Submitted by Technical_Pay9104 t3_115mvhl in WorcesterMA
Got a knock on the door from a rep at Trinity Solar claiming to be licensed by the town and offering what sounds like too good to be true… to put solar panels on the rough at no cost to me, all material/labor/maintenance/insurance handled by the town. Has anyone heard of this? Done this? If so what is your experience?
Which company helped you install the panels?
We used SunBug Solar. Our friends used them and highly recommend them. We've sent many of our friends to them, they were terrific.
They came out to do a quick assessment of the roof, shade, attic, electrical panel capacity and discuss our expectations for how much of our electricity we wanted the system to cover. They were also helpful with how it works in MA, the state of the Solar Renewable Energy Credit (srec) program and also the MA Dept. Of Energy Resources (DOER).
They came back with a couple quote options and we haven't regretted it once.
This was a while ago so things may have changed but I know net metering is still happening. SRECs may not be but I believe there is still a renewable energy credit program. There's likely a federal and state tax credit as well and it all helps get the total cost down.
When we got them MA had capped interest rates on solar loans around 3% but we called a number of banks and secured a loan at 1.25%.
We also have zero shade on our roof so we have great production. They have paid for themselves. SunBug should also be able to give you an estimate for your return on investment.
Sounds like bullshit, no records of this company having any agreements with Worcester in government document search.
Probably a lease, sign it and they own your roof for 20 years. Hard pass.
Not a scam, but not a good deal for you. As others have mentioned, they likely will own the panels and will basically use your roof for free.
Any they will put a lien on your home so you cannot sell your house without transferring the lease to the new owners or buying the lease out.
Maybe it's not a scam per se, but it's a scam in that these sales folks try to prey on elderly and uninformed. Folks are blinded by the notion of "free" solar panels and then end up with a bill for $80,000 when they go to sell their home.
“Licensed by the town” means they got permission to canvass. That’s all. They are pushing a “Power purchase agreement” so they put panels on your roof and sell the electricity the panels produce to you at a slight discount to National grid probably 20 or 25 year agreement.
The economics are Almost always better to own the system rather than do a PPA. My company serves Worcester if your interested. Newenglandcleanenergy.com
Do you have a good resource for a DIY solar parts store that is local to New England? It looks like your company does installations but if you know of a store I would be grateful.
Altestore.com (in Littleton or boxborough)
They’re gunna put solar panels on your roof, then all the power you generate forever will go towards energy credits that go right into their pocket, not yours. Forever. Don’t do it
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*roof
Sus AF that would be a good way to case a joint if you were a thief, yes I've seen too many movies....
What is the payment to you for this? This is a power purchase agreement (PPA) and they can be a good or bad deal for you depending on the details. Everyone who is just saying it’s a rip-off as a knee-jerk reaction doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
EnvironmentalAd550 t1_j92rixj wrote
If this means you'll be leasing the panels you should pass. If you don't own the panels then the install company can take the income you would normally get from having panels like renewable energy credits. This is why some companies go door to door and set up in malls and Best Buys. They shouldn't be trusted.
We own our panels and have earned a sizable credit with National Grid so even if we produce less than we use we don't pay a bill. This is because MA has net metering. We also get a couple hundred dollars a quarter from the sale of our production due to solar renewable energy credits. So it's basically getting paid twice for the energy we produce.
I have also heard that since the company owns the panels they can interfere with selling the house and the panels can't be included in house appraisal.
If they are offering this deal and still letting you own your system then it's great, I doubt that this is the case.