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Rooftop Solar Power Has a Dark Side

time.com Rooftop Solar Power Has a Dark Side

The companies that own many leased solar systems on Americans' rooftops are going out of business, leaving homeowners in a lurch.

The companies that own many leased solar systems on Americans' rooftops are going out of business, leaving homeowners in a lurch.

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4 comments
  • How do people not know that leased solar panels are a bad idea?

    Get a loan and buy them! And get a good 30 year warranty on it. They're awesome.

  • Seems obvious that this reporter had an axe to grind with the companies involved with her rooftop solar. A little surprising that so much of her personal experience is treated as "news" here but I guess Time can print whatever they want...even personal vendettas.

    I had panels installed on my roof a few years ago and my experience has really been great. But I bought my panels with a loan. Regardless, my company was out within a week of my inverter going bad and replaced it. The sales guy contacts me regularly (annually?) to check how everything is going and if I need anything.

    So don't take this article as "normal". It seems quite abnormal to me...in more ways than one.

  • Full disclosure: I happen to be a happy solar panel owner; though I had a tough time with the initial installation, the panels installed by Solarcity (now Tesla Energy) have been working properly since 2017 when we had them installed.

    • Same here but in 2019, 15kW system, and I have 3 Powerwall modules. I purchased mine with loans and then paid the loans off ahead of schedule.