 years old.

On the other hand, the Chevy Bolt in the driveway? We have replaced our EVs three times as that technology gets old, automobiles depreciate, and they lose that new car smell!

Contact Us to Learn More.

News Release: Same Sun Solarizes Whitehall Armory

WHITEHALL, NY – Same Sun of Vermont is pleased to announce that the solar project at the former Whitehall Armory, located at 62 Poultney Street in the Village of Whitehall, is now underway.  A total of 184 solar modules will be installed on the south-facing roof of the main facility, a castle-like structure that was originally built in 1899.

Marlene Allen of Same Sun & Roark Merrill of Winter Fellowship

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Whitehall Armory has housed U.S. Military and National Guard units going back to the Spanish American War.  The 37,000 square foot, brick and stone medieval-style structure sits on Poultney Street near the Champlain Canal, at the entrance to the Village’s historic waterfront. 

“No one who built this Armory is alive now. And the people who did build it would never have imagined that one day it would be solar powered. This is the significance of bringing 21st century technology to a 19th century landmark; you become very aware of the continuum that is our past and our future.” said Philip Allen, owner of Same Sun of Vermont.  

Same Sun Crew Preparing Roof

Vacated by the military in 2009, the property was redeveloped as an Athletic Club before transferring to the current owner, Winter Fellowship LLC.   The solar project was conceived in 2022 as a way to reduce the carbon footprint as well as costs, and a long permitting process ensued that involved approvals from the Village of Whitehall and Washington County, as well as the utility, National Grid.  NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency, will provide incentive funding through its NY-SUN program.

Emily Palm-Stikkers, Operations Manager at Same Sun, who shepherded the project through the design phase explained, “Any commercial solar array comes with site-specific challenges that require meticulous planning. Installing one on a 120-year-old historic armory that is the centerpiece of a small town adds even more layers of consideration, partnerships with multiple entities, and technical challenges. Bringing this impressive building up to modern NEC and building code standards, while maintaining its historical charm, has meant that great care and detail have gone into the visible attributes.“

Each year the 59.8kW array will generate 63,000 kWhs of clean, renewable energy to power future activities.

Gov. Hochul at CHPE Ceremony

Whitehall has traditionally been known as the Birthplace of the U.S. Navy, but in the past year has taken on additional significance as a hub in the Champlain Hudson Power Express, an underground and underwater pipeline that will bring 1.25 megawatts of hydro-electricity from Quebec to New York City.  The announcement and ceremonial groundbreaking of this project took place at the Amory in November 2022, presided over by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul.

Same Sun of Vermont was established in 2011 by Marlene Lederman Allen and Philip Allen of Rutland Town, Vermont as a solar sales and service firm. More recently, Same Sun specializes in installations of EV chargers. Headquartered in historic downtown Rutland, Same Sun focuses on customer-driven solutions for the residential and commercial marketplace in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. Contact us at: www.samesunvt.com/contact.

Why Silfab Solar Panels?

Often when choosing a brand, one has to compromise.  I like this, but I’m not happy with that.  I wish features from two different products were available in one product.  Promising technology, but unattractive appearance.   It looks good but it is poorly made, etc. etc. etc.  Imagine if something came along that checks every box, that you could fully endorse with no compromises.  That would certainly be exciting. Well, this is what we have with Silfab.

Silfab EliteTM 410-watt modules are the solar panels for us with no excuses and no compromise.  

Technically Superior

The Elite offers 410 watts at 21.4 % efficiency through Silfab’s proprietary X-pattern technology, which combines an integrated cell design with a conductive backsheet to create a more efficient and powerful solar panel.  

Aesthetically Pleasing

We have never seen a more sleek and elegant appearance than these all-black solar modules. The flare-like patterning with no white backsheet blends with and even enhances our clients’ rooftops and the entire home’s appearance. 

Unsurpassed Reliability

Silfab has over forty years of  solar design and manufacturing experience, beginning in Toronto, Canada with an expansion into Washington State (two existing facilities, and a third announced for 2024).  The company delivers “Buy American” approved PV modules specifically designed for weather conditions in the North American market.

For further peace of mind, Silfab offers two industry-leading warranty coverages: a 25-year craftsmanship warranty and a performance warranty of nearly 83% after 30 years.

American Products, Vermont Jobs

This has been the standard for Same Sun of Vermont since we began in 2011.  It hasn’t always been easy.  Silfab Elite, being manufactured in Washington State, tells our clients many important things. First, we are supporting good-paying American manufacturing jobs.  Some other nations use child labor, prison labor or pay poor wages to their workers. Second, we know that a factory is Washington is living up to high environmental standards, practically non-existent in China and some other countries. American made helps protect us from supply chain issues and like any manufacturing of power providing technology, it keeps America self-sufficient and secure.

Contact Us to learn more!

EV AWAY!

A summary of an EV trip from Rutland, Vermont to Atlantic City, New Jersey and back (with a stop in Brooklyn, NY).

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Same Sun Reconnects Rutland Town School

Rutland Town School made a bold move more than ten years ago to build a solar array on their rooftop. The solar array proposed was for 59.8 KW, and it would cost $195,000. Instead of looking for a lease or power purchase agreement that would have yielded a small payback, Rutland Town School funded the array with $97,500 from the Clean Energy Development Fund and a grant from Green Mountain Power for $15,000. 

SPS Crew Tests Modules

The rest was placed on the ballot to allow the school to take a bond for up to $130,000 to cover the balance, plus an independent advisor to shepherd the project. If Town residents approved the bond vote, Rutland Town School would own the array that would produce clean energy for decades and save the school more than a quarter of a million dollars.

For two years, the Rutland School energy committee worked toward this goal, and with public meetings and an aggressive phone calling campaign, the bill easily passed.

Unfortunately, the school board chose a solar company an hour and a half away who decided to outsource the work. The first winter, three panels came off their racks, a nearly unheard-of condition, and other problems arose over the years. Ten years on, the system was so underperforming that the school sought out Same Sun of Vermont’s service division Solar PROforamance Services (SPS) to evaluate the solar array’s condition.

Original Array Removed
Completed Rutland Town School Array
SolrenView Shows Production Pass 12,000kWh

SPS offered three options, and to the school board’s credit, they chose the option that would bring the solar array to full effectiveness and 2022 electrical standards, including rapid shutdown for fire protection. The majority of labor was done over the students February break, as to not disrupt the school day or distract the students.

From Left to Right: Kelly Trayah, Maintenance Director, Rutland Town School, Emily Palm-Stikkers, SPS Operations Director, & Simon Bradford, Bradford Low Voltage

Rutland Town School’s solar array had more than paid for itself before serious problems began. The money paid to re-install the system correctly and up to code will quickly pay for itself in the solar credits the school enjoys from Green Mountain Power. Since the array was commissioned on March 10th, inspected, and left generating on March 18th, it has saved the school over $2000 in the first six weeks.